Breast lift, or mastopexy, is performed to raise and reshape sagging breasts. Patients often seek breast lift surgeries to address changes that occur with age, after pregnancy and breastfeeding, or after weight loss. Some of the common concerns are sagging breast with excess skin, or droopy appearance of the breasts and nipples.

Women who desire a more lifted bustline and increased fullness of their breasts can benefit from a combined breast lift and augmentation procedures. 

There are several approaches to breast lifts. The right approach for each patient depends on their pre-operative shape and volume, the amount of excess skin that needs to be removed, as well as their individual goals.

Anchor Incision Breast Lift, also known as Wise’s pattern, is one of the original breast lift techniques that was designed to dramatically reshape and lift sagging breasts. With this technique, there are incisions around the areola, vertically downwards to the breast crease, and along the breast crease. The shape and nipple position are predictable and well maintained with time and weight change. Because there is a lot of scarring involved, most often this technique is reserved for more severe cases.

Lollipop Lift, or vertical mastopexy, is the most commonly used technique for breast lifting with or without augmentation. Incisions are along the areola’s edge and vertically down to the breast crease. The scars are generally well hidden once healed. The breast shape can be boxy in the first 1-3 months after surgery but almost always rounding out by three months.

Doughnut Lift, or peri-areola lift, can correct mild to moderate enlargement of the areola and raise the nipple location about half an inch or less. The Incision goes around the edges of the areola and is very well hidden. This procedure however can flatten the breast mound and often performed along with breast augmentation.

Crescent Lift is a procedure that can lift up the nipple areola complex to improve symmetry and/or aesthetic balance of the breasts. This involves making an incision along the upper region of the areola and excising a small amount of skin to position the nipple higher on the breast mound. It is suited for women who have minimal sagging and can be combined with a breast augmentation procedure.

Who are Candidates for Breast Lift?

The best candidates are healthy people with realistic expectations of surgery. Patients who are 40 or older may requires to have a screening mammogram before surgery. Breast lift surgery can rejuvenate the appearance of the breast and can also be performed along with breast augmentation for optimal results

How is Breast Lift performed?

The breast lift can range from small peri-areola incision to anchor incision depending on the amount of excess skin and the location of the nipples. If volume deflation is significant, breast augmentation with implants can optimize the results.

What is Recovery Like?

Downtime from surgery is between 1-2 weeks but some patients are able to return to work after a few days. Moderate swelling and minor bruising is expected in the first week. Majority of the swelling will resolve by one month after surgery. Discomfort from swelling and pain along the scar are the major complaints after surgery.