Mastopexy

As years pass, there are many phases and changes that women go through that have an overall effect on their physical appearance. As far as a woman’s breasts are concerned, pregnancy, nursing and gravity can all take their toll. As women age, their skin loses elasticity causing the breasts to lose their shape and firmness which leads to sagging.

A Mastopexy, or breast lift, is a surgical procedure that many women undergo to lift and reshape their breasts. While this surgery can lift the breasts, it is in no way permanent. The effects of gravity are inevitable. Because of this, many women combine Mastopexy with implant surgery. This allows for the increase of both breast size and firmness, while at the same time, slow down the gravitational pull process.

Ptosis

The extent of the breast lift procedure is based on the degree of sagging. There are several different degrees of sagging or ptosis:

Surgeons will slightly alter their incisions and remove different sections and amounts of skin from the breast depending on the severity of ptosis.

The Procedure

Breast lifts are performed using an anchor shaped incision. This incision will outline the area from which the excess skin and tissue will be extracted and where the nipple will be relocated. After the excess skin is removed, the nipple and areola will be moved to a higher position. The skin around the areola will then be brought down and together in order to reshape the breast.

The skin will be stitched together around the areola, in a vertical line that extends from the nipple to the underside of the breast and all along the lower breast crease. If the breast lift also involves implant surgery, a pocket will be created below the breast tissue and the implant will be inserted into this pocket before the breast is stitched back together.

Will It Hurt?

Mastopexy surgery will take anywhere from about 2 to 4 hours. The amount of time it takes will depend on the extent of the surgery being performed. Patients are placed under either a local or a general anesthetic during the procedure. The level of anesthesia used will most likely depend on the extent of the procedure. Most procedures are performed on an outpatient basis, so patients will be able to return home a few hours after surgery.

After the procedure, patients will be wrapped in gauze dressings that are then covered with either a surgical bra or elastic bandages. Patient’s breasts will be swollen and bruised directly following the surgery. The persistence of swelling and bruising will depend on the patient’s susceptibility to both. The gauze will be removed a day or two after surgery, but the surgical bra will be worn for several weeks. The stitches will either dissolve or be removed anywhere from a week to 10 days afterward.

Patients will feel pain and discomfort for the first few weeks after surgery but surgeons will prescribe medication that can lessen this. Strenuous movement, coughing, lifting and other actions will cause pain and may inhibit healing. It is important to take it easy for a while in order to allow the tissue to heal. After the bruises fade, many patients will have continuous swelling for several months. Many patients will not see their full results until the swelling has been completely resolved.

Risks

Like any surgical procedure, there are several risks involved in reconstructive breast surgery. When dealing with Mastopexy, the risks include:

When a Mastopexy is performed in conjunction with implant surgery there are additional risks that patients must consider.

All of these risks are rare and completely treatable. Discussing each with your surgeon before your procedure will ensure that your breast lift will be as successful as possible.

Results

Your surgeon will take every precaution to make your scars as inconspicuous as possible, but it is important to remember that the scars will be permanent. They will start out very lumpy, itchy and red, but eventually fade to thin white lines. For women with smaller breasts, there are alternative treatments that can sometimes exclude the vertical incision from the procedure, but that will still leave scars around the areola and along the underside of the breast.

As long as women are realistic in their expectations, most have been completely happy with their breast lift results. Gravity will eventually re-start the sagging process, but after undergoing a breast lift, many women have lived for years feeling more comfortable and more self-assured.

Costs

Mastopexy costs can vary from about $4,000 to $9,000. These prices will fluctuate depending on the area in which you live, the surgeon that performs the procedure and the clinic or hospital in which it is performed. Price will also depend on the extent of your surgery and whether or not the breast lift is being performed in conjunction with any other plastic surgery procedures.