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What is a Breast Lift?

Like most women, over time your breasts can undergo some significant changes, not all for the better. A woman’s breasts may take on a deflated, tired, or sagging appearance after pregnancy, nursing, or weight loss – or they may begin to lose their perky shape from the effects of time and gravity alone.

Breast lift, also known as mastopexy, is a surgical procedure that offers several advantages for women who have sagging breasts due to aging, pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight fluctuations, or other factors. The goal of this procedure is to lift and reshape the sagging breast by removing excess skin. The lift will also reposition the nipple and areola to a more forward-facing and youthful position higher on the breast and chest wall and downsize a large or stretched out nipple areola complex.

Since every patient has different goals for a lift procedure, Dr. Gal will discuss your goals with you at consultation to decide on the best procedure for you. If you want to maintain the size of your breasts and re-shape them only, then Dr. Gal will plan for a lift without changing the size of your breasts. If you would like increased volume and added fullness in the upper pole of the breast, then Dr. Gal will offer a lift with implant augmentation for added volume and upper pole fullness. If, your breasts are large and pendulous, Dr. Gal will offer to downsize your breasts. Depending on your goals, Dr. Gal will create a customized surgical plan for you.

For most women it is difficult to tell which type of lift procedure or combination of breast augmentation with lift is the best choice for them. Without a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon, it is almost impossible to figure out.

During your consultation, Dr. Gal will listen to your goals, examine you and figure out the best procedure to perform based on these factors. At Peoria Cosmetic Surgery, we provide personalized care to each patient to ensure that their individual needs and goals are met, and the recovery process is as smooth as possible.

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Breast Lift Candidates:

Ideal candidates for breast lift are women who:

  • Have sagging or drooping breasts
  • Have nipples that point downward
  • Have stretched skin and enlarged areolas
  • Have good overall health and have realistic expectations

Your Breast Lift Procedure

The breast lift procedure involves a trade-off: you can improve your breast shape but you will be left with surgical scars on the surface of your breasts. Scars will fade over time, but will not disappear completely following your plastic surgery. Women should keep in mind that generally, the greater the lift needed, the more extensive the scars.

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Types of Breast Lifts

Peri-areolar or “Donut” Lift

For women with less severe, minimal sagging, Dr. Gal may be able to employ the Benelli or periareolar type of breast lift. This technique limits the scar to just around the areola, making it much less visible. A periareolar breast lift is most often used in combination with a breast augmentation, where the breast implants help to restore a natural, perky appearance and fill up some of the loose skin.

Circumvertical or “Lollipop” Lift

For women with moderately sagging breasts, the circumvertical lift will remove more skin for an aesthetic appearing breast. In this technique, the scar is around the areola and has a vertical component between your areola and the crease underneath your breast.

Inverted-T or “Anchor” Lift

For larger breasts with the most extensive sagging, Dr. Gal will use this approach with an anchor scar. This scar pattern is similar to the “lollipop” pattern with the addition of a scar along the crease underneath the breast. This additional scar in the crease varies in length from a couple of inches to the entire width of the breast, depending on the amount of sagging.

While this has the longest amount of scar, the scar generally heals and fades nicely over time and the scar underneath the breast is generally well hidden and rarely seen. It also produces a better breast shape and the results last longer than the other types of lifts. This is also the incision pattern Dr. Gal uses for her breast reduction.

Breast Lift with Augmentation

While a breast lift procedure will initially restore fullness to the upper breasts making them appear more “perky,” there is normally some settling of tissue that occurs following the procedure with some loss of upper breast fullness. By combining a breast augmentation with a breast lift for patients, more sustained fullness of the upper breast can be achieved.

This is most suited for women who would like larger, lifted breasts or if there is significant volume loss, breast implants could be placed during a lift to attain upper pole fullness that most women desire. This will involve placing an implant along with one of the incisions listed above.

Recovery after Breast Lift Surgery

After your breast lift or combined lift/breast augmentation, your chest will be supported with a supportive surgical bra and you’ll be sent home to rest. You will be required to wear the surgical bra for a few weeks to help protect your results.

Most women experience some degree of swelling and bruising for several days or even a couple weeks after their procedure. You will be prescribed pain medication to minimize discomfort, and you’ll return to Peoria Cosmetic Surgery for two or three follow-up visits in the first 2 weeks so your surgeon can check on the progress of your recovery. Most women are back to work in about a week.

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Why Peoria Cosmetic Surgery?

At Peoria Cosmetic Surgery, Dr. Gal provides personalized consultations to determine whether breast lift is the right option for each patient. She will take into account the patient’s individual needs, goals, and medical history to develop a customized treatment plan that delivers the best possible outcome. For women from Pheonix, Scottsdale, Peoria and surrounding areas, Dr. Gal can help create an elevated, improved breast contour to meet your aesthetic goals.