Breast Lift

Over time, the effects of gravity and the loss of the skin's natural elasticity begins to adversely effect the appearance of a woman's breasts. Factors that may result in a heavy, droopy, sagging breast include:

• Pregnancy
• Nursing
• Age
• Changes in Weight
• Heredity

These factors will often cause the breasts to lose their youthful shape and firmness.

A breast lift, or mastopexy, surgically raises and reshapes the sagging breasts. There are many different techniques available depending on the degree of flaccidity (ptosis), size of the areolas, breast shape and quality of the breast skin. Dr. Light creates incisions on the breasts either around the areolas ("periareolar lift"), around the areolas and vertically proceeding down to the breast crease ("vertical lift"), or around the areolas, down the breasts, and horizontally along the breast creases ("anchor lift"). Dr. Light spends considerable time evaluating each patient to determine which incision type and technique is best suited for them. Sometimes the patient requests a larger breast in addition to an elevated breast. In these cases a breast augmentation with implants will be done at the same time.

All breast lift surgery results in some scarring. The extent of scarring depends on the degree of lift that is needed. There is a bit of a trade off involved - a better shaped breast form the price of a scar. Scars generally fade significantly within 6 months to 1 year and are generally very acceptable to most patients.

What is the recovery from mastopexy like?

It all depends on if breast implants are used.  If the breast lift is performed in conjunction with breast implant placement, the recovery time is similar to a breast augmentation (about 1.5-2 weeks).  If no implants are used, the recovery can be closer to a week, although this varies per individual.  Most patients wear a special support bra for 3 weeks after surgery.