Breast Reduction And Mastopexy (Breast Lift) Melbourne

Why Consider a Breast Reduction? | Breast Reduction Surgery Consultation | Breast Reduction Surgery | Recovery Period | Book Consultation

Why Consider Breast Reduction or Mastopexy Surgery with Melbourne’s Northeast Plastic Surgery?

Breast reduction surgery at NorthEast Plastic Surgery’s Melbourne practice can address:

Excess breast size and width in relation to body proportions
Breast ptosis (sagginess) and loss of fullness in the upper part of the breast
Descent of the nipple areolar complex

Breast reduction surgery (also known as reduction mammoplasty) is for patients who are experiencing issues with physical pain, discomfort and health issues.

Patients who seek breast reduction surgery have typically experienced:

neck and shoulder pain
skin infections under their breasts

During the procedure, the surgeon aims to correct breast size and volume. Mastopexy (breast lift) surgery is often performed to optimise breast shape, projection, and position of the nipples whilst maintaining breast volume.

Breast Reduction and Mastopexy Consultation

Patients considering breast reduction surgery need to be aware of the adjustment that follows a significant change in appearance, as well as the reality of the post-operative recovery process and the potential risks involved in the surgery.

Aims

During your consultation, your surgeon will discuss with you your expectations and identify potential limitations for achieving your desired outcomes. Individual circumstances which can affect the outcome of your surgery include:

skin quality
breast anatomy
scarring from previous surgery

Two or more consultations are often required prior to breast reduction surgery to ensure you understand:

your estimated period of recovery
the downtime required
your procedure
likely results

Only once your surgeon has thoroughly assessed your case and advised you on the risks and likely outcomes of your procedure will you be able to give consent to surgery.

Medical History

It is crucial that your surgeon be made aware of any relevant medical history. In particular, your surgeon must be notified if you take any blood thinning medications or if you have a history of bruising or bleeding easily. Your surgeon should be made aware of:

any previous surgery
history of scarring,
allergies to anaesthetic agents, antibiotics and dressings
tendency for easy bruising
history of smoking
tendency for excessive bleeding
deep venous clots involving the legs
all prescription and non-prescription medication
psychological or psychiatric issues
Raynaud’s Disease

Pre-operative Management

If you take blood thinning medication or agents present in other medication, further medical consultation may be necessary to properly advise on how your dosage can be managed in the leadup to your surgery. It may also be necessary to cease the oral contraceptive pill. Patients should avoid the following two weeks prior to and after surgery:

Aspirin
Disprin
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication, such as Nurofen
Herbal medications such as garlic, ginseng, ginko, arnica and fish and krill oils

If you are a smoker, you will need to cease six weeks prior to and after surgery to minimise the risk of surgical wound complications and complications from anaesthesia. Nicotine-containing products can also affect wound healing and should be ceased two weeks prior to and after surgery. In some cases, your surgeon may require you undergo a blood test in order to properly assess your suitability for surgery and fitness for general anaesthesia.

Risks

When considering breast reduction surgery, your surgeon will discuss the potential for:

problem scarring around the areolar complex and breast
wound complications including
- infection
- wound breakdown
- haematoma (collection of blood)
- seroma (collection of tissue fluid)
further surgery to address such complications

Risks specific to breast reduction and mastopexy surgery include:

swelling
redness
numbness of the breast skin
loss of sensation of the nipple areolar complexes
necrosis of the nipple areolar complex
asymmetry
contour irregularities
dog ear formation (contour irregularities at either end of the scar)

Revisional surgery is necessary in approximately three to five percent of patients who undergo breast reduction and mastopexy surgery. Any revisional surgery will incur its own set of risks and potential complications and your surgeon will make you aware of these prior to your procedure.

Informed Consent

Informed consent can only be given after:

a thorough consultation process with a surgeon
your specific questions and concerns have been addressed by the surgeon
The costs of breast reduction surgery and revisional surgery have been discussed

Cost

In Australia, surgeons are strongly discouraged from advertising a set price for a medical procedure. This is in line with the Guidelines for advertising of regulated health services by the Australian Medical Board. For this reason, we do not include a cost per procedure on our website. Part of your initial consultation will be to discuss the cost of the procedure. If you would like to know in advance, we can provide approximate costs before your initial consultation including any applicable Medicare rebate. We are available by phone on 03 9088 5000 or via enquiry through our website.

Consultation Cost

There is a cost for an initial consultation at our Melbourne clinic, with the potential to receive a portion of this back via Medicare where eligible for rebate, provided you have a referral from your GP.

Your Breast Reduction / Mastopexy Surgery

The procedure is performed by making access incisions around the nipple areolar complexes and an incision extending vertically underneath. Occasionally a short transverse scar in the crease below the breast is also required. The most appropriate of these surgical access incisions will be discussed during your consultation.

The operation is performed in an accredited hospital under general anaesthetic with a specialist anaesthetist present. Patients are treated in hospital as a day surgery where appropriate though may require a one-to-two night stay for antibiotic therapy and pain management.

Internal wounds are repaired with dissolving stitches and waterproof dressings applied, which are suitable for showering and bathing. A compressive garment or “boob tube” is provided must be worn after surgery. Thereafter, a post-surgical brassiere will be provided, which is to be worn for approximately six weeks after surgery.

Recovery Period

It is important that access to medical attention is available by telephone once you have been discharged. Issues about which your surgeon needs to be made aware urgently include pain uncontrolled by medication, bleeding to the extent that the dressings soak through with blood, temperatures exceeding 38 degrees Celsius, redness of the skin or any concerns related to the surgery.

Recovery after surgery usually takes two to three weeks, during which the breasts can be swollen or bruised. Approximately six to eight weeks after surgery, the swelling usually improves, and most patients can return to work within two weeks of surgery.

The surgeon will advise you on scar maturation strategies and when you might expect to drive again (typically two weeks after surgery). Physical exercise can normally resume three to four weeks after surgery.

Second Opinion

Mr Patrick Tansley MD FRCS (Plast) and Dr Sugitha Seneviratne FRACS (Plast) provide second opinion to patients seeking to address previous cosmetic plastic surgery problems and revisions for already ‘botched’ surgery. If you would like a second opinion on previously undertaken surgery, book a consultation to discuss this with one or both of our surgeons.

Before & After Photos

As the privacy of our patients is of the utmost importance to us, we do not provide before and after photos on our website. You will be shown a number of before and after images during your private consultation to illustrate the potential outcomes of surgery. These images have been provided by previous patients who have consented to their private use.