The Breast Lift Consultation: What to Expect
Consultation: What to Expect
In the planning of any plastic surgery, the consultation is an integral part of the process. During this one-on-one meeting with your plastic surgeon, you’ll get to know each other, plan ahead for the details of your surgery, and have many questions answered. Consulting for your breast lift surgery is the best way to discover if the procedure is a good fit for you and to determine whether you’re ready for this important step. Here’s exactly what you should expect when you walk through the office door for your breast lift consultation.
Topics Discussed at Your Breast Lift Consultation
Deciding on breast lift surgery can be a major step toward reclaiming your body following pregnancy, weight loss, or simply the process of aging. After you have chosen your plastic surgeon and booked your consultation, you may be wondering how to prepare. Your surgeon will require some in-depth information from you, so be ready to discuss several topics during your consultation. Prospective patients should be ready to talk about the following:
- Your surgical expectations. Your surgeon will want to clearly understand your vision for your breasts after the procedure. This can help him to design a surgery that suits your results while complementing your body shape and proportions.
- Your medical history. If you need to organize a list ahead of time, be sure to include any current or previous conditions you have, any drug allergies, all of your current medications, the vitamins and herbal supplements you are taking, and all recent medical treatments you have received.
- Your family history. It may not seem relevant, but you should be prepared to discuss your family history of breast cancer, if there have been any cases.
- Your unhealthy habits. It’s essential for your surgeon to know about any habitual use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs, as such activities can raise your risk for surgical complications during and after the procedure.
- Your previous surgeries. Yes, this is a part of your medical history, but it is more important for your surgeon to understand how well your body responded to these surgeries, how your body healed afterwards, and how much scar tissue was left behind. With this information, your plastic surgeon can determine your eligibility for surgery and the method best suited to you.
- Your breast health. To determine that your breasts are healthy enough for this procedure to be performed, your surgeon will ask for the results of any mammograms or previous biopsies that you may have had.
The Breast Evaluation
Your surgeon can only plan an effective breast lift surgery if he is able to examine and evaluate your breasts and their unique features. Once you have been deemed a good candidate for a breast lift, your surgeon will perform this examination. As he does so, he will take into account the amount of skin laxity, breast sagging, excess skin and fat, and other relevant factors in order to plan the most effective procedure for your breasts. During the evaluation, he will also take measurements of your breasts’ size and shape as well as the placement of your nipples and areolae. Your surgeon may also take “before” photos of your breasts to use as a comparison to your final breast lift results.
Planning Your Breast Lift
The next stage of your breast lift consultation is the planning for your actual surgery. With all of this information in hand, your surgeon will be able to recommend a course of treatment for your sagging breasts, including the expected results and the surgical approach that will be used. You will discuss all of the potential outcomes of your surgery, including any risks or possible complications that are associated with a breast lift. This is the perfect time to voice any of your concerns for your own health, your breast lift results, and the surgery in general. You will be able to discuss the anesthesia that will be used for surgery, the expected length and nature of your recovery process, and what steps you should take before surgery to ensure the smoothest procedure possible.
At this time, you may also be asked to schedule additional tests, like a pre-operative mammogram, as an extra precaution. If you are looking to add volume to your breasts, your surgeon will discuss breast augmentation and breast implants, as well as what potential advantages or complications come with them. Ultimately, you will be able to have input on your breast lift procedure, so be open and honest with your plastic surgeon about what your desired results really look like.
Start With the Right Plastic Surgeon for Best Results
Choose a reputable board certified plastic surgeon to perform your breast lift procedure to get the optimum results for your body. With his extensive experience, Dr. Ronald Lohner is a board certified plastic surgeon based in Philadelphia who offers other body-shaping procedures to his patients, including butt lift, thigh lift, tummy tuck, arm lift, and the Mommy Makeover. He completed his undergraduate education at Dartmouth College and medical school at UMDNJ-Rutgers. Currently, Dr. Lohner is Chief of Plastic Surgery at Bryn Mawr Hospital and holds a faculty appointment at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. His peers have selected him as a Philadelphia area Top Doctor for the past eight years. His office is located at [primary_address] in [primary_city], [primary_statefull], on the Main Line. Please call his office at [primary_phone] to schedule a consultation.