Breast Lift Seattle
Childbearing, breast-feeding, weight-loss, and natural aging can cause sagging or ‘ptosis’ of the breast for which a Breast Lift Surgery or Mastopexy might be indicated. As the skin envelope stretches out over time, volume moves from the more youthful position at the top of the breast down to the lower portion, giving it a drooping or sagging appearance. The nipple position also descends over time, accentuating this aging appearance. Breast lift is a surgical procedure that lifts and firms the breasts by removing excess skin and tightening surrounding tissues. The goal of the surgery is to restore the breasts to their original position and shape or create an aesthetically pleasing look.
Breast lift surgery alone does not, however, restore or add volume to the breast. If a patient desires additional volume, a small implant can be placed simultaneously. Please refer to the Augmentation – Mastopexy section for more specific information regarding this.
Who is a candidate for Breast Lift Surgery?
Patients who are considered good candidates for Breast Lift Surgery are healthy and at a stable or ideal body weight. Typically, these patients are satisfied with the overall volume of their breasts but have experienced a sagging or deflation of the breasts due to natural aging, pregnancy, breast-feeding or weight loss. They may find that their nipples now sit at the lowest portions of their breast or may even point towards the ground. Women who have breast fed may find one breast sagging more than the other due to a preference of the child while breast-feeding. This asymmetry can be corrected at the time of Mastopexy.
What can I expect with Breast Lift Surgery?
Prior to surgery, a complete history and physical examination of the patient is performed. Ideal patients are at or close to a stable body weight and may be directed to reach these goals prior to undergoing surgery. Additional breast imaging may be indicated depending on the age and history of the patient.
A thorough breast examination is made to determine the most effective surgical approach. There are 3 main types of Mastopexy incisions and, typically, the more a breast needs to be lifted, the more scars are required in order to do so. The smallest lift, called a ‘periareolar’ or ‘circumareolar’ Breast lift involves minimal elevation of the nipple in order to achieve an ideal breast shape and nipple position. Scars are placed at the borders of the pigmented areola and surrounding skin in order to camouflage their appearance. If moderate elevation of the breast is required, a ‘lollipop’ or ‘vertical’ Mastopexy is typically used. This places a circular incision around the areola and a vertical incision directed toward the breast fold. The most common technique employed for a Breast Lift is a ‘Anchor’ or ‘Inverted T’ type of incision, which combines the scars of a vertical Mastopexy with a scar along the breast crease. While the vertical incision is made to help lift the breast, the horizontal scar assists in narrowing and reshaping the base of the breast to create an optimal, youthful appearance.
Breast Lift Procedure
Typically, this procedure can take anywhere from one to three hours, depending on the complexity of the case. Before surgery begins, your surgeon will first mark out incision points around your areola (the dark area around your nipples) and then use those marks as guidelines during surgery. From there, your surgeon will target excess skin by making strategic incisions in several technics.
After all loose skin has been trimmed away, the remaining tissue underneath is lifted upward closer to their original position while ensuring they remain symmetrical with one another. During this step, certain layers may need more support than others due to differences in size or sagging due aging so surgeons usually insert sutures underneath for additional stability before closing up any openings created during surgery.
Mastopexy with Breast Augmentation
Augmentation mastopexy is a surgical procedure to improve the appearance of breasts that have lost volume, shape, and firmness. It is achieved by performing a combination of two procedures: mastopexy (breast lift) and breast augmentation. During mastopexy, excess skin around the areola is removed, and the nipple-areolar complex is repositioned higher on the chest wall for a more youthful-looking breast contour; excess tissue may also be removed to create a firmer base for a breast implant. Breast implants will add fullness to the entire breast as well as tighten sagging tissue. They are placed both under the existing glandular tissue and under the muscle fascia. A talented plastic surgeon, Dr. Mangubat, can use these techniques in combination to achieve incredibly natural results that provide patients with fuller, fuller breasts without compromising their overall silhouette or shape.
Breast Lift Recovery
Patients are discharged to a care-giver after the surgery is performed in our outpatient surgical facility. The procedure itself is performed with a general anesthetic, and patients are dischargedon the sameday. The post-operative bra is provided to all patients post-operatively, and drains are not required. All stitches used during the procedure are dissolvable and do not need to be removed. Patients maytake a shower 2-3 days after the procedure once they have had their first post-operative visit. Patients may return to work 7-10 days after their procedure, provided they have been assessed. Patients mayliftup to 10 poundson each side for a total of 4 weeks. Weight lifting is restricted to 5 pounds per side for the first week and then to 10 pounds per side for a total of threeweeks.
Is Liposuction part of Breast Lift Surgery?
Liposuction may also be added in order to remove fat from the armpit area or to better shape the sides of the breast. This is based on individual anatomy and will be determined at the time of your consultation.
Will a Breast Lift interfere with breast function?
During all types of Breast Lifts, the ductal and sensory connections to the nipple should be maintained.
Therefore, nipple sensation and the ability to breast feed should be preserved with this procedure. Keep
in mind, however, that not all women are able to breast-feed even without surgery.
