With beautiful breasts, every woman can feel confident and relaxed. However, due to age, chronic diseases, pregnancy, lactation, weight fluctuations, hormonal changes in the body, various diseases of the mammary glands and even gravitational forces, the condition of the mammary glands worsens.
As a rule, this leads to the fact that the shape of the breast loses its former attractiveness and begins to sag. And this can lead to the development of complexes in a woman.
But you should not despair, since this problem can be solved with the help of mastopexy. If there is slight sagging of the breasts, a periareolar or vertical breast lift can eliminate this. But if there is ptosis of the 3rd degree, then an anchor breast lift comes to the rescue.
Anchor mastopexy is a rather complex operation that allows you to eliminate severe asymmetry and ptosis. Using this technique, it is possible to evaluate the results already during the operation.
This name was given to this surgical method because of the original shape of the incision in the skin through which surgical access is provided. The starting point of such an incision is the inframammary fold; vertically it reaches the lower edges of the areola, bending around it. Thanks to this, it is possible to perform many significant manipulations to actually give the breasts any desired shape. Basically, an anchored breast lift is used to eliminate grade 3 ptosis, which implies a descent of the nipple 2 or more cm below the level of the inframammary fold.
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Indications and contraindications for anchor mastopexy
The objective indication for this type of surgical intervention (T-shaped mastopexy) is significant breast ptosis with significant asymmetry, as well as impressive excess skin. If the patient wishes, it is possible to increase the size of the mammary glands in parallel with the lift (in this case, implants can be installed) or reduce them. This operation has many contraindications. It is not carried out when:
- minority;
- any breast disease;
- any type of cancer;
- systemic infection: tuberculosis, syphilis, AIDS;
- heart diseases;
- exacerbation of a chronic disease;
- severe mental disorders;
- morbid obesity;
- hypertension;
- significant deterioration of immunity;
- pathologies associated with blood clotting;
- serious endocrine disorders;
- severe liver and kidney diseases.
At the end of the lactation period, you should wait at least six months. It is unacceptable to carry out the operation when childbearing is planned within the next few years. After a cold, you need to wait about 2 weeks.
An anchor breast lift, compared to other types of mastopexy, allows you to achieve the most pronounced and stable results.
Tightening methods without using implants
Breast augmentation without an implant is one of the most common methods of breast correction. Surgical intervention is performed using several methods:
- periareolar (circular);
- vertical;
- anchor.
The correct technique for performing a breast lift without an implant eliminates damage to the milk ducts, nerves and blood vessels. This also applies to such a popular type of plastic surgery as breast reduction by resection (reduction) of glandular and fatty tissue. The reduction method is indicated for severe hypertrophy or ptosis of the mammary gland. As a result, the volume decreases, the bust becomes symmetrical, proportional, and expressive.
If the volume of the mammary glands is normal, the lifting operation is performed without enlargement or reduction; the surgeon corrects only the shape, tightens the skin, eliminates sagging tissue and ptosis.
Advantages and disadvantages of anchor mastopexy
When deciding on a surgical breast lift, you need to understand that there is no operation without stitches. Over time, the seams turn white and become less noticeable, and the beautiful shape of the breast remains for years.
Advantages:
- elimination of ptosis of the 3rd degree,
- correction of severe asymmetry of breast shape,
- correction of areola asymmetry.
Flaws:
- high invasiveness of the method,
- long scars that look like an inverted T or an anchor,
- relatively long rehabilitation period.
Specifics of the operation
A distinctive feature of this type of operation is the need to carry it out according to a clear scenario. Only if this condition is met, the breasts will receive an ideal shape. This means that maximum attention should be paid to finding a suitable specialist who can be trusted with your own breasts. Behavior during postoperative rehabilitation is of no small importance.
Preoperative preparation
The preparation in this case is almost no different from other types of mastopexy. The beginning of preparation is the initial consultation, during which the patient voices her own wishes, while the doctor explains to her in detail the existing risks and possible complications.
Then the patient is carefully examined and an operating plan is drawn up, simulating the planned result on a PC. The surgeon names the final cost, which takes into account the cost of the surgeon’s work, anesthesia, stay in the clinic, and postoperative support. To ensure complete confidence that there are no contraindications, the patient is sent for an examination, based on the results of which a conclusion is made about the possibility of performing the operation in a particular patient.
This examination should include:
- blood tests (CBC, biochemical, coagulation tests);
- urine test (general);
- fluorogram;
- Ultrasound of the mammary glands.
