Breast Lift
Consultations offered at our four convenient locations in Calhoun, GA, Chattanooga, TN, Ooltewah, TN and Blueridge, GA
A breast lift (mastopexy) is a procedure that enhances the shape and elevation of the breasts, restoring them to a more youthful positioning. Unfortunately, the aging process takes a toll on the breasts. With time and gravity, supportive tissues lose their rigidity and lead to a saggy appearance that can only be corrected with surgery. This type of anti-aging transformation can work wonders for a woman’s self-esteem and confidence in many areas of her life. The dramatic changes that a breast lift can accomplish can help patients find the fashion they love and feel comfortable with their feminine appearance. With this surgery, surgeons reshape the breast mound and remove redundant skin, so the breasts keep their total volume but lie in a more flattering position on the chest wall.
If a breast lift sounds right for you, reach out for a consultation at Southern Surgical Arts (SSA) and speak to one of our experienced board-certified surgeons about your concerns. At our facilities, you can expect the most professional, high-quality care that meets or exceeds your needs and expectations. Our surgeons work to create an environment where you can feel at ease with discussing your aesthetic issues and be positive about your decision.
To begin your breast lift journey today, call (800) 950-0492 or request a consultation appointment online.
Contents
Before and After Photos
About Breast Sagging
Sagging tissue (ptosis) is common in many areas of the body- not just the breasts. Significant weight loss, hormone fluctuations, and the aging process are all contributing factors to how the breasts lose their perky contour. Heavier, larger breasts are also more prone to ptosis as their surrounding ligaments lose tension. A woman’s breasts have fat, fibrous breast tissue, and glandular tissues, and the underlying chest muscle called the pectoralis major cannot provide much support. Only skin and ligaments keep the breasts in a more taut position. As women enter their middle age years, the skin’s dermis loses its rigidity from a reduced amount of quality collagen fibers. (1) This same depletion of collagen affects the protein makeup of ligaments in the breasts. Since breast sagging is more than just skin-deep, the treatment requires a comprehensive approach that will lead to long-lasting results.
Benefits of the Breast Lift
Breast lifts are an extremely popular, all-natural approach to improving this key feminine feature. A statistical report from the American Society of Plastic Surgery found that mastopexies came in 3rd place for the most highly sought-after aesthetic procedure in 2020. (2) Women seeking this youthful rejuvenation have every reason to be excited by the vast benefits:
- Surgeons can elevate the breast mound to the most aesthetically pleasing location on the chest.
- It creates more harmonious, proportionate, and symmetrical contours.
- It eliminates laxity and restores firmness.
- It involves altering the natural tissues of the breast– no implants are required.
- Surgeons can lift downward-pointing areolas and reduce their size with nipple preservation techniques.
The results that you want will be unique to you. Depending on your goals, you may achieve your desired breast shape with a combination of breast augmentation and breast lift. If you have physical discomfort from overly large breasts, you may want to learn more about your options for breast reduction here at SSA.
Breast Lift Candidates
You may be an ideal candidate for a breast lift if you are in good physical health, between the ages of 18 and 65, and struggle with the appearance of your breasts. Your SSA surgeon will take the time necessary to review your medical history, any current conditions, and your comfort with the recovery process to see if you are a suitable candidate. Our surgeons prefer non-smokers, but they will accommodate you if you are willing to stop smoking for a few weeks to promote a safer recovery.
Personal Consultation
During your consultation, your surgeon will evaluate the level of breast ptosis you exhibit and discuss the details of their surgical recommendations. You will be able to ask questions about the nature of the procedure to help you feel confident with your decision to undergo surgery. Our surgeons will make sure that they get a solid understanding of the expectations you are searching for; communication is key for a successful procedure. They will give you personalized advice for preparation and how to heal optimally without complications.
Feeling like the best-looking, most beautiful version of yourself is just one consultation away. Call our main line at (800) 950-0492 or use our contact form to get in touch.
