The mastopexy operation involves a lift of the nipple and areola as well as of the entire breast to a more desirable position. Ideally, in this new position, the patient could choose to forego a bra on occasion and would feel completely comfortable. The candidates for this operation have too much skin to hold the breast tissue. This could be due to pregnancies or have a genetic origin, since it can be seen even in the teenager. The operation consists of removing some of the redundant skin and makes the envelope smaller for the same content, so to speak.

There are several types of mastopexies, starting from the simple and going to the full. Every patient has to be evaluated carefully and attention to detail is very important to deliver the best results with minimal scars.

The first type of lift would involve removal of skin from immediately above the areola. This skin removal could be all the way around the nipple, perhaps removing a ring of the areola to make it smaller.

A more advanced lift would involved a circular skin removal and a segment of skin removed on the outside or the bottom portion of the breast. The modern techniques allow us to limit the scar to a vertical one, just like in a breast reduction.

The final one you should know about is the standard lift with an inverted T-shape scar. With the very droopy breast and where considerable skin removal is necessary, this is the best way to create a great lift. Most patients benefit from tanning the breasts before and after the surgery to minimize the scars.

If the breast volume is satisfactory when a very good bra is worn, but the droopiness of the breasts is the problem, a mastopexy is indicated, this involves a similar approach as in a reduction, but the tissue removal is limited to skin, thus reducing the skin envelope and elevating the nipples to a more desirable level. The new vertical closure can also be applied to mastopexy, eliminating the horizontal component of the scar.

Over time, breasts can begin to sag and lose firmness. This naturally happens as the effects of gravity, loss of skin elasticity, pregnancy and breast feeding take their toll on your body. Progressively the nipples and areolas may shift and point downwards or in different directions. Some patients find that their breasts are uneven and that one appears to droop lower than the other.

Correction to all these problems can be accomplished through the breast lift procedure. In some cases, the breast lift can also be combined with a breast augmentation, where an implant is placed within the breast to increase the breast volume.

A breast lift will help make a patient's breast firm and supple. The position of the areolas and nipples will be enhanced and the general appearance of the breast will become more aesthetically pleasing. Unless a significant amount of weight is gained or lost, the new breast shape should remain fairly constant. Because the procedure does not alter the milk-ducts in the breast and the nipples are left intact, the surgery should not affect a woman's ability to breast feed.

The surgery takes between 90 minutes to 3 hours and is performed under general anesthesia so patients are comfortable during the entire procedure.

Are you interested in a breast lift? Feel free to call us at our Birmingham, MI office to schedule an initial consultation about breast lift procedure, inquire about cost, or other questions. You can also click on the GenBook icon on the right to easily schedule online right now. We'll be glad to have the opportunity to inform you.