Childbirth, nursing, gravity and weight loss can all have dramatic effects on the shape and position of a woman's breasts. As the skin loses its elasticity, the breasts often lose their shape and firmness and begin to sag. The medical term for such sagging is breast ptosis. For those women who wish to have breasts with a more youthful position and shape, a breast lift (also called a "mastopexy") is the procedure of choice. Breast lifts are commonly performed on women in their 30's, 40's and 50's, but we have performed the procedure on younger and older women as well.
Breast Lift Candidates
The best candidates for mastopexy are healthy women who are realistic about what the surgery can accomplish. Many women seek mastopexy because pregnancy and nursing have left them with stretched skin and less volume in their breasts. However, if you are planning to have more children, it is best to postpone your breast lift. While there are no special risks that affect future pregnancies (for example, mastopexy usually does not interfere with breast-feeding), pregnancy is likely to stretch your breasts again and offset the results of the procedure.
Breast Lift Technique is Tailored to Your Needs
Dr. Connall has a wide range of experience with a number of operations to lift your breasts, customizing the procedure based on your unique characteristics and desires. Breast Lifts can be performed through an incision around the areola only (areolar mastopexy); around the areola and with a short vertical incision (vertical mastopexy); or with an incision around the areola, vertical incision, and an incision hidden in the lower breast fold (the full, inverted-T mastopexy). The choice of procedure depends on the severity of your case and the aesthetics you wish to achieve. For details of each breast lift technique, please see those sections.
Breast Lift Combined With Breast Augmentation
Also, for women that desire a breast lift and increased size and upper breast fullness, a combined mastopexy and augmentation can be performed. Each of the mastopexy techniques can be combined with a breast augmentation. We have an entire section on this website devoted to mastopexy and augmentation. Please look there for additional information. Dr. Connall will review all of your mastopexy options with you during a detailed office consultation.
