Breast lift
A breast lift, also called a mastopexy, raises and contours loose, sagging breasts. The procedure removes excess skin from the lower portion of your breast and lifts the existing tissue, reshaping your breast. At the same time, nipples and areolas are shifted (the pigmented skin surrounding your nipple) to a higher position without removing them from the breast. Simultaneously, if your areolas have stretched over time, they can be reduced in size.
When to Consider a Breast Lift
- If you lost volume and tone after having children, after significant weight loss, or due to general aging, leaving your breasts sagging and/or misshapen.
Dr. Kay’s Approach
There are several techniques, depending on your existing anatomy, that can be used to lift the breast. These vary from exclusively using an implant (some designs of implants are better than others) to making the skin envelope smaller around your own breast tissue. You may be left with a periareolar scar (circular) around the areola, a circumvertical scar (shaped like a lollipop) around the areola and straight down to the breast crease, or an “inverted T” scar (shaped like an anchor) around the areola and straight down with an additional, horizontal scar just above the breast fold.
Following a mastopexy, your breasts will be wrapped in a dressing and placed in a surgical bra (provided by Dr. Kay). You will need to wear a supportive bra for several weeks following the procedure. Typically you will be able to resume normal activities, except for lifting, within a week of surgery.
PROS
- A breast lift will restore a more youthful position of your breasts.
- Mastopexy can significantly improve breast shape and symmetry.
- Your bra and clothes will fit better.
CONS
- A breast lift does not stop the aging process, and your results may diminish over time.
- Mastopexy will leave you with scars (easily hidden in a bra or bathing suit).
Related Procedures
Women who have their breasts lifted may decide to have them enlarged as well. If so, a breast augmentation is performed, where an implant is placed behind the breast tissue or chest muscle. In some cases your own breast tissue can be rearranged to act like an implant—this is called auto-augmentation.
FAQs
Any incision will leave a scar, which will mature and fade to various degrees over the course of 18 months. How much a scar fades and how visible it remains depends primarily upon your own body’s healing mechanism. I place the incision in a manner that allows me to achieve the best surgical result and that will be concealed as well as possible. There are a number of scar healing products and treatments such as lasers available today that will help your scars to fade optimally.