Breast Lift (Mastopexy)

What happens after you meet your surgeon?

After your questions are discussed with the doctor, you will most likely speak with the patient care or surgical coordinator to decide on a day and time for your surgery and receive a quote. Many practices will perform the surgery either within a nearby hospital, accredited office-based surgery center within their office, or an ambulatory surgery center outside of the office. Once you book your procedure you may be asked to get certain lab work performed, receive a medical evaluation from your internist or surgeon, stop smoking prior to surgery, and discontinue the use of aspirin, herbal supplements, and other drugs that may increase bleeding.

Depending on your age, or family history of breast cancer, you may be asked to undergo a baseline mammogram before surgery and another after the operation in order to detect any future changes in breast tissue.

You should also leave your doctor’s office with a solid understanding of the procedure, step by step instructions on what to do the night before and morning of surgery, post-operative care instructions, and consents to sign and return regarding anesthesia and your breast lift procedure. Before your surgery you will want to arrange for someone to drive you to and from surgery and to stay with you following surgery, for at least the first night. Sometimes there are post-op care facilities focused on plastic and cosmetic surgery patients.

The Breast Lift is an outpatient surgical procedure performed under general anesthesia. Breast Lift surgeries generally take 2-4 hours to perform and usually require only one treatment to be effective. In specific cases, a local anesthetic and sedative may be used if the extent of the Breast Lift is minimal.

During Breast Lift surgery, the plastic surgeon removes skin below the nipple and relocates the nipple to a higher position on the breast. To firm and lift the breats, the skin above the nipple is brought down and around the contour of the breast. The size and locations of the incisions that are made depends on the breast lift surgery technique used.

In a standard Breast Lift, the incision begins in the breast crease and extends to and around the areola. In a Benelli Lift, also called a peri-areolar or "Doughnut" Mastopexy, this incision is made around the areola and a circular piece of tissue is removed. The surrounding tissue is then reattached and the incision carefully closed using sutures. Depending on the surgical technique used the sutures are located around and under the areola, and in the crease under the breast or located just around the areola. In a Breast Lift, the overall size of the areola can be altered.

In cases where a patient presents extensive sagging or drooping of the breasts, a Breast Augmentation can be combined witha  Breast Lift. The addition of a breast implant helps to create a more rounded shape and adds volume, creating a fuller appearance.