What are the costs of a breast lift?
The average cost of a breast lift operation is between 4,000 and 5,800€. The price depends primarily on the method of the procedure and the effort involved in the operation. In addition, the price framework shifts according to the so-called fee schedules of doctors and clinics.
A breast lift is paid for privately by the patient and is not covered by health insurance. Since the desire for a breast lift is often for aesthetic reasons, the operation is usually associated with psychological problems of the patient. In principle, a breast lift is therefore not a service covered by health insurance.
Cosmetic reasons for a breast lift are clearly rejected by health insurance companies. However, if there is a medical indication for a breast lift and your doctor recommends surgery as a treatment, the health insurance company may seek to cover the costs. For this, it is necessary that a medical certificate from the doctor treating you is submitted to the health insurance company.
As early as 2 weeks before the date of the breast lift, the consumption of alcohol and nicotine should be avoided as far as possible, thus reducing the risk of wound healing disorders. In addition, the use of blood-thinning medication such as aspirin should be urgently avoided to prevent heavy bleeding during and after the operation. There are various treatment options for the actual breast lift.
The cosmetic surgeon will determine the ideal method during the consultation, it depends on the initial situation of the breast and the personal wishes for change. Important factors in relation to the initial situation are the size of the breast, the position and shape of the nipples and the degree of sagging of the breast. As a rule of thumb, the more the breast has to be lifted, the more surgical incisions the plastic surgeon has to make.
After the patient has arrived at the clinic on the day of the operation and has been admitted, she is usually given a sedative tablet and is then taken to the anaesthetic induction room. In most cases, the plastic surgeon will discuss the rough surgical steps with her again before the anaesthesia and the intake of the sedative and mark her breast according to the treatment method. During this conversation, final questions should be clarified with the doctor.
After the general anaesthetic has been administered, the actual operation begins. If the bust has only slightly sagged and the shape and position of the nipples do not need to be changed, in most cases a satisfactory, beautiful result can already be achieved by inserting an implant. This method of breast lift has the advantage that only very few, hardly visible incisions have to be made.
The disadvantage, however, is the foreign material used, which should hardly cause any problems nowadays. A slightly sagging breast can also be corrected by means of periareolary mastopexy. In this method an incision is made around the areola, and the plastic surgeon can use this access to lift and tighten the breast tissue from the inside.
The breast reaches a raised position and looks more youthful. If the breast has already sagged significantly, the above mentioned surgical measures are no longer sufficient to achieve a satisfactory result. In such cases, it is possible to make a so-called anchor or T-cut.
Here the incisions are made around the areola and from there downwards, creating the shape of an anchor or Ts. By means of this procedure, the bust can be lifted considerably further, but another scar is created. In some cases the nipples have to be reduced and/or relocated, but the nerves and blood vessels leading to the nipples are not cut.
As a rule, the nipple should therefore continue to be well supplied with blood and not have any loss of sensation. After lifting the breast and/or inserting the implants, the surgical incisions are sutured. When the patient wakes up from general anaesthesia, she is in the so-called recovery room, where her vital functions, i.e. pulse, blood pressure and breathing are monitored for a while.
The combination of a breast lift with an implant is one of the most common breast operations for women. A breast lift can be useful if the breast tissue and skin have sagged as a result of increasing age, weight loss or pregnancy. A breast lift can help to rebuild a firm breast shape.
There are two main criteria when it comes to the question of whether a pure breast lift or a breast lift with implant should be performed. How large should the lifted breast be? If the breast should be larger after the lift than before, then the combination with an implant makes sense.
At what height should the base of the lifted breast be? There are three starting points: high breasted, mid-breasted and low-breasted. The breasts at the top are considered to be the most attractive, as the décolleté looks fullest and the transition from the breast to the rib cage looks harmonious.
For this appearance a lift alone is usually sufficient. If the breasts begin rather centrally, an implant is often helpful. An implant is usually recommended for a deep-seated breast.
A detailed consultation is necessary to analyse the breast and discuss the possibilities. – How large should the firmed breast be? If the breast should be larger after the lift than before, then the combination with an implant makes sense.
