For patients who’ve experimented the devastating effects of time or breastfeeding on their breasts, a breastlift, or the medical term, mastopexy, is the surgery that could help them attain better shaped, firmer breasts.  In some cases patients could even reduce the size of the nipple, and insert breast implants to help achieve firmer breasts.   

The surgery usually takes anywhere from two to three hours, and again it depends on each individual case, whether the patient has more, or less tissue to be removed, and whether a patient decides to have implants inserted and/or their nipple reduced.  General anaesthesia is used, so it would be wise to consult with your surgeon on the risks and complications of anaesthesia, and whether you are at risk for any complication. 

Breast Reduction techniques vary, but the most common procedure involves an anchor-shaped incision following the natural contour of the breast.

Some patients, especially those with small breasts and very little sagging, could be considered candidates for a different breastlift technique : the doughnut (or concentric) mastopexy.  In this procedure a circular incision is made around the areola, and a doughnut-shaped area of skin is removed.

For any of the two breastlift procedures, if an implant is also inserted, it could be placed, depending on each particular case, under the mammary gland (subglandular) or under the muscle (submuscular).  As mentioned before, it is always advisable to find and make an appointment for a consultation with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, and discuss all these issues in detail, to have a comprehensive understanding of each technique.

For more information on breastlift or mastopexy, visit our books and resources section