Also known as mastopexy, a breast lift raises and firms the breasts by removing excess skin and tightening the surrounding tissue to reshape and support the new breast contour.

Why Breast Lift?

Enhancing your appearance with a breast lift

A woman’s breasts often change over time, losing their youthful shape and firmness.

These changes and loss of skin elasticity can result from:

  • Pregnancy
  • Breastfeeding
  • Weight fluctuations
  • Aging
  • Gravity
  • Heredity

Also known as mastopexy, a breast lift raises and firms the breasts by removing excess skin and tightening the surrounding tissue to reshape and support the new breast contour.

Sometimes the areola becomes enlarged over time, and a breast lift will reduce this as well. A breast lift can rejuvenate your figure with a breast profile that is youthful and uplifted.

What it won’t do

Breast lift surgery does not significantly change the size of your breasts or round out the upper part of your breast. If you want your breasts to look fuller or smaller, you might want to consider either breast augmentation or breast reduction surgery.

Is it right for me?

Breast lift surgery is a highly individualized procedure and you should do it for yourself, not to fulfill someone else’s desires or to try to fit any sort of ideal image.

A breast lift is a good option for you if:

  • You are physically healthy and maintain a stable weight
  • You do not smoke
  • You have realistic expectations
  • You are bothered by the feeling that your breasts sag, have lost shape and volume
  • Your breasts have a flatter, elongated shape or are pendulous
  • When unsupported, your nipples fall below the breast crease
  • Your nipples and areolas point downward
  • You have stretched skin and enlarged areolas
  • One breast is lower than the other

Procedural Steps

What happens during breast lift surgery?

Your breast lift surgery can be achieved through a variety of incision patterns and techniques.

The appropriate technique for you will be determined based on:

  • Breast size and shape
  • The size and position of your areolas
  • The degree of breast sagging
  • Skin quality and elasticity as well as the amount of extra skin

Step 1 - Anesthesia

Medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedure. The choices include intravenous sedation and general anesthesia. Your doctor will recommend the best choice for you.

Step 2 - The incision

There are three common incision patterns:

  • Around the areola

  • Around the areola and vertically down from the areola to the breast crease

  • Around the areola, vertically down from the breast crease and horizontally along the breast crease

Step 3 - Reshaping your breasts

After your doctor makes the incisions:

  • The underlying breast tissue is lifted and reshaped to improve breast contour and firmness.
  • The nipple and areola are repositioned to a natural, more youthful height.
  • If necessary, enlarged areolas are reduced by excising skin at the perimeter.
  • Excess breast skin is removed to compensate for a loss of elasticity.

Step 4 - Closing the incisions

After your breasts are reshaped and excess skin is removed, the remaining skin is tightened as the incisions are closed.

Some incision lines resulting from breast lift are concealed in the natural breast contours; however, others are visible on the breast surface. Incision lines are permanent, but in most cases will fade and significantly improve over time.

Sutures are layered deep within the breast tissue to create and support the newly shaped breasts. Sutures, skin adhesives and/or surgical tape may be used to close the skin.

Step 5 - See the results

The results of your breast lift surgery are immediately visible. Over time, post-surgical swelling will resolve and incision lines will fade.

Satisfaction with your new image should continue to grow as you recover and realize the fulfillment of your goal for breasts which have been restored to a more youthful and uplifted position.

Important safety facts

The decision to have breast lift surgery is extremely personal and you’ll have to decide if the benefits will achieve your goals and if the risks and potential complications are acceptable.

Your plastic surgeon and/or staff will explain in detail the risks associated with surgery. You will be asked to sign consent forms to ensure that you fully understand the procedure you will undergo and any risks or potential complications.

The risks include:

  • Unfavorable scarring
  • Bleeding (hematoma)
  • Infection
  • Poor healing of incisions
  • Changes in nipple or breast sensation, which may be temporary or permanent
  • Anesthesia risks
  • Breast contour and shape irregularities
  • Skin discoloration, permanent pigmentation changes, swelling and bruising
  • Damage to deeper structures such as nerves, blood vessels, muscles, and lungs can occur and may be temporary or permanent
  • Allergies to tape, suture materials and glues, blood products, topical preparations or injected agents
  • Breast asymmetry
  • Fatty tissue deep in the skin could die (fat necrosis)
  • Fluid accumulation
  • Excessive firmness of the breast
  • Potential partial or total loss of nipple and areola
  • Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications
  • Blood clots
  • Pain, which may persist
  • Possibility of revisional surgery

You should know that:

  • Breast lift surgery can interfere with diagnostic procedures
  • Breast and nipple piercing can cause an infection
  • Breast lift surgery does not normally interfere with pregnancy, but if you are planning to have a baby, your breast skin may stretch and offset the results of mastopexy and you may have more difficulty breastfeeding after this operation

Where will my surgery be performed?