In addition, the blood type is determined - it will need to be taken into account if massive bleeding occurs. If the patient constantly takes any pharmaceutical medications, she should definitely inform the doctor about this in advance. You should stop taking oral contraceptives no later than a month before surgery. Anticoagulants should be stopped at least seven days in advance. Taking other medications should be stopped based on consultation with the doctor. It is important to completely stop drinking alcohol and smoking, since these habits significantly slow down healing. Also, 8 hours before the operation, eating and drinking is prohibited, since it is usually performed under general anesthesia.
How is the operation performed?
Right before the operation, a special marking is applied to the mammary glands using a marker, making it easier for the surgeon to orientate and correctly perform mastopexy. Then anesthesia is administered, after which the surgeon begins work.
Textured implants
The surface of textured implants is grainy and rough. Why was this done? In order for the implant to have better contact between the tissues of the mammary gland, as if being embedded and becoming part of it itself. Despite the fact that textured implants are considered somewhat of an innovation, they were invented back in 1968 by Californian professor John Pangman. Since then, they have undergone extensive testing, been fitted to hundreds of thousands of patients, and are widely used in plastic surgery today. It is also worth adding that today there are many types of textured implants - micro-textured, macro-nano- and medium-textured, in total about 13 different textures produced by the world's leading manufacturers Mentor Siltex, Allergan Biocell, Nagor Nagotex, and Polytech POLYtxt.
Pros of textured implants
As mentioned, the purpose of a textured implant is to connect with the living tissue of the breast. The upside to this is that the implant will not have any risk of moving or rippling, unlike a smooth implant. Another advantage is that textured implants have a lower risk of capsular contracture. Although, again, we would like to add that, according to some researchers, textured implants can only delay capsular contracture, but not prevent it. And the appearance of the complication itself is influenced by completely different factors, which were discussed above.
Cons of textured implants
Textured implants are somewhat tactilely different from smooth ones. They are slightly harder and more elastic than smooth ones. Therefore, the sensations may be a little less natural. Doctors recommend installing teardrop-shaped textured implants, then the increased elasticity will be compensated by the naturalness of the shape.
If textured implants are nevertheless covered with a fibrous membrane, then the operation to remove them will be more complex than to remove smooth implants. To remove smooth implants, a closed capsulotomy is possible (when the capsule is removed and the implant is released using an endoscope). To remove textured implants, in the vast majority of cases, an open capsulotomy is required, that is, in fact, a new operation with the replacement of old implants.
See the section “Breast Augmentation” and learn more about this plastic surgery.
Anchor breast lift surgery technique
Marking
Before the operation, the lines of future incisions are marked with the patient standing.
This takes into account the initial asymmetry of the shape and size of the breasts and areolas.
Operation
An anchor breast lift is performed under general anesthesia and lasts on average 2-3 hours. Incisions are made with a scalpel along the marking lines.
Excess skin and gland tissue are removed
A feeding vascular pedicle of the nipple-areolar complex is formed (in this example, the lower one).
Temporary sutures are applied and the areola is moved to a symmetrical, higher position. Drains are installed. Then permanent stitches are placed and a compression bra is put on.
Breast lift without implants: pros and cons of the new trend
Big breasts are going out of fashion. Popular implants have been replaced by breast lift to achieve a natural effect. The stars simply adore her. Let's figure out what kind of technique this is and whether it is dangerous.
We were advised by Ilya Sergeev, a plastic surgeon, a leading Russian specialist in the field of breast plastic surgery, the chief plastic surgeon of the Moscow region, professor (at the department of the regional scientific research institute MONIKI), member of OPREX, founder of the School of Mammoplasty Prof. Sergeev" and the leading Russian center for breast and body plastic surgery, the DOCTORPLASTIC clinic.
Recently, a new trend has appeared in aesthetic medicine - the desire for naturalness. Everything that used to be fashionable: overly large breasts, pumped lips, is unfashionable today. Therefore, it is not surprising that most Hollywood stars, having said goodbye to breast size 4 or more, opted for the democratic “two”. If you look closely at the photographs of Victoria Beckham, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Connelly, Drew Barrymore, the transformations that have occurred with their forms become obvious.
The trend for natural forms has affected not only the stars. A whole group of women has appeared who do not want to increase their size, but want to have beautiful breasts of medium or small size. Any plastic surgeon, before proceeding with the operation, makes an accurate calculation and can offer the option of a breast lift with or without implants, depending on the wishes and anatomical characteristics of a particular woman. Patients do not always choose to have implants installed. Especially if your own mammary gland has sufficient volume or the girl wants to have 100% her own, natural breasts without any artificial implants.
