What can go wrong
What can go wrong after a breast lift:
- scars that stay red, stretch or thicken for longer than usual (some people are prone to this)
- changes in nipple feeling: often numb at first, usually back within weeks, sometimes reduced for good
- breasts or nipples that end up a slightly different shape or height from each other
- a wound that opens, most often where the scars meet under the breast, which takes weeks to heal
- firm lumps where some fat didn't survive (fat necrosis), which often soften with time
- bleeding under the skin (a haematoma) that needs a return to theatre, which is rare
- infection, a blood clot in a leg vein, or a reaction to the anaesthetic
- rarely, loss of part or all of the nipple or areola because its blood supply failed
Your surgeon should tell you how likely each one is for you, and what they'd do if it happened.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is usually still possible after a breast lift, but some women make less milk afterwards, and a few find they can't breastfeed at all.
If implants are added
Implants add their own risks: scar tissue tightening around the implant, rupture, rippling, the implant turning, and the rare lymphoma BIA-ALCL. Read a lift with implants.
What lowers your risk
- If you smoke, stopping at least six weeks before the operation lowers the risk of wound problems and chest infections.
- Being at a steady weight that you can keep
- Telling the surgeon about every medicine and supplement you take, including the contraceptive pill, which raises the risk of clots
- Choosing a surgeon on the Specialist Division in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, operating in a hospital with an anaesthetist
- Following the aftercare: the bra, no lifting, walking every few hours
If something goes wrong
Ring the clinic straight away about a breast that swells up quickly, a wound that opens or smells, a temperature, or a painful, swollen calf. For chest pain or breathlessness go to an emergency department. If you're unhappy with the result, go back to the surgeon first: small revisions are common and often planned for at the consultation.
Questions people ask
Is a breast lift safe?
For most healthy people it goes well, but it's major surgery with real risks. Your surgeon should explain how likely each is for you.
Will I lose feeling in my nipples?
Feeling often goes numb at first and usually returns within weeks. Some loss can be permanent.
What is the most common problem?
Slow healing where the scars meet under the breast, and scars that stretch or thicken.
Does smoking matter?
If you smoke, stopping at least six weeks before the operation lowers the risk of wound problems and chest infections.