Preparation
With proper preparation, you can enjoy a shorter, hassle-free recovery. You should follow all instructions regarding discontinuation of certain medications and supplements. You should avoid NSAIDs and other blood thinners at least 2 weeks before and after your breast lift. These compounds can increase bruising and slow down the natural healing process. In addition to more common blood thinners, you should also discontinue vitamin E, turmeric, fish oil, garlic, and ginkgo biloba. If you are a smoker or someone who vapes nicotine, you should aim to stop at least a few weeks before your official procedure. Finally, though breast lifts are outpatient procedures, you will need to coordinate with a trusted individual to pick you up from the surgery center and help you out for the first couple of days.
Breast Lift Procedure Options
At SSA, our team of surgeons has years of experience with minimally invasive breast surgery techniques. They will use one of two methods for anesthesia: general anesthesia or local anesthesia with IV sedation. You will be able to speak about every aspect of your procedure before the surgery date itself, so you will be well aware of all the pros and cons of each and which is most appropriate for you. They may perform liposuction to reduce the amount of voluminous fat within the breasts before raising them on the chest wall.
The incision technique itself determines the category of breast lift:
Benelli Lift
For the Benelli lift (aka the “donut” or periareolar lift), your surgeon will begin by making an incision along the edge of the areola. They will remove excess skin around the areola before closing the incisions with fine sutures, ensuring that the color of the areola skin conceals the incision lines. Surgeons recommend this method for women with a lesser degree of breast ptosis.
Lollipop Lift
To perform a lollipop lift, your surgeon will make an incision around the areola as well as a vertical incision that begins at the underside of the areola. The incision line resembles a lollipop-like shape. This procedure method is most appropriate if your surgeon determines that you have a moderate amount of ptosis.
Anchor Lift
An anchor lift incision extends around the areola, vertically down from the nipple, and along the underside of the breast- the inframammary crease. This type of incision will remove excess skin and enable your surgeon to artfully reposition the areola and nipples. This technique works best for women with a severe amount of ptosis. (3)
Once the breasts are reshaped and lifted to the desired position on the chest, your surgeon will close the incisions with fine, layered sutures and apply surgical bandages.
Recovery and Results
During recovery, you will experience tenderness, swelling, and bruising. Your SSA surgeon will provide you with instructions on medication usage and other post-operative steps to make the initial healing phase as smooth as possible. They will give you a compression garment to bring down the swelling and encourage your tissues to heal in their more uplifted position. You will likely be able to return to work within a week, but you should avoid exercising and heavy lifting for at least 6 weeks. At every follow-up appointment, your surgeon will examine the progress; they will let you know when it will be safe to return to the gym.
You will notice an improvement in the size and shape of your breasts right away after your procedure. Your results will settle into place over the weeks following your breast lift. A breast lift will restore a perky, round breast shape and have you feeling more rejuvenated and young for years to come!
Corresponding and Complementary Procedures
Breast Augmentation
If you want to replace lost volume or gain larger breasts, a breast augmentation with implants may be the best complementary procedure to your lift. Your surgeon will speak with you about their recommendations for implant material, texture, and profile to make your vision of your ideal breasts a reality. They will evaluate your breasts to determine the best plane of tissue to insert the implants- above or below the chest muscle. If paired with a breast lift, they will use the same incisions, so you will not have any extra scarring.
Cost of a Breast Lift in Atlanta
The cost for breast lift surgery at Southern Surgical Arts begins at around $7,000. Your quote will include the surgeon’s fee, anesthesia costs, the facility fee for the operating room, all other supplies, and implants when indicated, and all routine follow-up visits. Your surgeon will speak with you about all of these related fees and give you a total cost estimate during your consultation with them.
Take the next step toward breasts that you will love by calling (800) 950-0492 or inquire online. We offer the breast lift procedure at the following locations:
To learn more about our other surgical and non-surgical procedures at our various locations, feel free to familiarize yourself with our blog.
References
- Rousseaux I, Robson S. Body Contouring and Skin Tightening Using a Unique Novel Multisource Radiofrequency Energy Delivery Method. The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. 2017;10(4):24-29. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5404777/
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons. 2020 Plastic Surgery Statistics Report. 2020. https://www.plasticsurgery.org/documents/News/Statistics/2020/plastic-surgery-statistics-report-2020.pdf
- Martinez AA, Chung S. Breast Ptosis. PubMed. Published 2021. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK567792/