Breast Lift

A breast lift is also known as a Mastopexy. This procedure is not designed to add breast volume in the way that an augmentation or breast implant would. Instead, a breast lift is designed to lift breasts that have lost roundness or firmness over time and bring it back to a natural position.

Dr. Payne, our board-certified plastic surgeon, has been trained in microsurgical and breast reconstruction techniques, and is able to utilize these techniques to work on even the smallest details of the breast. He is passionate about perfection, even to the smallest detail. During your initial consultation, Dr.Payne will go over your treatment plan and discuss surgery risk and benefits.

How Does a Breast Lift Help You Feel More Confident?

The look and appearance of a woman’s breast is essential to a woman’s confidence. It is also essential to how she feels when wearing clothes, bras or swimsuits. A women’s breast can change over time because of age, pregnancy or fluctuations in weight. Because of these reasons, the breast tissue begins to lose its elasticity and shape. A breast lift involves tightening and removal of the excess tissue to reshape and support the new breast.

Sometimes, if the areola becomes enlarged over time and a breast lift can also help minimize and reduce the size of the areola. The breasts can change with pregnancy and after breastfeeding which can leave the appearance of the breasts that look sagging or deflated. This procedure can boost your confidence, bring back the youthful shape of your breast, and flatter your figure.

What to Expect During a Breast Lift

The cosmetic procedure is performed as an outpatient procedure under sedation or general anesthesia and local anesthesia in an outpatient hospital. Dr. Payne will meticulously reshape and lift the tissue of the breast to improve firmness and the profile of the breast. The nipple and areola are also lifted to a more natural, more youthful height and to balance with the size and shape of the new breast.

Larger areolas are reduced by removing skin at the perimeter. After your breasts are reshaped and excess skin is removed, the remaining breast skin is tightened.

Some of the incision lines can be concealed in the natural contours of the breast. Incision lines are permanent, but in most cases will fade and begin to improve over time and with proper care of the area. An internal support bra can be created with the deep skin tissue or with off the shelf products like GalaFLEX. Dr. Payne will recommend scar creams and post procedure creams after sutures are removed which will also help the area heal and the scars fade.

What Do Breast Lift Scars Look Like?

Once the incision area heals, the scar will be barely visible. Proper care of the area will help to reduce scarring as well. There are three common incision patterns: Around the areola, around the areola and vertically down from the areola to the breast crease, and around the areola, vertically down from the breast crease and horizontally along the breast crease (anchor).

What to Expect After Surgery

Immediately following breast surgery you will be wearing special garments, tape, or a silicone surgical bra to keep the breasts secure and protected while healing. Once general anesthesia wears off, you may experience some pain. Over the counter pain medication such as Tylenol or Advil is recommended alternating every 3 hours.
You may experience bruising, swelling, numbness, itching and changes in nipple sensitivity. These side effects should resolve in a few weeks. Some side effects may last up to 3-4 months following your cosmetic procedures.
During the first week after your surgery, we recommend for you sleep with your head elevated. Avoid strenuous activity for 3-4 weeks after surgery. We recommend for you to sleep on your back to avoid any pressure in your breast. You may have drainage. Our staff will change your dressing at your post operative visit.

The final results of your breast lift will appear over the next few months as breast heals and swelling goes down. The results of your breast lift surgery will be long-lasting. This procedure can be a life changing event as it can boost a patient’s confidence with a more flattering figure!

How Long Will the Results of Mastopexy Last?

With proper care, your breast should not return back to their droop like appearance for at least a few decades as long as there isn’t a significant weight fluctuation.

Will a Breast Lift Increase the Size of My Breasts?

Mastopexy procedure is a plastic surgery which can elevate the breasts on the chest and reverses breast sagging, this creates an appearance of larger volume. By improving the appearance of the areola to a natural appearance, breast lift creates a youthful profile that is more dramatic in its projection, shape and proportion. It is not typically done to increase the size of the breasts but can be combined with a breast augmentation or breast implant to help also to increase the breast size if you have smaller breasts.