Breast Lift

Many factors can take their toll on a woman’s breasts – pregnancy, breast feeding, gravity, and aging. Breasts can lose their shape and firmness and begin to sag as the skin loses its elasticity and connective tissue loses its strength.

What is a breast lift?

Breast lift, or mastopexy, is a surgical procedure performed on an outpatient basis. This procedure elevates and reshapes sagging breasts, providing breast lift patients with a more youthful and less matronly look. The procedure is often performed as part of a breast augmentation to create a lifted and fuller breast with more cleavage.

Who is a good candidate for a breast lift?*

The best candidates for a breast lift are healthy women who have realistic expectations about the results this surgery can accomplish. The best results are usually achieved in women who are happy with the size of the breast but not the position of their breasts.

Breasts of any size can be lifted, but the results of breast lift may not last as long when performed on large, heavy breasts. Large, heavy breasts may benefit more from another procedure called breast reduction, which reduces the size of breasts while elevating their position.

If you’re planning on having more children and/or breast feeding, we suggest you wait to undergo a breast lift. Pregnancy coupled with breastfeeding often causes breast tissue to stretch, counteracting the results achieved through breast lift.

Are any there risks involved in breast lift surgery?

As with any surgery, bleeding and infection are always a risk, although these are not a common occurrence. Our surgeons and staff take great care to minimize any complications that may occur. There will be scars on the breasts following surgery with a traditional breast lift, while the newer circumareolar lift leaves no external scarring on the skin. Following the surgeon’s postoperative instructions will help minimize scarring. Our patients report that fine line scars are a good trade off for more youthful, well-shaped breasts.

How do I plan for breast lift surgery?

During your initial consultation with Dr. Theoodore Lazzaro, it is important to discuss your cosmetic expectations frankly. Each breast lift patient and surgeon has as a different view of what is considered a desirable size and shape for breasts. After examining your breasts, the doctor will discuss the results that he will realistically be able to accomplish with breast lift surgery. You will also be shown many examples of woman like you before and after photos that give realistic expectations and attest to the years of experience of Dr. Lazzaro.

What happens during a breast lift?

Dr. Lazzaro uses different techniques to accomplish desired results. It depends on the degree of sagging of the breasts. Breast ptosis or sagging is divided into classes:

Class I – minimal sagging a crescent (half moon) incision is sufficient to lift the breast.

Class II– moderate sagging – periareloa mastopexy is the procedure of choice. Using this method, which is also known as a donut mastopexy, Dr. Lazzaro performs the lift thru concentric circles drawn and cut around the areola. A ring of skin around the areola is removed, the nipple and areola are lifted upwards and then the surrounding skin is secured in position.

Class III – severe sagging – requires a traditional lift (anchor shaped incision) The anchor shaped incision that follows the natural contours along the underside of the breast outlines the amount of skin to be removed and simultaneously elevates the nipple. The resulting incision line goes around the nipple in a vertical direction down from the nipple and along the lower crease of the breast (anchor shape)

A breast implant also helps to lift the breast. When done in conjunction with any of these procedures, it gives more fullness and requires less skin excision.

What happens after breast lift surgery?

After breast lift surgery you will be placed in an elastic bra to be worn until your first post op visit. There is minimal postoperative discomfort associated with this procedure. You will be provided mild medications for this should you have any. You will return to our center in about 5 – 6 days after surgery to have your dressing changed, most often there will no requirement for suture removal since most closures are down with absorbable sutures beneath the skin. Dr. Lazzaro does not use drains. We are available 24/7 to answer any questions or concerns that may arise after your Mastopexy procedure.

How long is the recovery after breast lift?

Healing from the breast lift is a gradual process. Since there is minimal discomfort, you may return to work within a week; however, it is important not to do heavy lifting (greater than 10 lbs.) over your head for a period of six weeks to ensure fine line incisions. After one month you may resume most activities, the scars will be noticeable at first but will fade as healing process continues.

This 42 year old complained of sagging breasts and felt she was just a bit too large.  Dr. Lazzaro performed a small amount of lipo to reduce the size of the breasts and lifted them to give her the desired outcome.

AGE  42      HEIGHT   5’ 5”      WEIGHT   120

PROCEDURES   Mastopexy with partial reduction

This 39 year old Mom of 1 complained of sagging, small breasts after breast feeding her child for 3 years.  Dr Lazzaro performed a lift and used implants to give her the fullness she was looking forward.

AGE  39      HEIGHT  5” 4”      WEIGHT  125

PROCEDURES   Mastopexy with Breast Augmentation using 350cc Moderate Plus Implants

This 50 year old woman complained of loss of fullness and some size in her breasts after breast feeding 3 children and having a breast biopsy performed a year prior.  She was a small A cup and wanted to be a full C.

AGE  50       HEIGHT  5’ 1”      WEIGHT  108

PROCEDURES   Mastopexy, Breast augmentation using 375cc High Profile implants