Breast Lift - Procedure Details Revealed

A breast lift, AKA mastopexy, is a medical procedure where a surgeon raises the breasts and also gives them an improved shape by making them look rounder and firmer. In addition, the surgery is also performed to remove extra skin that is located around the breast while also reducing the size of the colored circle around the nipple (the areola). Let’s learn how a breast lift is performed as well as why patients choose to have this procedure.

Breast Lift – Why Breasts Change in Appearance

As a person ages, the breast will begin to lose their firmness and elasticity due to the aging process as well as pregnancy, extreme weight gain or loss, and breastfeeding. Once the breasts start to lose their firmness or elasticity, they can start to gain a sagging or droopy look.

Breast Lift – How, and Why, it is Performed

There are multiple breast lift procedures available to patients and the technique performed by the surgeon depends on the current shape and size of the breasts as well as the amount of lift desired by the patient. One of the main reasons patients want to have a breast lift is to gain a more youthful look to the breasts by placing them in a higher and more aesthetically pleasing position on the chest.

As mentioned above, there are multiple breast lift techniques available to patients. These breast lift options include a standard breast lift, a lollipop lift, a breast lift with breast implants, and doughnut mastopexy. In general, a breast lift will include these surgical steps:

1. The surgeon will mark where the new lifted position of the nipple will be located on the breast.
2. The surgeon will create an incision around the areola and this incision normally runs down the front of the breast from the bottom section of the areola to the crease.
3. Then, the surgeon will begin to lift the breasts and give them a new shape.
4. Next, the surgeon moves the areola to the designated position on the new breast shape. The breasts can also be reduced in size if requested by the patient.
5. Any extra skin is removed in order to give the breasts a firmer look.
6. The incisions will be closed by the surgeon and these incisions are usually placed in areas of the breast where they will not be too visible.

If the patient wants to gain some augmentation at the same time as the breast lift, the doctor can place breast implants to enhance the fullness or size of the breasts. It is up to the surgeon if the two procedures are performed at the same time. If the doctor wants to perform them separately, the breast lift will be performed first and then the breast implants will be placed in the body anywhere from a few weeks to a few months later.

Breast Lift – What is the Recovery Process Like?

At the start of the recovery period, the breasts might be sore and swollen. Any pain or discomfort felt by the patient can likely be relieved by pain medication prescribed by the surgeon. If the person does not have any access to pain medication, they can place ice on the breasts to help resolve these conditions.

It will be necessary for the patient to wear a surgical bra for a few weeks after the procedure. Plus, the person will need to sleep on their back, which is propped up by pillows, in order to keep the chest raised.

Any bruising and swelling and soreness will resolve on their own after a few weeks. Patients should also avoid any type of strenuous exercise or heavy lifting for a few weeks to a month after the surgery.

Breast Lift – What are the Risks?

There are some common risks involved with having a breast lift. These risks include bleeding, scars, fluid collection in the breasts that will need to be removed with drains, an infection, asymmetrical results, and a loss of feeling in the treated area.

Breast Lift – Results Revealed

The final results of a breast lift provide the breasts with a look that is firmer and more youthful since they will be placed in a higher position on the chest. There will be some immediate improvements that are visible, but it can take several months for the swelling to resolve and for the breasts to reach their final shape. The final results can often last several decades but the results can also be impacted by aging and gravity. The results can be maintained as long as the patient does not experience any significant fluctuations in their weight.

The length of the results is also determined by the surgeon before the procedure is performed. The doctor can examine the current condition of the breasts and set realistic expectations for the extent and length of the results.

- MA