F. Ryan Wermeling, MD

Thanks for your question and sharing your concerns.  Breast lift incisions are typically placed around the nipple itself and down the center of the breast toward the fold.  Depending on your individual needs there may be an incision in the fold of the breast as well.  From what is visible of your tattoo it is unlikely that the incisions would interfere with the ink.  The new nipple position will be higher and pointing forward  but the goal is always to leave incisions so that they are not visible in any sort of clothing.  It is possible, however, that the shape of the tattoo may change slightly because the skin will stretch slightly differently after a lift.  

The best way to find out for sure would be to go see your local board certified plastic surgeon who can come up with a plan tailored for you.

The important thing is that you are happy with the result!    It is natural for scars to look red and feel firm or even raised at this point after surgery; it is a sign the body is doing it's job to heal the incision.  You are only 2 weeks from surgery and your scars will look better and better as time goes on.  It is important to discuss scar management with your surgeon but I generally recommend gentle scar massage starting one week after surgery and then more aggressive massage after that.  There are also topical treatments that can be a good adjunct to massage.  The scar may continue to look red and raised for several weeks but this is natural and expected.  I would give it plenty of time before deciding on any intervention.  An incision that is just slightly onto the breast, like yours, will generally be very inconspicuous once the scar matures.

Thanks for sharing your question.  Breast reconstruction is a journey and there can be many bumps in the road that lead to patients wondering about other options.  Your plastic surgeon is the best resource to get more information about your specific case.  She or he should be able to talk to you about how your reconstruction is moving along and address any concerns that you are having.

That being said, you can still switch to using your own tissue after a tissue expander has been placed.  There are many reasons to choose one type of reconstruction over another and you will need to make sure that you are a candidate to use your own tissue.  There are also several different options for which tissue to use that you and your surgeon can discuss.  One thing to consider is also that since there are tissue expanders in place already, sticking with the expansion until you reach your goal volume may give you the ability to use all your own breast skin and leave the flap almost completely buried.

I hope your reconstructive journey is a positive one and good luck!

Thanks for sharing your question and photos.  A careful discussion with your plastic surgeon will be important to get you the best result.  Depending on what you are looking for you could have a good result with either.  Your augmentation would likely be best placed under the muscle to help conceal the upper part of the implant and a dual plane placement can help fill out the lower part of the breast.  If you are desiring a large augmentation your breast may be filled up enough to not need a lift.  Your plastic surgeon can take measurements and get an idea if that would work for you.

Thank you for sharing your questions and photos.  Tuberous breasts are a complex problem with several things to consider when treating them.  A constricted lower pole, as you know, is a common component.  This comes from an abnormal formation of the fold which changes how the breast tissue develops and positions itself on the chest.  The tissue is structurally different and has a different appearance under a microscope. 

Unfortunately just releasing this constriction will not allow a natural breast development because the position of the breast on the chest is already set once the tuberous changes are identified.  The release must typically be combined with a procedure that resets the position of the breast fold and often an implant serves the role to fill the space left after releasing the constriction band in the lower portion of the breast that concerns you.  This a complex problem and a discussion with a plastic surgeon in your area can help design a plan that is tailored to your needs.