With the rise of the ‘mummy makeover’, post-pregnancy breast augmentations are becoming increasingly popular. Leading plastic surgeon Mr Gary Ross offers an insight into this procedure and how to make it work for you.
The effects of pregnancy and breast feeding often lead to the sagging of skin and a decrease in the amount of breast tissue. New mothers are frequently concerned about both the size and shape of their breasts and the aim of aesthetic breast surgery is to both change and improve the appearance. Personally, I aim to achieve these improvements by concentrating on the individual patient’s needs and expectations. Pre-operative consultations are an important part of my service, as they allow the development of our patient/surgeon relationship and provide a means to discuss any concerns and clarify the patient’s needs and expectations. Techniques available for post-pregnancy breast surgery include both augmentation and mastopexy (uplift) and these two techniques can be combined in one surgical procedure and tailored to the individual to provide the optimal result. The two main aspects of aesthetic breast surgery are size and shape. When the patient has sufficient size but poor shape and if there is enough remaining breast tissue, an uplift alone may be sufficient to achieve the desired result. Where the nipple height is already at an optimal level and the patient has good shape but insufficient size an augmentation alone may suffice. Often, however, there are elements of both poor size and poor shape and a combination procedure including both uplift and augmentation is required to deliver a natural, lasting result.This can be performed in one operation or as two separate procedures. Different techniques, different implants, differing scarring patterns and different positioning of the implants require detailed discussion. atients before the surgery, explaining the benefits of each option, which allows them to make an informed decision about which procedure is best for them individually. Optimising results without compromising safety is paramount.