Video
Voiceover:
24-year-old Gina came to see Dr Pixie about her sagging breasts. She has been referred to see plastic surgeon Angelica Kavouni to discuss a breast uplift operation, or a mastopexy.
Ms Kavouni:
Could you show me ideally how would you like your breasts to be?
Gina:
If they were like…I can’t even get it because there’s so much loose skin.
Ms Kavouni:
Yeah. Like that.
Gina:
Yeah.
Ms Kavouni:
Okay. With the procedure, with the uplift, I think we can remove that there, which is about, let me show you…
Voiceover:
It’s a procedure that involves removing the excess skin and reshaping the breast.
Ms Kavouni:
Um, I’m not planning to take any tissue away, I’m planning to take skin, so the rest of your tissue still will be there. So now you are a C cup, so you will remain the same, there’s no reason for your, for your cup to go down.
Voiceover:
A few weeks later and Gina is back to see Angelica at the BMI Fitzroy Square Hospital. Angelica begins by marking up Gina for the operation, and showing her what the new shape of her boobs will look like.
Ms Kavouni:
So if you can visualise, in that area is where the nipple is going to be lifted up.
Gina:
Okay.
Ms Kavouni:
Okay. All the breast tissue will be moulded into the new shape.
Gina:
Yup.
Ms Kavouni:
And then the skin will be removed. And this is going to close together, like that.
Gina:
Okay.
Ms Kavouni:
Okay?
Ms Kavouni:
The size of the new nipple is approximately…has a diameter of approximately four, four and a half centimetres, and that’s, um, an average size. This is a mild titration that helps reduce bleeding and also adds some pain relief.
Voiceover:
Angelica starts by cutting the nipple away from the breast tissue, which has to be done very carefully so it doesn’t damage any nerves or blood supply.
Ms Kavouni:
I’m now cutting through the incisions in order to create the new shape of the breast.
Voiceover:
Then, the excess skin is gradually removed.
Ms Kavouni:
She has a good amount of breast tissue, it’s just that the skin on top of it has become quite loose. That’s mainly the problem.
Voiceover:
Next, Angelica detaches the breast tissue from the chest wall…
Ms Kavouni:
What you’re seeing here is the breast tissue. This is the breast gland, and that’s the aureole and that’s the nipple.
Voiceover:
...reshapes it before reattaching it.
Ms Kavouni:
Gina’s breast has been spread too much, and it has lost its nice conical shape, and I’m trying to recreate that. I’d like to show you, it’s the shape of the new breast, we can see the area where the tissue was, before, and this has been mobilised and made into a cone, and reattached on the chest wall. And the skin is going to be redraped on top of it.
Voiceover:
The outer skin is then stitched over the reshaped breast tissue. The stitches will form an anchor-shaped scar which will fade over time.
Ms Kavouni:
I’m very happy with the shape. She will have a very nice pert breast.
Voiceover:
Halfway through the operation, the improvement that the procedure has had is clear to see.
Ms Kavouni:
Okay, now, see the difference in the shape between the right breast and the left breast? I really like the operation of the breast uplift, because it makes a dramatic change. The breasts heal very quickly, and the patients really never look back.
Voiceover:
With one breast finished, the procedure is repeated on the other side. Then Angelica uses special dressings to make sure that the nipple stays healthy.
Ms Kavouni:
So I have used a dressing where the nipple is exposed, so that the nursing staff on the ward can inspect the nipple. I’ve just finished Gina’s, uh, breast uplift, and it has gone really very well. She has a very nice shape, I’ve managed to remove a lot of the loose skin, so I think she will be very happy. The breasts will take at least a few months to settle down, but already after the second or the third week, we can see that they have a very nice shape.
Voiceover:
Three months after her operation to perk up her sagging breasts, Gina is back to see Dr Pixie.
Dr Pixie:
What’s happened since we last met?
Gina:
I had, um, a full uplift done, they took the four inches of skin away…
Dr Pixie:
Yeah…
Gina:
And moved everything up.
Dr Pixie:
Do you think it’s boosted your confidence?
Gina:
Yeah. Changed my wardrobe, been out and bought new tops, um, I’ve been on holiday, so I went and bought a bikini.
Dr Pixie:
Oh brilliant. And you’d never, when was the last time you wore a bikini?
Gina:
Gosh, probably about ten years ago.
Dr Pixie:
So Gina, if I could get you to pop off to the couch and you can show me the results?
Gina:
Yup.
