Ptosis treatment

The strong points

  • Correction of breast ptosis with or without modification of breast volume.
  • Possibility of placing associated breast implants to increase breast volume or decrease the volume of the mammary gland.
  • Often indicated after massive weight loss

Description

The goal of the ptosis treatment is to bring the areola back into the right position and to restore a harmonious appearance to the breast.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and weight variations can lead to a progressive descent of the breast. Several surgical techniques are currently available to obtain a more attractive curve. Depending on your morphology, you may be offered the use of a breast prosthesis or an injection of autologous fat to increase the volume of your breasts. Finally, the shape and size of the scars will differ.
In cases of moderate ptosis, a slight breast augmentation can lift the breasts. This procedure can be performed by placing a prosthesis or by lipomodelling (fat injection).

If you do not wish to have a breast augmentation, the ptosis can be corrected by shaping the gland with a scar all around the areola, called "round-block".
When the ptosis is more important, it is necessary to make additional scars:

  • a vertical scar in case of medium ptosis
  • a vertical and horizontal scar called a "T" in the case of significant ptosis.

Intervention

If you have a family history of breast cancer, a mammogram and an ultrasound may be requested.
If an injection of autologous fat is considered, a pre-operative breast MRI is required.
The procedure is performed under general anesthesia. This requires a pre-anesthetic consultation at least 48 hours before the procedure.
In most cases, the operation is performed in a conventional hospital (entry at 1pm, exit at 11am the next day).
The operation is not very painful but the postoperative care requires that the patient stop working for 5 to 7 days.

Questions / Answers

What are the possible complications?

The main complication is the alteration of the sensitivity of the areola and the nipple.
A hematoma or blood clot may occur on the evening of the operation but this is extremely rare.
In case of simultaneous placement of a breast implant (plastic-insthesis), an infection of the prosthesis may occur in very rare cases.

I just want to fill my cleavage, what techniques are available?

Some women just want to fill out the top of a breast without necessarily raising the areola and nipple with a T-scar.

The use of round prostheses is often unsuitable because it will fill the entire breast and can aggravate the effect of drooping breasts by tilting the nipple downwards.

Anatomical silicone prostheses are then used, with the lower part of the prosthesis more projected than the upper part.

This allows to fill the cleavage while correcting breast ptosis (for more information: blog article on the treatment of ptosis by anatomical prostheses)

Volume increase can also be limited to the upper portion of the breast by injecting purified fat into this area.

This will not weigh down the breast as a whole and allows for harmonious "cheating" avoiding the need for scars. The result is natural with no foreign body. However, recent recommendations from the French Society of Plastic Surgery have limited the use of this technique to women under 35 years of age with personal or family risk factors for breast cancer (for more information: latest recommendations on the subject of injection of purified fat into the breast).

How much does a ptosis treatment cost?

Ptosis treatment is never reimbursed by health insurance, even after major weight loss.

A simple ptosis treatment costs a total of 4000 to 4500 euros.
A ptosis treatment with a silicone prosthesis costs between 4,500 and 5,500 Euros and a ptosis treatment with an injection of purified fat (including liposuction) costs between 5,500 and 6,000 Euros.

Photos

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The firm

Docteur Yaël Berdah and Docteur Marc-David Benjoar
Plastic surgeons in Paris France

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