Breast Lift

Also known as mastopexy and breast lift surgery

In a breast lift, sagging and uneven breasts, reduced breast volume and drooping nipples and taut nipple areas (the dark area surrounding the nipples) are corrected and your breasts are lifted, giving them a youthful appearance again. If breast volume is too large or too small, breast reduction or augmentation may be recommended in addition to a lift. Every year, thousands of women undergo successful breast lift surgery and are satisfied with the results without any major problems.

 

When to decide on a breast lift?

If you are becoming increasingly unhappy with sagging breasts, you may wonder what your surgeon can do. If your surgeon recommends breast augmentation or reduction along with a breast lift, don't worry; ancillary procedures will help you achieve the look you want.

Here are some common reasons why you may want a breast lift:

The breasts are saggy but adequate in size.
The breasts lack fullness and firmness.
Nipples and nipples are pointing down, especially if they are below the breast crease.
One breast looks different from the other; one breast is firm and good looking while the other is the opposite.
Breasts that are not the same size.
Relatively small breasts.
Large and heavy breasts can also be lifted, but the results are not as permanent as with smaller breasts; the weight of large breasts prevents surgical changes.
You do not plan to give birth and breastfeed again. If you want to have children, you may want to postpone cosmetic breast surgery. During pregnancy, the breasts may stretch, their volume may decrease, and the surgery will not be sufficiently beneficial.
If you are in good general health, have a positive attitude and realistic expectations, you are probably a good candidate for this procedure.

Many women who decide to have a breast lift also undergo breast reduction, upper body lift and post-pregnancy mommy makeover.

Advantages of Breast Lift

You will have a better breast shape and symmetry.
Your breasts will have a more youthful appearance.
You will look better in and out of your clothes and your self-confidence will increase.

Disadvantages of Breast Lift

The effects of a breast lift will wear off over time due to gravity and aging.
At the end of the breast lift procedure, scars will remain, which will be hidden by a bra or swimsuit.
In case of pregnancy after the procedure, your surgical results may vary.

How is a breast lift performed?

A breast lift is performed under general anesthesia or intravenous sedation in an accredited hospital or operating room in your surgeon's office. Different techniques for removing breast skin and reshaping the breast will determine the incision sites and scars. Your surgeon will choose the appropriate technique based on breast size and shape, nipple size and location, degree of breast sagging, skin quality and elasticity, and how much excess skin you have.

Your plastic surgeon will remove the excess breast skin and push the nipple and nipple upwards.
If your nipple has become stretched, it can be reduced in size.
The skin previously placed over the nipple is brought down to reshape the breast.
Your surgeon will close the incisions by tightening the skin, sewing the breasts back and placing sutures deep into the breast tissue to support the new breast tissue for a long time, removing excess skin.
The scars are usually hidden under the breasts, although some light scars may be visible on the breast.
Nipples and nipples will continue to be attached under the tissue, but this is usually done to avoid loss of sensation and for ease of breastfeeding.
In some patients, it is possible to make horizontal incisions under the breasts as well as vertical incisions from the lower edge of the nipple to the breast crease. If you are a good candidate for a modified technique, your surgeon will discuss this with you.

 

What kind of options do I have?

Here is a description of the different incision shapes and techniques that your plastic surgeon can choose from:

The "anchor" incision around the nipple, which runs vertically down from the nipple to the breast crease and continues horizontally along the breast crease, is the most scarring incision and is for women with extreme sagging where less invasive options have not helped enough. The oldest technique, this incision is often used for breast lift in conjunction with breast reduction.
The "lollipop" lift method, also known as the "keyhole" incision, is applied vertically from the nipple to the breast fold around the nipple and is suitable for women with moderate sagging, for whom the periareolar technique would be insufficient and who do not prefer breast implants.
The "donut" lift method, also known as "periareolar incision", is performed only on the nipple and is suitable for women with mild sagging. When used by a skilled surgeon in combination with implant placement, satisfactory results can be obtained for patients with more pronounced sagging complaints.

 

The less commonly used "crescent" lift is an incision along the upper half of the nipple. A crescent-shaped piece of skin is removed along this line and the surrounding skin is reattached to the nipple. This type of lift is usually performed in conjunction with breast augmentation in women with low rates of sagging. Compared to other incision techniques, the same degree of lift cannot be achieved.
"Scarless" lift. For women who care more about volume loss than sagging, breast lift can be performed without scars.
Incisions are made according to the natural contours of the breasts that define the excision area and the new position of the nipple.

These procedures can be combined with breast implants, Thermage, Smart Lipo and/or Quill Threads in a breast lift with minimal scarring. However, all of them require an incision, whether small or well-concealed. These procedures are suitable for patients with very little sagging; the lifting rate is not as high as in techniques using large incisions.

How will the incisions and scars look?

It depends on the types of incisions your plastic surgeon recommends. Your surgeon may hide some incision scars in the natural breast contours, but the rest will still be visible on the breast surface.

There are generally three incisions in the breast lift procedure:

Around the nipples
Extending down from the nipples to the breast crease
Horizontal along the chest crease
Although incision scars are permanent, in most cases they will fade and heal significantly over time. Aesthetic plastic surgeons do their best to minimize scars and hide them in invisible areas to achieve the best results with the smallest possible scar. Special tissue treatment and suturing techniques also help to reduce scars.