Plastic surgery & Body Contouring
Breast Lift or Mastopexy in Orange County and Los Angeles, California
Breast Lift Consultation
During your initial consultation, Dr. Agha will inquire about your general health status, pre-existing health conditions, prior surgeries, medications that you are taking, allergies, and smoking habits. Relevant questions in the history include:
• A detailed breast history of masses or lesions
• Results of a mammogram for those of 35 years old or more
• Family history of breast cancers
• Pregnancies and their effects on your breasts
• Previous surgical procedures on the breast or abdomen
• A detailed history of current medical problems, e.g.. heart disease, diabetes, and a history of thromboembolic disease, connective tissue disorders and wound healing problems.
It is important that a patient be thorough when providing the requested information as this helps to prevent complications during care. When asked about medications, be sure to include any diet pills, vitamin or herbal preparations, since some vitamins and herbal medications can affect your blood pressure and clotting ability. Honesty regarding your smoking and alcohol use is also very important, as these may have a profound impact on your recovery period and your ability to heal following your procedure.
After reviewing your medical, breast and family history, Dr. Agha will discuss your concerns, priorities and motivations for pursuing plastic surgery. Dr. Agha will then proceed with examining your breasts, and making appropriate measurements of your breast parameters. He will assess multiple factors including, breast symmetry, volume, form, shape, infra-mammary fold position, degree of sagging, skin quality, skin excess and the breast internal support.
Once you have decided to undergo a breast lift, there are two choices that you have to make – whether you want to keep your breast volume and size the same, or increase/reduce it. If your breasts are small or have lost volume after pregnancy, breast implants inserted in conjunction with mastopexy can increase both firmness and size. If your breasts are large and sagging, a breast reduction may be considered.
Thus, breast lift surgery needs to be individualized. There are various plausible surgeries depending on the breast shape and the nature of your tissues. He will subsequently provide you with information on different options, the advantages and disadvantages of the each procedure, and potential risk and complications of each surgery. Finally, considering your input, Dr. Agha will plan an appropriate procedure to best suit your anatomy, and meet your desires and expectations.
At the completion of your consultation, you will be given a written estimate of the cost of your procedure. At this time, you will also have the option to schedule your procedure if you so choose. You are encouraged to bring your spouse, significant other, or family member to your consultation.
The cornerstone of Dr. Agha’s approach is to customize treatment to your specific needs and circumstances, and to ensure that you have an adequate understanding of the procedure so that you are able to make a fully informed decision. This will help you achieve the appearance you desire with the least invasive procedure available.
Details of Your Breast Lift Plastic Surgery Procedure
Breast lift usually takes one to three hours, depending on the complexity of the planned procedure. After you have changed into a gown and had your intravenous line started, Dr. Agha will mark certain landmarks on your chest in the pre-operative area. This ensures proper incision placement and symmetry. He will also review the entire operative plan with you, as well as potential complications. You will then be given a dose of intravenous antibiotics as a precautionary measure.
What happens during breast augmentation surgery?
Step 1 – Anesthesia
Medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedure. The choices include intravenous sedation and general anesthesia. After initiation of anesthesia in the operating room, Dr. Agha will inject a solution of local anesthetics at the intended incision site. This injection solution consists of a combination of lidocaine, marcaine, and epinephrine. The lidocaine and marcaine will numb the surgical site for several hours after the surgery and decrease your sensation of post-operative pain. The epinephrine causes constriction of the blood vessels at the surgical site, reducing the potential for bleeding and bruising.
Step 2 – The Incision
Next, Orange County Plastic Surgeon Dr. Agha will make the incisions necessary to remove the excess breast skin, to lift the nipple-areola complex, and to reshape the breast tissue via internal stitches. If necessary, enlarged nipple-areola complexes are reduced by excising skin at the perimeter.
Step 3 – Reshaping your breasts
Dr. Agha next elevates the underlying breast tissue and reshapes it to improve breast contour and firmness. The nipple and areola are then repositioned to a natural, more youthful level. If a small breast reduction is needed, Dr. Agha removes some of the breast tissue as needed. If breast enlargement is desired at the same time, this will be performed by employing a breast implant.
Step 4- Closing the Incisions
Incisions are carefully closed with absorbable sutures to minimize scarring. Over time the incision lines will fade. A sterile dressing is applied to the incisions, and a soft surgical bra is placed over your breasts.