Breast lift, also known as Mastopexy, is a type of surgery meant to reposition your nipples, to remove excess skin from the area, and to tighten the surrounding tissues. A common method, though not accurate but often recommended to determine whether you need breast lift or not is to place a pencil under the breast and check if it falls down. If it does not and gets stuck below your breast, then you may consider meeting a surgeon specializing in breast lift. More often if you are not satisfied with the way your breasts stand on your chest or if your breasts have become flat and droopy, and if your areolas have enlarged in size, then breast lift may be an option to restore and enhance the contours of your breasts.

Ptotic or droopy and saggy breasts may be the results of pregnancy, breast feeding, weight changes, aging, genetics, and other factors. Sometimes, gravity may also drag your nipples down and make them droopy.

The procedure of breast lift can be as a daycare procedure under general anesthesia. Some women also want enhancement of size and breast implants can be inserted during the breast lift procedure.

Who Can Go for Breast Lift?

You may consider breast lift if:

• Your breasts have lost volume and shape, they have become long and flat, and they have started sagging
• Your nipples fall down below the infra mammary crease when unsupported
• Your areolas and nipples point downward
• Your areolas have become disproportionate large in comparison to your breasts.  Areolar size reduction is almost always done with a breast lift procedure.
• Asymmetry of the breasts- if one of the breasts is more droopy than the opposite one
• You want to change the shape and size of your breasts to make them fuller rounder and higher
• Your breasts have an unusual or asymmetrical shape like tuberous breasts

 Who Should Not Go for Breast Lift?

Not all women are good candidates for a breast lift procedure. You should delay it if:

• You are planning to get pregnant in the near in future, as pregnancy can cause your breasts to stretch and negate the results of the surgery.
• Delay the procedure if you are breast feeding till you are done with breast feeding and no milk can be expressed from the nipples.

Preparing for Breast Lift

After taking your medical history, medications and recent surgeries, the surgeon will examine your breasts, nipples, areolas, skin tone, skin texture, before planning the surgery for you. For preparing, you will have to

• Go for a mammogram or other imaging studies and show the report to the surgical team
• Stop smoking, as it can reduce your blood flow and slow down the healing process
• Stop anti-inflammatory drugs, and herbal supplements and other products for a week before the procedure. These can increase your chances of bleeding
• You should have had a stable weight for the past year

During the Procedure

Different techniques are used to reshape tissue and remove skin from your breasts. The incisions will be given as per the technique used for the process. The incisions will depend on technique for the breast lift. The incisions are around the areola and may extend from the areola to your breast crease, and horizontally along the crease. The surgeon will reshape your tissue and often reduce your areola size. Extra breast skin may be removed and nipples may be shifted higher, depending on the results desired. The procedure usually takes 2-3 hours, after which you may be able to go home the same day.

Recovery After the Procedure

The breasts may remain bruised and swollen for around 2 weeks. Soreness and pain can be managed with pain killers. Your surgeon will ask you to avoid lifting, bending, straining, and sexual activity for at least 4 to 6 weeks after the surgery. You may not be allowed to shower for a few days till the dressings are removed. Sun exposure is to be avoided especially around the incisions for several months.

Immediate changes can be achieved in your breasts with a breast lift surgery, though more changes will continue taking for a few months. Incision scars can be improved with appropriate scar care. You should try to maintain a healthy weight to retain the results.

ABOUT DR. AJAYA KASHYAP

Dr. Ajaya Kashyap is Triple American Board Certified, in Plastic Surgery, Surgery and Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine. He has trained extensively in USA in UCLA (California), Guthrie Clinics, University of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania), UMASS (Massachusetts) and Lenox Hill hospital (New York) in Surgery, Plastic Surgery and Cosmetic Surgery. He practiced for nearly sixteen years in the US until moving back to India in 2005. He was on the faculty as an Assistant Professor at UMASS Medical center and Medical school. He has headed many research projects and written over thirty research papers and won several awards for research and teaching. He was the only Plastic Surgeon to feature in Sony TV's internationally telecast series on Extreme makeover "Naya Roop Nayi Zindagi".