Introduction
Mastopexy, or breast lift, is a procedure designed to improve the
appearance of sagging breasts. The goal of surgery is to obtain a more
youthful appearance, improved projection, and reduced ptosis. The
trade-off for aesthetic improvement achieved with breast lift surgery is
additional scars on the breast. Breast lift surgery can be combined
with breast augmentation using implants. This combination results in a
fuller breast shape, especially in the upper pole of the breast.
How does the breast shape change with age?
Many women notice two changes in their breast shape after pregnancy
and with age.
The first is a loss of upper pole fullness of the breast. This
is a result of gravity's effect on the breast tissue, and the changes
in breast tissue after the pregnancy and breast-feeding.
Changes in the breast with age
The second change is the development of breast and nipple ptosis.
The nipple and surrounding areola descends down the chest relative to
the fold (marked with orange line) beneath the breast. When the nipple
is at the level of the breast fold, the nipple is described as 'ptotic'.
When there is a substantial amount of breast tissue visible below the
fold level, the breast is described as ptotic. A breast with ptosis
essentially has a droopy and deflated appearance.
What can a breast lift achieve?
Breast lift surgery tightens the breast skin envelope and
redistributes breast volume in a more aesthetically pleasing way. The
nipple and areola are lifted into a youthful position. Breast lift
surgery does result in scars on the breast, and this is the trade-off
for a lifted breast shape. For additional breast volume, a breast lift
can be combined with a breast augmentation using a silicone or saline
breast implant.
How is a breast lift surgery done?
The ideal nipple location for the breast is marked on the breast. An
estimation of excess skin and breast tissue is made, and these marks are
also added to the breast. Based on this analysis, a breast lift
technique is chosen.
Three types of mastopexy techniques
There are three techniques for managing excess breast skin. Each
results in a progressive amount of scar length. A basic rule of thumb is
the greater the amount of excess breast skin, the longer the mastopexy
scar will be.
The excess skin is removed, and the nipple and areola are moved and
centralized onto the breast.
The result of mastopexy is a breast that is lifted, with a tighter skin
envelope. A mastopexy can also be combined with a breast augmentation
procedure. The augmentation procedure provides more breast volume,
especially in the upper breast pole.