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Breast Lift
Restoring that youthful appearance that pregnancy and breast feeding tends to take away
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. A breast lift, or mastopexy, is a surgical procedure used to raise and reshape sagging breasts. 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, breast implants inserted in conjunction with a mastopexy, can increase both their firmness and their size.
The Best Candidates for Breast Lift
The best candidates for a breast lift are healthy, emotionally-stable women who are realistic about what the surgery can accomplish. The best results are usually achieved in women with small, sagging breasts. Breasts of any size can be lifted, but the results may not last as long in heavy breasts.
Many women seek a breast lift because pregnancy and nursing have left them with stretched skin and less volume in their breasts. If you are planning to have more children, it may be a good idea to postpone your breast lift. While a breast lift usually doesn't interfere with breast-feeding, pregnancy is likely to stretch your breasts again and offset the results of the procedure.
A breast lift 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 and 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.
Your New Look
Dr. Jain will make every effort to make your scars as inconspicuous as possible. Still, it's important to remember that mastopexy scars are extensive and permanent. They often remain lumpy and red for months, then gradually become less obvious, sometimes eventually fading to thin white lines. Fortunately, the scars can usually be placed so that you can wear even low-cut tops.
You should also keep in mind that a breast lift will not keep your breasts firm forever - the effects of gravity, pregnancy, aging, and weight fluctuations will eventually take their toll again. Women who have implants along with their breast lift may find the results longer lasting.
Your satisfaction with a breast lift is likely to be greater if you understand the procedure thoroughly and if your expectations are realistic.
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