A 60-year-old female patient demonstrates temporary redness following breast lift that will subside in approximately 6 months.
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Introduction: Redness over Lower Breast Following Breast Lift
Redness over the lower breast mound following breast lift is unavoidable in the early postoperative period. This is because the vascular flow along the lower breast pole is altered by making incisions along the lower breast pole to complete the lift.
It is best to think of this congestion as if the police put up a freeway blockade. This blockade would immediately bring the cars to a standstill as the cars have to turn around and find another detour route to their destination. Eventually, the blockade might give way as a few lanes open up. This is in fact what happens to the red blood cells that get backed up thereby causing redness along the lower breast pole.
The most critical concern for patients is to rule out that the redness over the lower breast following breast lift is not an infection. The redness can be quite bright and concerning for patients who worry about their incision lines healing well. The incision lines can act as a route for breast incision line contamination and subsequent infection. In particular, breast lift incisions if contaminated can become prone to poor healing.
Location of redness over lower breast pole
Redness over the lower breast pole is especially true at the lowest aspect of the vertical breast incision line called the “inverted T” site. The “inverted T” incision site is the most vulnerable area and tightest along the incision lines. The tightness compounds the blockage of the inflow of blood products and nutrients caused by the blockade. In summary, the incision lines along the “inverted T” site are prone to incision line separation and even the development of small wounds.
When a small wound develops, it can make the concern of redness over the lowest breast pole even more frequent as the skin edge becomes further irritated. Fortunately, even when a small wound develops, this concern can be resolved over a few weeks with proper dressing care. Moreover, ninety-nine percent of redness over the lower breast is not related to an infection at all.
Conclusion: Redness over lower breast pole after Breast Lift
The vertical and inferior incision lines that conglomerate at the “inverted T” incision line, act literally like a blood flow blockage. When the blood vessels are cut off of their normal outflow, then the blood cells have to be rerouted and re-establish blood flow back out of the region. It is this vascular congestion that is responsible for the redness that is observed along the lower breast pole.
In summary, redness over the lower breast following breast lift is very common and not a concern for infection. Blood flow will be restored over the first 3 to 6 months, resulting in near-complete resolution of lower breast pole redness. Patients are routinely reminded of this fact and asked to be patient with the resolution of the redness.
Most patients observe the resolution of the redness and demonstrate satisfaction following breast lift surgery.