Breast Lift

What a Breast Lift Can Do

The cumulative effects of gravity, pregnancy, and nursing may cause a woman's breasts to lose shape and sag. Mastopexy, or a breast lift, can re-shape sagging breasts. The procedure will take the flattened tissue and place it more into a cone shape, to give not only a lift, but also better projection. At time a patient needs not only a breast lift but also a breast enlargement. Dr. Garcia prefers to do the breast lift first, followed by the breast augmentation 3-6 months later. The reason for this is that many patients are happy with their appearance after the breast lift alone, and if one can avoid the potential pitfalls of a breast augmentation that would be the better choice. Doing a breast lift and augmentation at the same time can have risks of higher nipple sensation loss and also of wider scars than when done separately. The procedure can also reduce the dark skin surrounding the nipple. Although there are numerous benefits to a breast lift, remember that these benefits are temporary. No surgery can counteract the effects of gravity permanently.

Who Might Consider a Breast Lift?

Women who have experienced a loss in breast volume due to age, pregnancy, nursing or genetics may find a breast lift beneficial. Women who seek improvement over perfection may find the procedure beneficial as well. Women who plan to have more children, however, should postpone their breast lift until they are through nursing their last child. Pregnancy would only counteract any benefits gained from the breast lift. Planning. Once you decide to have a breast lift, Dr. Garcia will explain the entire procedure to you. Discuss with him all of your expectations, and don't be afraid to ask any questions. There should be no mystery involved in the procedure. By the time you're ready for surgery, you should be as familiar with the procedure as you can.

Precaution

Remember that a breast lift is a surgical procedure and as such carries with it an element of risk. Although Dr. Garcia is a talented, accomplished plastic surgeon, sometimes complications do occur. Bleeding and infection after the procedure are rare, but such complications could increase scarring. Some women find their nipples are positioned unevenly after the procedure, although this is quite rare. Other patients experience a permanent loss of feeling in their nipples or breasts. Your risk of complications will be significantly reduced by following Dr. Garcia's advice before and after surgery.

Preparation

Dr. Garcia will give you specific guidelines on what to eat and drink and what vitamins or medications you should take or avoid prior to your surgery. If you smoke, quit at least two weeks before and after surgery. Smoking impedes the healing process and may increase scarring, thus leading to less than optimal results.

Procedure

During a breast lift, first the new location for the nipple is made by an incision in the breast. Excess skin is removed, and the nipple and areola (dark skin surrounding the nipple) are moved to the new location. The nipple is always left attached to the breast tissue to maintain nipple sensation as much as possible. The breast is reshaped when the skin surrounding the areola is brought together and stitched into place. The breast shape is maintained by placing sutures into the breast tissue. Reliance on the skin holding the shape is not the way to achieve a good result from a Mastopexy because as we all know, skin will eventually stretch and the result will not last very long. These stitches extend vertically from the areola down to the lower crease of the breast. The procedure takes about one and a half to three and a half hours. Patients who have experienced minimal sagging may benefit from a modified procedure that entails less extensive scarring. The patient needs to have only light activity for the first 2 weeks, but most return to their normal activity by 4 weeks after surgery.