What's involved with a breast lift?
A mastopexy, or breast lift, involves reshaping the breast skin and nipple position to provide a more youthful appearance to your breasts. Frequently, the breasts begin to descend and deflate as a result of normal aging, gravity, pregnancy, breast feeding, weight loss, and/or heavy breasts.
The mastopexy procedure accomplishes a few important goals to rejuvenate the breast:
There are a variety of different mastopexy surgical techniques. Dr. Sharma will go over your options during the consultation and determine what will work best for you. Incisions may be placed around the areola only (circular scar), around the the areola and vertically below the areola (lollipop scar), or around the areola, vertically below the areola, and horizontally along the breast crease (anchor scar). Dr. Sharma will discuss the pros and cons of each of the scars with you to determine what is best for your individual needs.
The mastopexy procedure accomplishes a few important goals to rejuvenate the breast:
- raise the nipple into a better more elevated youthful position on the breast mound
- improve symmetry of the two breasts
- improve the overall breast shape
- reduce the excess skin and re-drape it to provide a tighter and more well-defined skin envelope to support the breast
- provide a lasting result
There are a variety of different mastopexy surgical techniques. Dr. Sharma will go over your options during the consultation and determine what will work best for you. Incisions may be placed around the areola only (circular scar), around the the areola and vertically below the areola (lollipop scar), or around the areola, vertically below the areola, and horizontally along the breast crease (anchor scar). Dr. Sharma will discuss the pros and cons of each of the scars with you to determine what is best for your individual needs.
Am I a Good Candidate?
Healthy, non-smoking patients who have these features of their breasts typically make good candidates for a mastopexy (breast lift) procedure:
Sometimes a patient may want to achieve a more youthful breast with a lift (mastopexy) to reduce the excess skin and raise the nipple into a better position, AND add additional volume (augmentation) to get upper pole fullness. Dr. Sharma will review the pros and cons of this type of operation with you during your consultation, and whether or not you are an appropriate candidate for this mastopexy-augmentation procedure. It is important to note that a mastopexy alone will not change the volume (cup size) of the breast, without the addition of a breast implant.
- low-lying nipple position
- sagging (ptotic) breasts
- excess breast skin
- breast asymmetry - one breast sags lower than the other
- stretch marks (striae) around the upper part of the breast
- deflated appearance with loss of 'upper pole fullness'
- realistic goals and expectations
- a desire to improve the shape of the breasts and feel more confident without necessarily wanting larger breasts
Sometimes a patient may want to achieve a more youthful breast with a lift (mastopexy) to reduce the excess skin and raise the nipple into a better position, AND add additional volume (augmentation) to get upper pole fullness. Dr. Sharma will review the pros and cons of this type of operation with you during your consultation, and whether or not you are an appropriate candidate for this mastopexy-augmentation procedure. It is important to note that a mastopexy alone will not change the volume (cup size) of the breast, without the addition of a breast implant.