Mastopexy: What Is It and How It Helps in Breast Lifting?

As a woman get older, breast sagging comes as the most natural body changes. Breasts, made up of fat and ligaments, may lose fullness and size; the ligaments may get stretched and lose elasticity with age.

The diminished elasticity of the breast over time can result in breast ptosis. The occurrence of ptosis is characterized by an inferior descent of the nipple-areola relative to the breast fold and skin redundancy at the lower pole.

Breast ptosis has a cumulative association with aging, pregnancy, hormonal changes, breastfeeding, and weight loss. It can occur in patients of all ages and breast sizes.

Subsequently, various corrective techniques and surgical approaches can be chosen to correct breast ptosis. The choice of technique is determined by the degree of ptosis and the desired size of the breast.

Mastopexy, or breast lift surgery, is a procedure performed to restore the size, normal contour and elevation of sagging breasts in order to correct ptosis. The goal of mastopexy is to reinstate a naturally youthful appearance and position of breasts and move the nipple-areola complex to a more aesthetic position.

The Mastopexy procedure is performed on an outpatient basis; it usually takes 2 to 3 hours and is done under general anesthesia. During the surgical procedure, excess skin is removed, and the nipple and areola are relocated to a higher position on the patient’s chest. However, the removal of excess skin comes after breast reshaping.

Depending on the different types of breasts, the ‘lift’ is done using various surgical techniques, viz. anchor incision, lollipop lift, donut lift, and the crescent lift. To remove breast skin and reshape breast tissue, your surgeon might make incisions around the areola, horizontally around the breast creases, or extend downward from the areola towards the breast creases.

Like any major surgery, breast reconstruction process poses various risks, including bleeding, infection, and an adverse reaction to anesthesia.

After the procedure, the patient may experience moderate pain in the first few days and need pain medication. The breasts would be swollen and bruised for about two weeks and, they likely feel pain and soreness around the incisions.

Breasts lift results are not permanent. With age, your skin will naturally gravitate and lose its elasticity. However, maintaining a healthy weight can retain results for longer.