Breast Lift

Over the years, factors such as pregnancy, nursing, and the force of gravity take their toll on a woman's breasts.

As the skin loses its elasticity, the breasts often lose their shape and firmness and begin to sag. 

Breast Lift, or Mastopexy, is a surgical procedure to raise and reshape sagging breasts, at least for a time (no surgery can permanently delay the effects of gravity).  A breast lift can also reduce the size of the areola, the darker skin surrounding the nipple. 

If your breasts are small or have lost volume after pregnancy,

breast implants inserted in conjunction with a breast lift can increase both their firmness and their size. 

   Before             After           Before            After            Before           After

Photos courtesy of Dr Hoffman, Minnesota, USA

Mastopexy usually takes one and a half to three and a half hours. Techniques vary but the most common procedure involves an anchor-shaped incision following the natural contour of the breast. The incision outlines the area from which breast skin will be removed and defines the new location for the nipple. When the excess skin has been removed, the nipple and areola are moved to the higher position. The skin surrounding the areola is then brought down and together to reshape the breast.

Stitches are usually located around the areola, in a vertical line extending downwards from the nipple area, and along the lower crease of the breast.

Some patients, especially those with relatively small breasts and minimal sagging, may be candidates for modified procedures requiring less extensive incisions. One such procedure is the "doughnut (or concentric) mastopexy," in which circular incisions are made around the areola, and a doughnut-shaped area of skin is removed.

If you're having an implant inserted along with your breast lift, it will be placed in a pocket directly under the breast tissue, or deeper, under the muscle of the chest wall.

After surgery, you'll wear an elastic bandage or a surgical bra over gauze dressings. Your breasts will be bruised, swollen, and uncomfortable for a day or two, but the pain shouldn't be severe. Any discomfort you do feel can be relieved with medications prescribed by your surgeon.

Within a few days, the bandages or surgical bra will be replaced by a soft support bra. You'll need to wear this bra around the clock for three to four weeks, over a layer of gauze. The stitches will be removed after a week or two.

You can expect some loss of feeling in your nipples and breast skin, caused by the swelling after surgery. This numbness usually fades as the swelling subsides over the next six weeks or so. In some patients, however, it may last a year or more, and occasionally it may be permanent.

Average Cost: $6000-$8000

Please ask your doctor for further information.