Breast Lift

Breast Lift At A Glance

Also called "mastopexy", the breast lift surgical technique is commonly performed at the same time as breast augmentation and breast reduction. In these cases, implants placed at the same time as a breast lift can enlarge breast size simultaneously as the shape and place of the breasts are enhanced.

Breast Lift Reasons & Benefits

If you have undergone weight loss or pregnancy, you might have observed that your breasts have sagged a bit. Reduction of skin elasticity, gravity and other factors including weight loss, pregnancy and breast-feeding can affect the shape and firmness of breasts.

Some patients could be displeased that they have lost a significant amount of breast size over time. The popularity of breast lift techniques is growing. Trying to reduce sagging and to achieve firmer and more attractive breasts, many women have turned to the cosmetic surgery procedure commonly known as a breast lift. Pregnancy and breast-feeding may have pronounced and unpredictable effects on the size and shape of your breasts.

Breast Lift Surgery Procedure

The technique begins with a pre-operative consultation with the doctor where you are given specific instructions about how to prepare for the technique.

In today's plastic surgery environment, a number of breast lift techniques exist. While meeting with a cosmetic physician, the surgeon will explain to you the surgery and will talk with you about the type of anesthesia they will use in the breast lift surgery. The nipples and areolas stay attached to base mounds of tissue, and this typically allows for the preservation of feeling and the ability to breast-feeding.

Depending on your situation, one procedure will be right for you. While individual breast lift surgical techniques may vary depending on the surgeon's level of experience and skill, breast lift procedures usually fall into two categories: the "concentric" mastopexy and the more commonly performed "anchor shaped" mastopexy.

The concentric breast lift requires circular incisions around the nipple. This variation is not very common because the results can often be unsatisfactory. In some instances, it may be possible to avoid the horizontal incision beneath the breast. All techniques necessitate the cutting away of skin on the breast, followed by the re-positioning of the nipple through sutures.

Since the lactose ducts and nipples are not damaged, breast lift surgical techniques normally will not change your ability to breast-feed; but note, you should discuss this with your plastic surgeon.

Risks And Complications Of Breast Lifts

Generally, significant risks from breast lifts are infrequent.

Many women have erroneous ideas about what a breast lift can finally accomplish. A board-certified cosmetic physician can assist you to clarify your expectations. There may be variations in the size of your breasts in addition to their shape. If your shape is something that you possibly can live with, then a surgery could end up becoming more time and cost than it's worth.

As with any cosmetic surgery procedure, the decision to have a breast lift is a highly personal one.

Many women decide to undergo breast lift surgery before having children and feel that they will address any subsequent problems later.

Following a breast lift, sometimes the breasts may not be totally symmetrical or the nipple position may vary a bit.

The subject of problems and potential complications of surgical procedures is best discussed on a individual basis between you and your cosmetic surgeon, or with office member in your surgeon's office.

Breast Lift Costs

Surgeons fees for Breast Lift are typically between $3,000 and $5,000 depending on difficulty. Fees for the operating room, anesthesiologist and medications can raise the total. Also the fees are often higher in some large urban areas.

Some highly skilled surgeons can do all types of breast lift as an outpatient technique. This is cheaper and quicker than a long hospital visit.

Questions To Ask Your Breast Lift Surgeon

You should always have a meeting with your doctor before agreeing to any kind of surgery. Be sure you take sufficient time to get all your doubts answered. Also you may ask to see before and after photos to get a better understanding of what is realistic.

When wondering if you should have a breast lift, or any cosmetic surgery for that matter, we recommend that you meet with an experienced medical surgeon with experience in breast lift surgical procedures.

Some questions you will probably ask include:

• Am I being realistic about my desired outcome?
• Where will the technique be performed and how much time will it take?
• What is the healing time for doing various activities?
• What is the total this will cost me?
• How much experience have you had performing this procedure?
• How often do problems occur?
• What if I am not satisfied with the results?

Make sure the doctor has your complete medical history and knows of any allergies or special needs you have.

The Latest on Breast Lifts

Wrinkle Free Friday: Breast surgery uses unwanted fat instead of implants (WWL-TV, Channel 4 New Orleans)

11/14/2008 Last year breast augmentation was the number one cosmetic surgery. But what if you could have the same effect without the use of implants, using your body's own natural tissue? 
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By Sheena Williams Killeen Daily Herald (Killeen Daily Herald)

11/10/2008 Going under the knife can be an intimidating prospect for any procedure but an increasing number of people are electing to be put under the haze of anesthesia for physically altering treatments. 
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Officials say woman used stolen credit card to get $24K work of plastic surgery (San Jose Mercury News)

10/30/2008 Authorities said a woman arrested this week in San Jose used a Florida woman's slolen American Express card to order $24,319 in body work from a Marin plastic surgery center and charge $6,570 at Nordstrom. 
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Another plastic surgery scam in Greenbrae (Marin Independent Journal)

10/29/2008 It's a dicey time to practice plastic surgery in Marin County. For the second time in eight months, a cosmetic surgery office in Greenbrae has been scammed out of a small fortune in breast work and liposuction, authorities said. 
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