Dr Pixie:
So…crikey! It’s incredible to think that four inches of skin have come out, it really is. I mean, your main problem, Gina, was sagging. The procedure you underwent certainly resulted in scarring and was pretty painful. Would you do that all again?
Gina:
Definitely. It’s given me all the confidence I’ve wanted, so it’s, it’s worth it.
Dr Pixie:
Really good.
24 year old Gina came to Dr Pixie in search of help for her sagging breasts that she says resemble those of an 80 year old. Her breasts aren’t the only things that are down as Gina’s confidence is clearly low because of her unsightly boobs. Dr Pixie has a look at the offending organs and does indeed note stretched, sagging, excess skin which is quite unusual for a woman of Gina’s age but she also notes that it is really a cosmetic issue with no real option other than surgery – that would leave scars. Gina opts to go under the knife for a breast uplift (Mastopexy) where 4 inches of skin are removed. Gina then returns to show off the results to Dr Pixie. Noting vast improvements in both breasts and self esteem Gina eases Dr Pixie’s reservations saying she was pleased with the results and the grueling process she had to go through to get them was worth it.
Patient Name: Gina Blackwell
Condition: Sagging Breasts
Specialist: Miss Angelica Kavouni, Consultant Plastic Surgeon
Hospital: BMI Hospital Fitzroy Square
Length of operation: Approx 1.5 hours
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I'm 17 and my breasts are around a 32b, they are really droopy compared to anyone elses and my aerola are HUGE, when you look at my breasts from the front its just a bit of droopy skin and all nipple! The aerola is also lumpy .. is this normal?! Is there anything, surgery, skin tattoos, that can make them smaller, it's really getting me down and it makes my boobs look so much smaller than they are. It looks like I've breasfed a baby they are so saggy, I'm not overweight and havent lost any weight recently help?!
HEY IM 14 GOING ON 15, N I GT SIZE 30j/32HH,but i feel as if ma bras dnt help wen i jump, they jump ive got visible stretch marks on them and ma nipples look as if they are dropping every day it hard havin to but a bra for over £30 at my age, ma mum feel as if this is too much,i have to travel really far to buy bras and not even on my local high street i used to have back pains alot but they come and go now, but it makes me hav 2 miss skool on sum days, which is bad bcause i have my GCSE's wat can i do is it my weight or genetics?
I'm quite worried about my breasts, I'm 17 and they're 40DD but not as perky as other people with DD's. I also have quite alot of fatty tissue traveling under my arm which maakes my breasts look saggy, however when my arms are up in the air they are really perky and look great, any help please?
hello , i am 20 years old and i have baby of six months ,my great complex is my boobs they are small and they go down like a woman of 50 years and my second problem is my rib cage it's shape is not normal i'm very worried about my husband ,i feel that he deasnt like my breast he is not satisfied with my body and sometimes i dont want to make love with him to not see them ,i think at this problem all the time i became debressed sometimes i cry ,please i need your help and your advice.
i'm 21 a mother of two, i have very horrible saggy breasts that makes me very uncomfortable and lack confidence. my self esteem is very low as i have a other problems that are embarrassing down below my private area. i do not have a partner because its very terrifying for me to undress my self for any one to see .please can you help me !!!
Please Help! I have an oval shaped lump under each nipple and it seems to be getting bigger. I am 13 and i don't no what to do!
The best thing to do is go to your GP if your GP is a guy ask for the practice nurse or a woman GP and see what she thinks....
hi,i'm 21 yrs and i got 3 kids my breast are saggy just a little an there no tissue at the top.i don't want surgery but wondered if any exercise can help.i hate my breast.THANKS
I want this procedure done more than anyhting, I have suffered witht he most awful sagging breasts for years and am 30, with two children, I used to be a DD cup now the saggy skin is classed as a B/C. My problem is financial, they no longer do this on the NHS and my confidence is at an all time low and I take antidepressents and hate the way they look. Is there any type of financial help out there??? Please anyone??
hi im 21 and have 3kids my breast saggy just a little an there no tissue at the top i dont want surgery but wondered if you know any exercise i can do?also my pelvic floor musle is verry weak i need help to strenghthen it please help.
I had exactly the same problem as Gina. I'm 26 and I felt disgusted with my body and hated looking in the mirror. My boyfriend was so supportive and said I was perfect by I couldn't believe him. I obviously wasn't! It became my whole world and there wasn't a day went by where I didn't obsess over it. I even found it hard to motivate myself to go to work or take my daughter out. I ended up opting for surgery. I found a surgeon in Nottingham who was amazing. It changed my life. I can look at myself without crying now and I can move on with my life.