Breast lift or mastopexy surgery restores a more youthful shape and position to a breast that has developed ptosis (drooping of the breast) related to aging, pregnancy, breast feeding, or weight loss. Over the years, these factors and the effects of gravity take their toll on a woman’s breasts. As the skin loses its elasticity, the breasts often lose their shape and firmness and begin to sag. A breast lift is a surgical procedure to raise and reshape sagging breasts. Mastopexy can also reduce the size of the areola, the darker skin surrounding the nipple. The major difference between a mastopexy and a reduction are that in a reduction the excess breast tissue is removed while in a lift it is lifted and rearranged to a more youthful position. Ideal candidates for breast lift or mastopexy surgery are those women who are pleased with the size of their breast when wearing a bra and those patients with good quality skin with few stretch marks. Dr. Greenwald routinely performs breast lifts at his accredited Westchester County operating facility.
Incisions are typically located around the areola (pigmented skin around the nipple) extending down to the fold underneath the breast, and underneath the breast itself. There are many “short scar” techniques that eliminate the incision placed underneath the breast. Dr. Greenwald will let you know during your consultation if you are a candidate for a minimal incision breast reduction. Candidates for a minimal incision mastopexy are those patients who require a moderate amount of skin excision and nipple-areola movement. Just as any other surgical scar or incision, incisions from breast lift surgery predictably mature and fade over time. Dr. Greenwald will instruct you on how to optimize and support your incisions in the postoperative period. No two breast lift surgeries are the same. Each operation has to be customized to each patient and each breast. The best way to find out which technique is best for you is to schedule a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon.
Provided you do not become pregnant or have significant fluctuations in your weight, the result of your mastopexy should be long lasting. Some breast lift patients require a combination of techniques to achieve their goals. As the breasts begin to sag, they may also lose some of their size and volume that they previously had. Dr. Greenwald may recommend that you consider breast augmentation at the same time as your breast lift. A saline or silicone breast implant placed at the time of your breast lift will restore the volume to your breasts. No additional incisions are needed as the implants are placed through the breast lift incisions. At our Westchester County, NY surgical facility, breast lift surgery is performed as outpatient surgery with twilight anesthesia. A mastopexy typically lasts 2 hours.
In addition to offering surgical care for breast lift patients, Dr. Greenwald also offers care for breast reduction, breast reconstruction and breast augmentation patients.
To learn more about breast lift with Dr. Greenwald, visit www.drgreenwald.com.
