What is a Breast Lift?

Also known as a mastopexy, a breast lift is a surgical procedure which involves elevating the breasts. In this procedure, the breasts are lifted on the chest itself, resulting in repositioning of the nipple and areola to a higher position.

Just like many other surgeries, a breast lift is also performed under anesthesia as an outpatient procedure. There are different types of breast lift surgeries. Some breast lift procedures are small in extent and primarily involve the removal of a small amount of skin above the areola. The shape of the removed skin is similar to a quarter moon. As a result, the nipple is slightly lifted. Slightly larger breast lift procedures remove a donut shaped piece of skin from around the areola. Even though this removal of skin lifts the nipple slightly higher, it doesn’t lift the entire breast. A standard breast lift surgery involves the removal of skin from the lower part of the breast which results in the relocation of the nipple to a higher position.

Normally, if the patients undergo a breast lift surgery without the combination of other procedures like breast implants, then the recovery period is very short. Since a breast lift is primarily a skin operation, surgeons perform a slight amount of work on the breast tissue and nothing is done to the chest muscle. As a result, most patients experience a minimal amount of discomfort. They can go back to work within a few days and they can return to full activity in about a week.

Much of the results achieved through a breast lift can be permanent given that the patient will not be required to breast feed again or not lose a significant amount of weight following the surgery. Even though patients can experience some sagging over time, it will definitely not go back to the pre-surgery state.