Gravity wreaks havoc on breasts exposed to significant weight fluctuations, multiple pregnancies, hormonal changes and aging’s effects on tissue integrity. Though your breasts may look good in a bra (be the right size), they are saggy (ptosis) and lack firmness or substance. A breast lift, (also known as mastopexy) will reshape sagging breasts to a more youthful rounded contour and repositions the breast and nipple higher on the chest wall. Be aware, however, that mastopexy longevity is very technique dependent.
-Dr. Andrew Kornstein
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What patients should know about a breast lift (mastopexy)…
- Mastopexy can be combined with an implant to enhance overall volume. [More…]
- Breast augmentation cannot be substituted for a breast lift. [More…]
- Breast Lifts have a reputation for being temporary—but that does not have to be the case. [More…]
- The chest/breast/cleavage area should be considered as one aesthetic unit. [More…]
- Incisions and scarring can be relatively minimal. [More…]
Mastopexy can be combined with an implant to enhance overall volume. Mastopexy can be combined with an implant or fat grafting to enhance overall volume when a lift alone will not lead to sufficient breast volume. Massive weight loss patients may also benefit from using adjacent living tissue to enhance their breast volume (especially the upper pole) taken from the bra strap region, under arms and upper abdomen.
Breast augmentation cannot be substituted for a breast lift. A breast lift is accomplished by removing the excess skin and tightening the breast tissue, so the breast is restored to a higher position. Some patients are under the mistaken notion that implants lift the breast. If breasts are sagging, an implant will only serve to accelerate the condition the patient is seeking to correct. Both breast augmentation and breast lifts are considered excellent aesthetic operations, however when performed together the degree of difficulty rises exponentially, such that there is no substitute for experience.
Breast Lifts have a reputation for being temporary—but that does not have to be the case. Mastopexy has earned the reputation, (often well deserved,) of maintaining its aesthetic correction for a short period of time. This is presumably due to surgeons using skin as a lifting tool and not adhering to its intended function as a covering device. The use of internal breast flaps has not only countered that issue but allows upper pole fill without the use of an implant.
The chest/breast/cleavage area should be considered as one aesthetic unit. Fat grafting can also be used to camouflage the bony chest wall and smooth the transition from breast to cleavage, making the entire chest wall more feminine and aesthetically desirable.
Incisions and scarring can be relatively minimal. Incisions can be as limited as circumareolar (around the areola,) to a lollipop (most common) but in patients who have lost significant weight an inframammary scar (under the breast) is usually indicated as well. The technique is determined by the degree of droop, or ptosis.
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