A breast lift procedure may be performed in your plastic surgeon’s accredited office-based surgical facility, an ambulatory surgical facility or a hospital. Your plastic surgeon and the assisting staff will fully attend to your comfort and safety.

When you go home

If you experience shortness of breath, chest pains, or unusual heart beats, seek medical attention immediately. Should any of these complications occur, you may require hospitalization and additional treatment.

The practice of medicine and surgery is not an exact science. Although good results are expected, there is no guarantee. In some situations, it may not be possible to achieve optimal results with a single surgical procedure and another surgery may be necessary.

Be careful

Following your physician’s instructions is key to the success of your surgery. It is important that the surgical incisions are not subjected to excessive force, abrasion, or motion during the time of healing. Your doctor will give you specific instructions on how to care for yourself.

Be sure to ask questions: It’s very important to ask your plastic surgeon questions about your breast lift procedure. It’s natural to feel some anxiety, whether it’s excitement for your anticipated new look or a bit of preoperative stress. Don’t be shy about discussing these feelings with your plastic surgeon.

My recovery

After your breast lift procedure is completed, dressings or bandages will be applied to the incisions. You’ll need to wear an elastic bandage or support bra to minimize swelling and support your breasts as they heal.

A small, thin tube may be temporarily placed under the skin to drain any excess blood or fluid that may collect.

You will be given specific instructions that may include: How to care for your breasts following surgery, medications to apply or take orally to aid healing and reduce the risk of infection, and when to follow-up with your plastic surgeon.

The results will be long-lasting

The final results of your breast lift will appear over the next few months as breast shape and position continue to settle. Incision lines are permanent, but will continue to fade over time.

The results of your breast lift surgery will be long-lasting. Over time, your breasts can continue to change due to aging and gravity. But, you’ll be able to retain your new look longer if you:

  • Maintain your weight
  • Keep a healthy lifestyle

Special note: While a breast lift does not usually affect breast function, if you are planning to become pregnant, discuss this with your plastic surgeon. Changes that occur in the breasts during pregnancy can minimize or reverse the improvement a breast lift provides. Likewise, plans for significant weight loss should also be discussed.

How much will breast lift surgery cost?

Cost is always a consideration in elective surgery. Prices for breast lift procedures can vary widely. A surgeon’s cost for breast lift may vary based on his or her experience as well as geographic location.

Many plastic surgeons offer patient financing plans, so be sure to ask.

Cost may include:

  • Surgeon’s fee
  • Hospital or surgical facility costs
  • Anesthesia fees
  • Prescriptions for medication
  • Post-surgery garments, and
  • Medical tests

Most health insurance plans will not cover breast lift surgery, related complications or another surgery to revise the appearance of your breasts. You must carefully review your health insurance policy.

Your satisfaction involves more than a fee

When choosing a plastic surgeon for breast lift surgery, remember that the surgeon’s experience and your comfort with him or her are just as important as the final cost of the surgery.

Words to know

  • Areola: Pigmented skin surrounding the nipple.
  • Breast augmentation: Also known as augmentation mammaplasty, breast enlargement by surgery.
  • Breast lift: Also known as mastopexy; surgery to lift the breasts.
  • Breast reduction: Also known as reduction mammaplasty, reduction of breast size by surgery.
  • Excision: To remove the skin.
  • General anesthesia: Drugs and/or gases used during an operation to relieve pain and alter consciousness.
  • Hematoma: Blood pooling beneath the skin.
  • Intravenous sedation: Sedatives administered by injection into a vein to help you relax.
  • Local anesthesia: A drug injected directly to the site of an incision during an operation to relieve pain.
  • Mammogram: An x-ray image of the breast.
  • Mastopexy: Surgery to lift the breasts.
  • Sutures: Stitches used by surgeons to hold skin and tissue together.