Breast Lift (Mastopexy)

What  is  breast  lift  surgery?

Breast  lift,  technically  called  mastopexy,  is  surgery  that  raises  and  firms  the  breasts  by  removing excess  skin  and  tightening  the  surrounding  tissue  to  reshape  and  support  the  new  breast  contour.

Enhancing  your  appearance  with  a  breast  lift

A  woman's  breasts  often  change  over  time,  losing  their  youthful  shape  and  firmness.  These changes and  loss  of  skin  elasticity  can  result   from:

• Pregnancy

• Breastfeeding

• Weight  fluctuations

• Aging

• Gravity

• Heredity

Sometimes  the  areola  becomes  enlarged  over  time,  and  a  breast  lift  will  reduce  this  as  well.  A breast  lift  can  rejuvenate  your  figure  with  a  breast  profile that  is  youthful  and  uplifted.

What  breast  lifts  don't  do

Breast  lift  surgery  does not  significantly  change  the  size  of  your  breasts  or  round  out  the  upper part  of  your  breast.  If  you  want  your  breasts  to  look  fuller,  consider  breast  lift  and  breast augmentation  surgery. If  you  want smaller  breasts,  consider  combining  breast lift  and  breast reduction  surgery.

Breast   lift   candidates

Is   it   right  for  me?

Breast   lift   surgery  is  a  highly  individualized  procedure  and  you  should do  it  for  yourself,  not  to  fulfill  someone  else's  desires  or  to  try  to  fit any  sort  of  ideal  image.

A  breast  lift  is  a  good  option  for  you  if:

• You are  physically  healthy  and  maintain  a  stable  weight

• You  do  not  smoke

• You  have  realistic  expectations

• You  are  bothered  by  the  feeling  that  your  breasts  sag,  have  lost shape and  volume

• Your  breasts  have  a  flatter,  elongated  shape  or  are  pendulous

• When  unsupported,  your nipples  fall  below  the  breast  crease

• Your  nipples  and  areolas  point  downward

• You  have  stretched  skin  and  enlarged  areolas

• One  breast  is  lower  than  the  other

Breast lift recovery

After  your  breast  lift   procedure  is  completed,  dressings  or  bandages  will  be  applied   to  the  incisions.  You’ll  need  to  wear  an  elastic  bandage  or support  bra  to  minimize  swelling  and  support your  breasts  as  they  heal.

A  small,  thin  tube  may  be  temporarily  placed  under  the  skin  to  drain  any  excess  blood  or  fluid that  may  collect  after breast  lift  surgery.

You  will  be  given  specific  instructions  that  may  include:

How to  care  for  your  breasts  following  surgery , medications  to apply  or  take  orally  to  aid  healing and  reduce the  risk of  infection,  and  when  to   follow-up  with  your  plastic  surgeon.

Be  sur e to  ask  your  plastic surgeon  specific  questions  about  what  you  can  expect  during  your individual  mastopexy  recovery  period.

• Where  will  I  be  taken  after  my  surgery  is  complete?

• What  medication  will  I  be  given  or  prescribed  after  surgery?

• Will  I  have   dressings/bandages  after  surgery?

• When  will  they  be  removed? Are stitches removed?

• When  can  I  resume  normal  activity  and exercise?

• When  do  I  return  for  follow-up  care?

Breast  lift  procedure  steps

What  happens  during breast lift surgery?

Your mastopexy  surgery can  be  achieved  through  a  variety  of  incision  patterns  and  techniques.  The appropriate  technique   for   you   will  be  determined  based  on:

• Breast  size  and  shape

• The  size  and  position  of  your  areolas

• The  degree  of   breast  sagging

• Skin  quality  and  elasticity  as  well  as  the  amount   of  extra  skin

Step 1 - Anesthesia Medications  are  administered  for  your  comfort  during  breast   lift  surgery.  The choices  include  intravenous  sedation  and  general  anesthesia.  Your  doctor  will  recommend  the  best choice   for  you.

Step 2 -  The  incision

There  are  three  common  incision  patterns:

1. Around  the  areola

2. Around  the  areola  and  vertically  down  from  the areola  to  the  breast  crease

3. Around   the areola, vertically  down  from  the  breast  crease  and  horizontally  along  the breast crease.

Step 3 - Reshaping  your  breasts After  your  doctor  makes  the  incisions: The  underlying  breast tissue  is  lifted  and  reshaped  to  improve  breast  contour  and  firmness. The  nipple  and  areola  are repositioned  to a  natural,  more  youthful  height. If  necessary, enlarged  areolas  are  reduced  by excising skin  at  the  perimeter. Excess  breast  skin  is  removed  to  compensate  for  a  loss  of  elasticity.

Step 4 - Closing  the  incisions After  your  breasts  are  reshaped  and  excess  skin  is  removed, the remaining  skin  is  tightened  as  the  incisions  are  closed. Some  incision  lines  resulting  from  breast lifts are  concealed  in  the  natural  breast  contours;  however,  others  are  visible  on  the  breast  surface. Incision  lines  are  permanent,  but  in most  cases will  fade  and  significantly  improve over time. Sutures  are  layered  deep  within  the  breast  tissue  to  create  and  support  the  newly  shaped  breasts. Sutures,  skin  adhesives  and/or  surgical  tape  may  be  used  to  close the  skin.

Step 5 - See  the  results

The results of your breast lift surgery  are  immediately  visible. Over time, post-surgical  swelling  will resolve  and  incision  lines  will  fade.

Satisfaction  with  your  new  image  should  continue  to  grow as  you  recover  and  realize  the  fulfillment of  your  goal  for  breasts  which  have  been  restored  to  a  more  youthful  and  uplifted  position.

What to expect during your breast lift consultation

The  success  and  safety  of  your breast lift  procedure  depends  very  much  on  your  complete candidness  during  your  consultation.  You’ll  be  asked  a  number of  questions  about  your  health, desires  and  lifestyle.

Be  prepared  to  discuss:

• Why  you  want  the  surgery,  your  expectations  and  desired  outcome

• Medical  conditions,  drug  allergies  and  medical  treatments

• Use  of  current  medications,  vitamins,  herbal  supplements, alcohol,  tobacco  and  drugs

• Previous  surgeries

• Family  history  of  breast  cancer  and  results  of  any  mammograms  or  previous  biopsies

Your  mastopexy  surgeon  may  also:

• Evaluate  your  general  health  status  and  any  pre-existing  health  conditions  or  risk  factors

• Examine  your  breasts,  and  may  take  detailed  measurements  of  their  size  and  shape, skin quality,  placement of  your  nipples  and  areolas

• Take  photographs  for  your  medical  record

• Discuss  your  options  and  recommend  a  course  of   treatment

• Discuss  likely  outcomes  of  breast  lift  surgery  and  any  risks  or  potential  complications

• Discuss  the  use  of  anesthesia  during  your  breast  lift

​Preparing  for  breast  lift  surgery

Before  mastopexy  surgery,  you may  be  asked to:

Get  lab testing  or  a medical  evaluation

• Take  certain  medications  or  adjust  our  current  medications

• Get  a  baseline  mammogram  before  surgery   to  help  detect  any  future  changes  in  your  breast tissue

• Stop  smoking well  in advance  of  surgery

• Avoid  taking  aspirin,  anti-inflammatory  drugs  and  herbal  supplements  as  they  can increase bleeding