Scars after Breast Lift
Breast lift surgery can result in the appearance of a few different types of scarring. The most common of these is what’s known as a “dual incision” scar. This type of scar occurs when more than one incision is made to remove the breast tissue. These scars are typically thinner and less visible than other types of scars, but they may still cause some discomfort. One relatively uncommon complication that can occur during breast lift surgery is skin contracture. This condition involves contractions in the skin that can cause it to become tight, painful, or impossible for the patient to stretch out after surgery. It’s important to ensure that you’re appropriately stretching your skin after a breast lift so that you can avoid any unpleasant side effects like this one. In addition to causing some post-surgical discomfort, poor-quality scars can also cause additional problems in the years to come. As time goes on, scar tissue often develops and hardens, leading to reduced elasticity and an increased risk of developing keloids (raised skin caused by trauma). Because of this, it’s very important to choose a surgeon who takes the time to carefully create proper-looking scars during breast lift surgery.
What are the Benefits of a Breast Lift?
There are several benefits that make this a desirable procedure for women who have lost fullness in their breasts due to age, pregnancy, and nursing, or weight loss.
Restored Appearance: A breast lift can help improve the appearance of sagging or drooping breasts by raising them to a higher position on the chest wall and reducing the size of stretched-out skin, resulting in perky and youthful-looking breasts.
Improved Posture: By raising your nipples higher, you will also be helping with your posture as your body will naturally adjust itself when more balanced support is given to your chest area, which helps reduce shoulder slouching-related back pain.
Improved Self-Confidence: Because a breast lift can greatly improve both your physical appearance and proper posture changes and increase self-esteem all at once, many people report feeling more confident about themselves after having this kind of surgery done.
Better Clothing Fit & Options: Lifting up sagging breasts gives you the opportunity to choose clothing styles you may have previously felt uncomfortable wearing due to an ill fitted top or dress because it would show too much cleavage due to gravity’s effects on unbalanced support fabric around those areas. Most importantly however is how better clothes fit adds an extra special touch when showing off those new curves addressing overall look issues most were self-conscious about before getting a breast lift procedure done!
No Age Restrictions: Breast lifting does not discriminate against one’s age, so even if someone has been considering this for years but feels like they’re now ‘too old’, that should never be something stopping them from getting their desired results as age should never prevent anyone from feeling good about themselves again thanks (or rather no thanks) aging affects our bodies go through without permission asked beforehand.
What are the Risks of a Breast Lift?
The risks associated with a breast lift are similar to those associated with any major surgery, including infection, bleeding, and scarring. There is also the risk of poor healing or an uneven appearance in the breasts. It is important for patients considering a breast lift procedure to discuss their expectations and concerns with their physician to ensure they understand all potential risks involved before undergoing the procedure.
In some cases, there may be nerve damage associated with a breast lift leading to temporary or permanent loss of sensation in the nipples and/or areola. This can be more likely if larger amounts of skin are removed during the surgery. In addition, blood clotting can occur in some rare cases as part of the recovery process after surgery; this could lead to serious complications such as stroke or pulmonary embolism if not promptly addressed by your doctor.
Finally, it’s important for women considering breast lifts to think about other health aspects that might make undergoing such a major operation too risky for them personally. If you have chronic illnesses like diabetes or heart disease it might not be advisable for you to undergo this type of surgical procedure because complications related to these conditions may cause greater distress than what would normally occur from recovery from plastic surgery procedures like a breast lift alone.
Breast Lift FAQs
- How long does a breast lift last?
On average, results can last for 10-15 years or more, depending on factors such as age, body weight changes, gravity, and pregnancy. The procedure does not stop the aging process, so any further changes will occur with time.
- How do I know if I need a breast lift?
If your nipples are pointed downward, and your breast tissue has moved lower than the natural crease below your breasts – resulting in extra skin on the exterior – then this could be an indication that you would benefit from a breast lift. If your nipples appear low on your chest wall, it may indicate excessive drooping even when wearing clothes with supportive bras. Additionally, if wearing certain clothing styles such as strapless dresses or tank tops results in awkward pulls on the bra cups due to excess hanging tissue, then this could also hint at the possible benefits of undergoing a mastopexy procedure.
- How long does it take to recover from a breast lift?
Recovery time after a breast lift varies between individuals based on the type of surgery performed and the rate of healing. Generally speaking, it may take anywhere from two to six weeks for most patients to heal completely from a breast lift procedure.
Breast Lift Testimonials
I have consistently had excellent experiences when I come to this office. I have been a patient for 4 years and I count not recommend anybody more.
Working with this doctor and staff has been the most amazing experience I have had in my health experience. They are thoughtful, caring, concerned, supportive , attentive and always make time for my needs. I was just commenting to someone that I wish this office could serve as my PCP and that I definitely got more than my money’s worth from the preop to the procedure to the aftercare. They are phenomenal and I highly recommend them to anyone and everyone! So super pleased!
Great experience, a lot of communication and Dr was very straightforward about the procedure and what to expect. Results were phenomenal. Staff is also extremely knowledgeable and very attentive.