BREAST LIFT SURGERY (MASTOPEXY)
Breast lift also called “breast uplift”, “boob lift” or “mastopexy,” is one of the most requested cosmetic surgeries. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast uplifts have increased by 70 percent in recent years.
During the operation, the surgeon will reposition your nipple higher on your chest wall. Also, he will remove excess skin and tighten the surrounding tissue. The result will be a more youthful and uplifted breast profile.
Usually, women request breast lifts when their breasts are sagging. The loss of skin elasticity can result from:
- aging
- pregnancy
- breastfeeding
- extreme weight loss
A breast lift might boost your self-image and self-confidence. However, surgery to fix sagging breasts requires a surgeon with wide experience who is at the forefront of the most advanced techniques to achieve beautiful, natural-looking breasts.
Surgery can be done in combination with breast enlargement or breast reduction.
Medically reviewed by Dr Osama Bahsas Zaky
Written by Joaquín Pineda
Updated on July 19, 2021
What is involved in breast lift surgery?
Breast lift is not a simple surgery. This cosmetic surgery is probably the most challenging for the plastic surgeon as it can be difficult to fulfill the patient’s expectations.
The surgical procedure treats sagging breasts by removing excess skin and reshaping the breast to give them a more youthful contour. The result is less sagginess, along with beautifully shaped and contoured breasts.
A breast lift is done when the nipple is sagging. To put the nipple back in its place and raise it higher, it is necessary to remove breast skin while maintaining the nipple’s blood supply. Currently, there are several techniques for breast lifts.
The main goal is reshaping the breasts while reducing scarring to a minimum. The patient needs to know that she has to wait at least 3 to 6 months after finishing breastfeeding before undergoing this type of cosmetic plastic surgery.
Surgery is done under general anesthesia, it lasts between 90 and 120 minutes, and it usually requires one night in hospital.
After the intervention, a support bra must be worn day and night for a month so that the breast tissue heals in its new position. After three or four days, the patient can return to her normal life.
Will I have scars after the breast lift surgery?
A breast lift will not always leave you with a scar. In cases of pseudoptosis (the nipple is well situated and the breast alone is empty), the breasts can be lifted through breast augmentation with implants. The implant fills the breast, and the breast recovers its firmness and fullness.
This intervention can be done using multiple techniques. However, Doctor Benito prefers to use the new technique of subfascial augmentation through the armpit.
This surgical approach allows him to fill the empty breast and avoid touching the areola. In many cases, the removal of breast skin is avoided and, therefore, the presence of scars.
In the case of pseudoptosis, an excellent alternative to breast implants is doing a fat transfer breast augmentation. This intervention involves refining some areas of the body by removing fat through liposuction. Then, the second step is reinjecting the fact into the upper pole of the breasts to fill them up.
Indeed, one unwanted consequence of pregnancy is the accumulation of fat. So, in patients who want to have a breast lift after one or several pregnancies, the most requested intervention is liposuction of certain parts of the body and the breast lift using grafts of the patient’s own fat.
Again, this technique avoids removing skin and hence, the presence of scars! Also, by using the patient’s own fat, any possible rejection or incompatibility is avoided.
The result is less harmful to the body. Another great advantage of fat transfer breast lifts is that the grafted fat cells form part of the breast and give a completely natural look.
What options do I have if my nipple is sagging?
If the woman has an adequate breast volume and doesn’t want much more, a periareolar mastopexy is the best option.
A circle of skin is removed around the areola to tighten the skin. This technique is suitable for women who have pseudoptosis but full breast volume. It is also ideal for women with any breast size but a grade I ptosis (the areola is at the level of the crease).
In this case, the patient will end up with a concentric or “donut” scar. This incision traces all the way around the areola and is nearly invisible when healed.
On the other hand, If the areola has ended up facing downwards and it is beneath the crease level (ptosis II and III), the only option is to remove skin and adjust the gland. In such cases, two kinds of scars can be left:
- Circumvertical or “lollipop”: Like the concentric incision, this incision traces around the areola but adds a vertical line down toward the bottom of the breast.
