Breast Lift
Located in Kirkland, WA to serve the Eastside Seattle area
What Exactly is a Breast Lift?
A breast lift, also known as mastopexy, can be indicated for women with sagging or ptosis of the breast tissue. This is often the result of aging, loss of skin elasticity or deflation after breast feeding and weight loss. A mastopexy removes stretched skin, reshapes the breast tissue, and resizes the areola to bring the breast mound to a more youthful position on the chest wall.
What Should I Know About Breast Lifts?
Incision Patterns
The extent of a breast lift depends on the degree of nipple ptosis – this is essentially graded by comparing the location of the nipple and areola to the inframammary fold, which is the natural crease where the lower breast meets the chest. A small amount of ptosis can be improved with a peri-areolar lift – this involves a crescent-shaped incision above the areola to elevate the tissue. A moderate degree of ptosis may be addressed with a vertical lift. This is similar to a peri-areolar lift, but it includes excision of a vertical pattern of skin from the lower pole of the breast. Finally, an inverted-T or “anchor pattern” lift is utilized for significant ptosis or deflation of the tissue. This incision pattern goes around the areola, down the center of the lower breast, and along the inframammary fold – giving an “inverted-T” shape. The scar pattern is always kept as limited as possible, but your anatomy will dictate the appropriate approach.
What if I Want my Size to Change?
When considering a breast lift, it is important to assess if you are happy with the volume or current size of the breast. If you desire both smaller and more lifted breasts, you may want to have a breast reduction. The same incision patterns are considered for a reduction, but rather than just excising skin and reshaping the breast mound, breast tissue and fat are also removed. If you want the breasts to have increased volume, you may consider fat transfer (for a subtle improvement) or breast augmentation. This can particularly help for deflated breasts after weight loss or pregnancy (making augmentation/mastopexy a component of the so-called “mommy makeover”). A breast lift can safely be performed alongside implant placement in the majority of cases. In fact, breast augmentation alone can sometimes improve the position of the nipple on the breast mound.
Surgical Details
A breast lift is usually performed under general anesthesia and may take two to three hours to complete. Of course, the chosen incision pattern and coordinated procedures, such as breast augmentation, may influence the total time. Care is taken to maintain the blood supply to the nipple and areola. Excess skin is removed, the areola is resized, and the breast tissue is moved into a more lifted position. Intraoperative “tailor-tacking” is done to optimize the nipple location on the breast mound, ensure symmetry, and round the lower contour of the breast. Absorbable sutures (which do not need to be removed) are used to close the incisions.
Consultation Process
Dr. Austin Remington and Dr. Brad Remington understand that moving forward with a breast lift procedure is a personal decision. Your surgeon should understand your goals – this begins with a thorough review of your medical history and a focused physical examination. Factors such as asymmetry, nipple position, and breast tissue characteristics can influence the surgical plan. Around the time of your surgery, certain medications and supplements may need to be stopped to facilitate a safe recovery. Being at a stable, maintenance weight will optimize your surgical result.
Recovery Process
You will be provided with a surgical support bra to minimize swelling, which may take several weeks to fully resolve. Most patients take one to two weeks off work. Discomfort is typically managed with prescription medications for a couple of days, followed by over-the-counter medications. Heavy lifting and strenuous activity will be restricted for up to one month.