Breast Lift Surgery - Mastopexy

Breast Lift (Mastopexy) in Pasadena California with Dr. O'Toole

As time passes, pregnancy, nursing, excessive weight loss and gravity have adverse effects on women's breasts causing them to lose their elasticity, firmness, and shape. This creates a sagging appearance. A breast lift is a procedure that corrects this condition using a combination of removing excess breast skin, tightening the skin. If desired, implants may be used to restore breasts to their natural shape and size.

The best candidates for a breast lift (Mastopexy) are healthy, emotionally stable women who are realistic about the result they would like to achieve. A breast lift can enhance your appearance and your self-confidence. The best results are achieved on women with small, sagging breasts due to loss of skin elasticity secondary to pregnancy and / or nursing, or weight loss. Those who plan to have more children may want to postpone surgery, as the process of pregnancy and breast-feeding may change the final result of the surgery.

There are benefits to undergoing breast lift surgery, however with any surgical procedure there is always the possibility of complications occurring. Possible complications associated with breast lift include bleeding and infection following surgery, which may cause scars to widen, (poor healing and wider scars are common in smokers). The procedure can also cause a change in feeling in the nipple or breast.

The Breast Lift Explained
Breast lift or Mastopexy is surgical procedure to raise and reshape sagging breasts. Mastopexy can also reduce the size of areola. If the breasts are small and have lost volume breast implants inserted along with Mastopexy can increase both firmness and their size. A breast can be performed at any age, but one has to wait until breast development has stopped. Since milk duets and nipples are left intact, surgery will not affect your ability to breast feed. Breasts that are large and heavy can be lifted, but the results may not be so long lasting as when it is done on smaller breasts.

Reasons for undergoing a breast lift:
--- Breasts that lack substance or firmness.
--- Some of the candidates have breasts that are pendulous, but of satisfactory size.
--- Nipples and areolas that point downwards, especially if they are positioned below the breast crease.
--- Loss of elasticity, weight loss, pregnancy and breast-feeding affect the shape and firmness of the breasts.

Personal consultation:
During your visit, you will be asked about your desired breast shape and size. Your plastic surgeon will tell you how nipples and areolas will be repositioned. Mention your expectations about your breasts. Dr. O'Toole will examine your breasts, takes measurements. The size and shape of your breasts and the placements of nipples and areolas will be carefully evaluated. Medical history will be discussed like medicine conditions, drug allergies, medical treatments received, previous surgeries include breast biopsies and medications that you take. If there was a weight loss, your weight should be stabilized before surgery.

Risks involved:
A breast lift surgery is normally safe when significant by a qualified surgeon. Significant complications from breast lifts are not frequent. Thousands of women go through surgery, without experiencing major problems and are pleased with the results. Following a breast lift surgery, sometimes the breasts may not be perfectly symmetrical or the nipple may vary slightly, permanent loss of sensation in the nipples or areas of breast skin may occur rarely. Revisional surgery may be helpful where incisions have healed poorly. Bleeding and infection following a breast lift are not common, but they can cause scars to widen. You can reduce the risks by clearly following your physician's advice before and after surgery. Breasts lifts are usually performed under general anesthesia. In patients where a smaller incision is being made the surgeon may use local anesthesia.

Surgical procedure:

Full breast lift:
Mastopexy usually takes one and half to three and half hours. The most common procedure involves an anchor shaped incision across the base of the breast as well as incisions around the areolas and an incision between the areola and the base of the breast. The incision outlines the area from which the breast skin will be removed and defines the new location for the nipple. The nipple and areola are moved to the higher possible with the removal of excess skin. The skin surrounding the areola is then brought down to reshape the breast. Maximal correction of the breast shape is possible with this but at the cost of more scarring.

Modified breast lift:
Patients with relatively small breast and minimal sagging are candidates for modified breast lift. This requires fewer incisions. One such procedure is the "doughnut mastopexy", in which circular incisions are made around the areola, and a doughnut shaped of skin is removed.

After your surgery:
After surgery you will wear an elastic bandage or a surgical bra over gauze dressings. Your breasts will be bruised, swollen for a day or two. Pain will not be severe, which will be relived with medications. The stitches will be removed after a week or two. If the breast skin is dry, use moisturizer several times a day. The numbness you feel in that area usually fades as the swelling subsides over the next six weeks or so. Healing is a gradual process. Take it easy for a week or two. Lifting weight for three or four weeks should be avoided. Avoid strenuous sports for about a month. This operation will not affect your ability to breast feed, since your milk duets and nipples will e left intact. You should remember that a breast lift won't keep you firm forever. The effects of gravity, pregnancy, aging, and weight fluctuations will eventfully take their toll again.

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Board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Martin O'Toole offers breast lift surgery - mastopexy in Pasadena California. Find out if you are a candidate for breast augmentation surgery and schedule a consultation today.