- Inverted-T or “anchor-shaped”: The Inverted-T incision involves a vertical scar running down your breast plus a horizontal scar below it, across the inframammary crease, where the breast meets the chest wall.
How will I look after breast lift?
When a person decides to go in for breast lift surgery, there is a feeling of uncertainty. And here is where computer simulations come into play. They let you see a before & after result in a matter of seconds!
Recent progress in photographic software allows the patient to get an idea of the final result. It allows the patient to visualize what surgeons aim to achieve after the surgery.
Computer simulation is done to get surgeons and patients to agree on the result they want to obtain. However, the computer simulation should in no way be considered as what the final result will be.
Undoubtedly, surgeons and patients are the most interested in getting the desired result. But, we should not forget that plastic surgery involves working with living tissue.
Changing the appearance of something specific on the computer is quick and easy. However, the computer doesn’t consider the quality of the breast tissue, the thickness, and the age of the skin.
How much breast lift surgery costs?
Breast lift surgery cost depends on many factors. Without meeting the patient, we don’t offer approximate prices since each patient is a different case.
However, we know that the economic factor is important when it comes to making a decision. Therefore, we offer the possibility for the patient to come to our facilities for a first free no-obligation visit.
The patient can consult the plastic surgeon with all their questions and concerns. We will offer the best solution and the best price for your breast lift.
Why choose doctor Benito for your breast uplift in Spain?
Doctor Jesús Benito is a board-certified plastic surgeon known in Spain for developing breast lift techniques that leave practically no scar.
With over 20 years of experience, doctor Jesús Benito masters several surgical techniques which allow him to achieve the best results in breast lift surgery.
Doctor Jesús Benito is a recognized authority in Spain in plastic, reconstructive and cosmetic surgery.
Doctor Jesús Benito
Specialist in plastic and cosmetic surgery.
- Secretary of the ISAPS (International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery).
- Former president of the Spanish Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (AECEP).
- 2013 Gold Medal (Forum Europa)
- 2003 McGhan Prize: pioneer in axillary subfascial breast enlargement technique.
Bibliography & Publications:
Subfascial breast implant. Benito-Ruiz J. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2004 Mar;113(3):1088-9
Injertos de tejido adiposo en cirugía estética mamaria. Benito-Ruiz, J. Cir. plást. iberolatinoam., Dic 2013, vol.39, suppl.1, p.s51-s57
Effects of Silicone Implants on the Mammary Gland: Ultrasonographic and 3D Study. Benito-Ruiz, J., de Cabo, F., Manzano, M., Salvador, L. Aesthetic plastic surgery, 2018, 1-12.
Resultados a 5 años con prótesis anatómica: abordaje areolar vs axilar. III Congreso Ibérico de Cirugía Plástica, Estoril, 2 a 4 de junio de 2016.
Plastic surgery is (mainly) for the spring.
More publications :
- Cirugía secundaria de la mama con injertos de tejido adiposo autólogo. XLVII Congreso Nacional de la Sociedad Española de Cirugía Plástica, Reparadora y Estética, (SECPRE). Murcia, 2 y 3 de junio de 2011.
- Anatomical implants in subfascial plane by axillary approach. 3r SICAAAMS 2012. Genève 18-21 de abril del 2012.
- Combining fat grafting and implants in breast surgery. ISAPS Symposium. Roma, 13 de diciembre de 2012.
- Fat grafting in aesthetic breast surgery. IVth Congress on Regenerative Surgery. Roma, 13 a 15 de diciembre de 2012.
- Effects of breast implants on thickness of the gland. ISAPS Congress Miami, 2-4 Nov 2018.
Do you want more information about breast lift?
The first visit is free and without obligation.
You can contact us on WhatsApp or Viber at +34 657 460 421.
If you wish, you can send us some photos to have an estimate quote. Photos will not be stored and will be treated with the utmost confidentiality. Please explain the results you wish to obtain.
Antiaging Group Barcelona
Ronda del General Mitre, 84, 08021 (Barcelona, Spain)
Nearest Metro Stations: Les Tres Torres / La Bonanova