- At what height should the base of the lifted breast be? There are three starting positions: at the top (high breasted), in the middle (mid-breasted) and deep (low-breasted)
The breast lift can be combined with an increase in volume through the patient’s own fat. In this procedure, fatty tissue is first obtained by liposuction from another part of the body, such as the thighs, stomach or bottom.
The fat is then processed and purified and injected into the breast during the surgical breast lift. With this method, up to 300 millilitres of own fatty tissue can be injected per breast, which corresponds to an increase in size of about two cup sizes. However, part of the injected fatty tissue is broken down by the body, so that on average about 60 to 70% of the originally injected mass remains in the breasts.
In some cases it may be necessary to perform a second own fat transplantation to achieve the desired breast volume. A big difference compared to breast lift in combination with an implant is that this method only uses the body’s own tissue. Like other operations, a surgical breast lift involves certain risks.
In general, complications only occur in individual cases. During the consultation to explain the procedure, the specialist discusses possible risks. An experienced physician can reduce possible risks by means of extensive pre- and post-operative care.
A breast lift is a surgical procedure that is performed under general anaesthesia. Risks typical for an anaesthetic can occur, such as During and after the operation breathing difficulties can occur. A rather unspecific risk during the operation is the occurrence of stomach irritation up to and including stomach bleeding, which can result, for example, from the intake of certain drugs after the breast lift.
Wound infections and inflammations in the area of the operated breast are possible. After a breast lift, accompanying symptoms such as sensitivity disorders of the breast, bruising and swelling in the operated area are normal. Depending on the surgical method, different scars can develop, but nowadays particularly small incisions are made which are hardly visible.
- Cardiovascular problems,
- Swindle
- And cardiac arrhythmia. While the patient is still sleeping, an elastic support bandage is applied after the operation. In some cases, additional compresses are placed under the bandage and/or the chest is provided with a drainage tube.
This allows both blood and wound secretion to drain off more easily. A slight leakage of fluid in the area of the surgical incisions is still normal a few weeks after the operation and should not be a cause for concern. The support bandage is removed just a few days after the operation, but a sports bra must still be worn to support and maintain the shape of the freshly operated breast (approx.
4 – 6 weeks). The stitches are usually removed 14 days after the operation, provided that they are not self-dissolving stitches. In the first month after the breast lift, the patient should avoid lifting heavy objects and doing sports.
In the first days after the operation, slight pain in the breast is normal. The pain can usually be managed well with medication recommended by the doctor. During the operation a drainage tube can be inserted into the breast to allow blood and wound secretion to drain away more easily after the operation.
Removal of the drainage after a few days can be painful, but it serves the healthy healing of the breast. After a breast lift, the scars usually do not play a major role, as the lift scars can usually be kept much shorter than with other breast operations. The slimmer the patient is, the shorter the scars of the breast lift are in the end.
Most patients have a vertical scar below the nipple, but this is hardly visible after 1 to 2 years and usually disappears after several years. There is a scar-saving alternative within the operation that is better than the conventional scar guides. This surgical technique is performed according to Benelli-Botti.
Here, the breast lift takes place around the nipple, so to speak, so that the incision is made around the nipple and “hidden”. You can discuss with your surgeon during the consultation what kind of surgical procedure can be performed on your breast and what kind of scarring can be expected. You can decide individually with your doctor what kind of result can be achieved for you and what the result may look like.
In the initial period after the breast lift, pain in the area of the breast must be expected. This pain occurs more frequently during movements, but can be easily controlled with the help of painkillers. In addition, many patients who decide to have a breast lift and still wish to have children worry about a bad influence of the operation on their later breastfeeding ability.
However, a breast lift usually has no negative influence on the ability to breastfeed and breastfeeding is basically harmless for the child even after the operation. The only risk with regard to a further pregnancy is of course the renewed sagging of the breast and the associated need for further surgical intervention. The question of whether breastfeeding is still possible after a breast lift plays an important role for women of childbearing age.
However, you do not need to worry. Breastfeeding is not restricted at all after a breast lift. You can breastfeed well and happily after a breast lift.
After a breast lift, the doctor in charge of the procedure will prescribe a breast lift, which takes an average of two to three weeks. It is important that the patient avoids lifting heavy objects and doing sports in the first month after the breast lift. Professions that include this usually require a correspondingly long sick leave of four weeks.