GalaFLEX Internal Bra for Breast Lift Surgery

Before you undergo any cosmetic surgery procedure at Karidis Clinic, you will have a consultation and a pre-operative assessment with your plastic surgeon. They will listen carefully to your concerns and what you expect to achieve and discuss which procedure, or combination of procedures, is appropriate.

At this stage, they will also ensure you are fully aware of the potential risks and complications inherent in that specific procedure and explain to you what you can expect immediately after surgery, throughout the recovery process, and when you will likely see the final results.

During the pre-operative assessment, the surgeon may take measurements of the area to be operated on and assess your skin tissue quality and the degree of skin laxity. The position of the incisions will also be decided upon.

A full medical history will be taken to ensure you are fit and well and can undergo surgery at this time.

After the initial consultation, there will be a two-week ‘cooling-off’ period before you can decide to proceed with surgery. You are welcome to return for further consultations with your Karidis Clinic surgeon, free of charge, if you have more questions.

If you make the decision to proceed with surgery, you’ll be given advice on how best to prepare for your operation, and you will have a dedicated Patient Coordinator who can answer any queries you may have.

Any pre-surgery tests can occur at the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth, a leading London private hospital where Karidis Clinic is based. The hospital has recently built a new wing including a diagnostic department with the latest X-ray, MRI, CT and ultrasound technology.

We advise patients to stop smoking as soon as possible as nicotine acts as a vasoconstrictor, which impedes the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the surgical site. This can slow down healing, increase the chance of infection and even cause tissue to die. Smoking also increases the risks of a general anaesthetic, and smokers are more likely to suffer ill effects from an anaesthetic.

You will also be advised when to discontinue taking aspirin or other blood-thinning medication in advance of your operation. You will be asked to fast six hours before surgery.

All Karidis Clinic procedures are performed at the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth. When you arrive, you’ll be greeted and taken to your stylish and luxurious private room with its spacious ensuite bathroom.

The nursing team will take your blood pressure and relevant vitals, and you will see your Karidis Clinic surgeon, who will make the final mark-ups. Our anaesthetist will also visit you.

Clinical photography will be taken to assist in your care and to enable clinical assessments to be made. These become part of your confidential medical record. These include photographs of the operation site and any distinguishing features and will be taken pre-op and post-op. 

Your procedure will be performed under a general anaesthetic, and once the surgeon has sutured the incision site, you will be taken to a specialist recovery room.

Once the hospital nursing team has ensured your recovery is complete, you will be taken to your hospital room for your overnight stay. The hospital nursing team will be on hand throughout the night, and you will be fitted with compression stockings and a compression device if required.

The following day, you will be visited by your Karidis Clinic surgeon or nurse and then discharged into the care of a friend or family member by the hospital nursing staff.

The pain and discomfort experienced after surgery are unique to the individual patient and the extent of their procedure. However, it should start to subside in the first week and should be easily managed with over-the-counter painkillers.

If necessary, you’ll be advised to wear a specially designed surgical support garment for approximately six weeks after surgery to support you during the healing process.

Depending on the nature of your job, you can usually expect to be able to return to work and normal activities between one to two weeks.

You’ll be given a comprehensive plan for the recovery process, including dates for your cast or suture removal and your check-ups with your Karidis Clinic surgeon. However, we are always on hand throughout this period, and you have access to our dedicated surgical nurse 24/7 if you have any concerns.

One of the more popular biopolymer that is used for support is GalaFLEX. It is made of poly-4-hydroxybutyrate (P4HB), a dissolvable microfilament that is broken down by the body over time. The mesh is placed in the lower pole of the breast of implant underneath breast skin. It provides additional strength to support breast tissue.

Scar tissue weaves in and out of the mesh, so when it dissolves, the breasts are supported by a natural framework that is three to four times stronger than normal breast tissue.

Our breast expert, Mr Mark Ho-Asjoe, may recommend combining a standard breast uplift with GalaFLEX, a mesh sling overlaying the breast gland to act like an internal bra. This offers enhanced support and extended longevity of results.

GalaFLEX is a bioresorbable mesh that provides structural support and reinforcement of the breast tissue. As well as helping to maintain the new breast shape and reduce further breast sagging, it can also potentially reduce scarring by minimising tension on the incision as it heals. The breast uplift is often combined with implants in an augmentation mastopexy procedure and GalaFLEX can help support the extra weight.

GalaFLEX can also be used in breast augmentation procedures to support larger implants or women with breast implants who have experienced ‘bottoming out’. This is where the breast implant drops too low, and there is too much volume beneath the nipple, causing it to point upwards. The mesh strengthens the implant pocket, holding it in the correct position.

GalaFLEX is not the same product as the mesh that has been used in hernia, vagina or bladder operations, and which has caused many ongoing problems for patients. The latter was a permanent product whereas GalaFLEX completely dissolves away to be replaced with natural collagen formation. As no foreign material is left in the breast, it will not affect mammograms in the future.