Breast Lift

Discomfort after a breast lift is normal, but most patients describe it as manageable rather than painful. In the first few days, you may feel tightness, swelling, and mild soreness similar to the sensation of an intense workout. Dr. Rivera will provide pain management options, including prescribed or over-the-counter medications, to keep you comfortable during recovery. Most patients find that discomfort significantly improves within the first week, allowing them to return to light activities soon after.

For a breast lift, you’ll have a series of appointments to ensure you get the best outcome:

• Consultation: Dr. Rivera will discuss your goals, assess your breasts, and create a surgical plan.
• Pre-surgery Visit: This is a check-up before surgery to review final details, answer any last-minute questions, and provide pre-op instructions.
• Surgery Day: The procedure itself, which is performed under anesthesia and takes a few hours.
• Follow-Up Appointments: These are Post-surgery visits to monitor healing, remove sutures if necessary, and ensure your results are developing as expected. They typically occur one week, one month, and a few months after surgery.

After a breast lift, you’ll notice a difference in the shape and position of your breasts, though full results can take some time to show fully. Swelling and bruising will be most noticeable in the first few weeks, but as these subside, you’ll start to see a firmer, more youthful appearance.

Yes, you can get a breast lift with a breast augmentation with implants or your own fat to add volume along with the lift or opt for liposuction to contour the surrounding areas. For those looking for a complete rejuvenation, a mommy makeover (which typically includes a breast lift, tummy tuck, and liposuction) is also a popular option.

Dr. Rivera at Rivera Plastic Surgery will work with you to create a plan based on your goals, ensuring that combining procedures will not compromise your safety or results.

Possible risks (usually very low) include:

• Swelling and bruising are common after the surgery and usually subside within a few weeks.
• Infection: A small risk of infection, but it can be minimized by following Dr. Rivera’s aftercare instructions.
• Scarring: While Dr. Rivera places incisions in discreet locations, scarring is an inevitable part of the procedure, though it fades over time.
• Changes in nipple sensation: Temporary or, in rare cases, permanent changes in sensation can occur.
• Asymmetry: Minor differences in breast shape or size may exist, but these are typically addressed during the healing process.
• Poor wound healing: In rare cases, some patients may experience delayed healing or wound separation, which can be managed with proper care.

Dr. Rivera in Miami Beach will thoroughly discuss these risks during your consultation and ensure that all precautions are taken to minimize them.

It is important to understand that not all transferred fat survives (only approximately 70%-50%), and repeated procedures are sometimes needed. Given the above, a small amount of overcorrection is almost always carried out. Overall, fat grafting is better for deeper volumization. However, it is not good for some areas where the transferred fat tends to disappear completely, such as the lips, where our motion likely causes the newly transferred fat not to survive.

Fillers are better for superficial areas, as they provide more powerful corrections (although not permanent, typically lasting six months to several years). In summary, fat transfer and fillers do not compete but complement each other. Fat is more useful for patients who need larger volumes deeper in the face. One additional benefit of fat grafting is that using special techniques, Stem cells from fat can be isolated and injected for skin rejuvenation purposes during the fat transfer procedure.

Of note, an insider secret and something not understood by most patients, aesthetic providers, and even some surgeons is that fat grafting generally does not work well as a stand-alone procedure in older patients with loose skin. Fat transfer works well for patients with no redundant skin (younger ones or older ones after a facelift). This procedure works best if the skin is tighter and more elastic. Hence, Dr. Rivera-Serrano typically only performs fat grafting in older patients during or after a facelift. A personal consultation will determine what is best for you.