Breast Lift (Mastopexy)
A breast lift, also referred to as a mastopexy, elevates the breasts by removing excess skin and tightening the breast tissue to create an aesthetically pleasing contour. In most cases, this also involves an areola reduction.
Over time, a woman’s breasts can change, typically losing fullness and the youthful shape. Breast sagging, also known as ptosis, frequently occurs, and this can be caused by several conditions:
- aging
- pregnancy
- breastfeeding
- significant weight loss
A breast lift can provide a more youthful appearance and profile of the breast as well as improve the woman’s confidence.
Depending on several factors that your plastic surgeon will discuss with you, there are cases when a breast augmentation (placement of breast implants) can be done at the same time as a breast lift, or it can be done as separate procedures. In this setting, breast implants restore the lost volume of the breast, specifically the upper pole (upper half) of the breast fullness.
There are several techniques that can be used in performing a breast lift.
- Crescent lift – usually only indicated for cases where a small elevation of the areola (2cm or less) is planned; final scar is along the upper half of the areola
- Vertical lift – used commonly for moderate breast ptosis; final scar is around the areola and down the lower pole of the breast (from the areola to the breast crease)
- Wise pattern lift – used for moderate to severe breast ptosis where a larger skin resection is required; final scar is around the areola and down the lower pole of the breast (from the areola to the breast crease) and side to side along the breast crease commonly referred to as an anchor scar
A breast lift operation is typically done as an outpatient procedure, and the operation takes 2-3 hours depending on if a breast augmentation is performed at the same time. Patient’s are usually back to daily activities in 1-2 weeks, and they are usually able to resume full activity 6 weeks after surgery.
The patient below is in her 20s and a mother of two who experienced the typical breast changes of pregnancy and breastfeeding. She underwent breast augmentation with 350cc saline implants and a vertical breast lift in one procedure.