Ideally, any mammoplasty should be performed solely for indications. Is it possible to do a facelift without implants and in what cases can you not do without them? How dangerous is this operation? Let's try to deal with these and other pressing issues.
Most women experience the first manifestations of breast ptosis (sagging) even before the birth of a child. The breast is a hormone-dependent organ: it is affected not only by the menstrual cycle, but also by weight fluctuations. In addition, with age, the glandular component of the mammary gland is prone to degeneration and turns into fat. Fat, everyone knows, is a fairly heavy substance. A woman’s breasts fall lower every year due to the force of gravity, the presence of fat and a decrease in tissue elasticity. If you come to an appointment with a surgeon, then before starting a conversation about the operation, he will take measurements to find out how many centimeters (0.5-3 or more) your nipple is below the line of the base of the breast. Unfortunately, no exercises or medications can return the breasts to their original place, make them beautiful, lush, and tall again. Only a magic wand or a surgeon’s scalpel can do this.
You can read the article in full by following the link.
Rehabilitation period after anchor breast lift
After the operation is completed, the patient is transferred to the intensive care unit, where she recovers from anesthesia. In this case, it is necessary that she be in a semi-sitting position. Standing is not allowed for several hours after surgery.
On average, the early recovery period takes 2-3 weeks, during which bruises and maximum tissue swelling disappear. Pain in the chest area lasts from 2 days to a week. Conventional NSAIDs, such as ketonal, analgin, pentalgin, etc., effectively eliminate pain. The drainage installed during the operation is removed on the 1st-2nd day.
In order to prevent inflammatory processes and infection of the wound, antibiotics are prescribed, which lasts five to ten days. Sutures are removed after two weeks. By this time, swelling and bruising have almost completely disappeared, the client can return to work and gradually return to her usual way of life.
Acceleration of rehabilitation is possible with strict adherence to the following medical recommendations for a month:
- cessation of smoking and alcohol abuse;
- elimination of significant loads;
- refusal from sports activities;
- refusal to visit the solarium and bathhouse;
- refusal to swim in a pool or open water;
- wearing comfortable corrective underwear;
- use of high-quality firming creams.
After the sutures are removed, gentle massage and physiological procedures are possible to speed up healing.
How is recovery going?
The underwear worn after surgery plays an important role in the rehabilitation period. Compression garments must be worn around the clock for three months, so you should make sure you have a replacement pair in advance. Underwear helps fix the breasts in a new position, preventing possible displacement. After the first ten days, it can be removed for hygiene procedures, but for the rest of the time it is prohibited to be without underwear.
In the first days after surgery, it is best to sleep on your back, in a reclining position. To do this, you can place a high pillow or bolster under your back. Sleeping on your side or stomach is strictly prohibited.
It is also advisable to at least temporarily give up bad habits, in particular alcohol and smoking. Intimate life is also prohibited for at least several weeks to prevent injury to the chest.
Reviews and results
Feedback from patients indicates that T-shaped mastopexy in the absence of implants very rarely leads to complications. Most of the negative consequences are caused by the fault of the women themselves: bleeding after surgery, suture dehiscence, wound infection. If the quality of the operation is unsatisfactory, obvious scars may be left or asymmetry of the mammary glands may appear. With successful regeneration, there are almost no traces visible to the naked eye. The elasticity of the breast increases, it gets an attractive shape. The difference will be impressive in the before and after photos.
Why do people go to the clinic named after them for the best results of mammoplasty (breast surgery). N.I. Pirogov?
Department of Plastic Surgery at the Clinic named after. N.I. Pirogov is recognized as the best in St. Petersburg according to independent experts and patients. Our specialists successfully perform almost all types of aesthetic and reconstructive operations on the mammary gland. We guide our patients from the initial consultation until the completion of recovery. At the examination stage, we carefully identify contraindications. Read reviews and plastic surgeons' portfolios to learn more about them. In addition, we offer:
- operating rooms and medical rooms equipped with new generation equipment;
- own research laboratory - you can receive accurate test results within 1-2 days, even by email;
- free initial consultations with plastic surgeons;
- comfortable living conditions in wards for 1-2 people - with the care of nurses, under the round-the-clock supervision of a doctor on duty;
- promotional offers (all inclusive) at affordable prices, discounts on breast lift and breast augmentation;
- “Online Clinic” is a convenient service for remote video consultations with doctors and plastic surgeons;
- services of specialists from the cosmetology department with medical education;
- interest-free installment plan or loan for plastic surgery;
- organizational assistance from a supervisor for patients from other cities.
