Photo Credit: ShutterstockThe natural beauty of a woman’s breasts are an important part of her confidence; the way she carries herself. Here Southern Surgical Arts answers all your questions about breast lift surgery. 

Many women aren’t actually driven by a desire to have ‘perfect breasts,’ but simply want their former breasts back, or to address some now-prominent feature that has shown up over time. A breast lift is a procedure that essentially raises the breast, significantly reversing the effects of age, pregnancy, etc. The results are a more full, rounded, and youthful look.

What is a Breast Lift?

A woman’s breasts are a classical feature of feminine beauty. However, the breasts are not immune to the effects of time and age. Gravity and the weight of breast tissue pull on the skin. Eventually, the breasts begin to sag. Volume travels from the top of the breast to the bottom, producing breasts that look aged or deflated. A breast lift surgery reduces excess breast skin and tissue, thereby lifting and reshaping the breasts. If your breasts sit in a lower position on your chest or have less volume in the upper pole than they used to, breast lift at Southern Surgical Arts may be your perfect solution.

Breast lift, also known as mastopexy, will achieve:

• A more youthful, lifted breast position
• Symmetry of the breasts
• More flattering areola appearance
• Your preferred breast shape

The results that a woman wants will be unique to her and her body. In some cases, the desired breast shape will be accomplished with a combination of breast augmentation and breast lift. Women who are experiencing physical discomfort or wish they had smaller breasts are invited to inquire about the benefits of reshaping their breasts with breast reduction. 

At Southern Surgical Arts, our team of surgeons has years of experience with minimally-invasive breast surgery techniques. They will take the time to get to know you and your aesthetic goals in order to help you achieve your ideal results with your preferred methods. 

Options and Decisions

There are different types of lifts, such as the Benelli (often referred to as Donut Lift), Lollipop, and Anchor Lift. 

Benelli Lift: The Benelli Lift, aka the Donut or periareolar lift, is performed by making an incision around the edge of the areola. Excess skin is removed from around the areola before the incisions are closed with fine sutures. The color of the areola skin will conceal the incisions from the naked eye. This method is recommended for women with a lesser degree of breast ptosis. 

Lollipop Lift: A lollipop lift requires an incision around the areola, as well as an incision vertically along the breast, beginning at the underside of the areola. If you are experiencing a moderate amount of breast ptosis, you are likely a good candidate for the Lollipop breast lift.

Anchor Lift: An anchor lift incision extends around the areola, vertically down from the nipple, and along the underside crease of the breast. This type of incision will remove excess skin and enable your surgeon to artfully reposition the areola and nipples. Once excess skin is removed, the breasts will be reshaped into the preferred, lifted position. 

The two most commonly asked procedural questions are:

Do I need a breast lift with implants or can I get the desired results by just a breast lift alone?

At times a breast lift alone will achieve the desired result, and at other times it is not enough. It may be that the breasts have enough volume, but the way the breast tissue is distributed may have changed over time. The exact shape, position, and volume of the breast pre-surgery will significantly determine the answer to these questions. Even in cases where no natural breast tissue has been lost, gravity tends to make the breast appear lower.

A breast augmentation can be combined with a breast lift to produce your best results.  To achieve the desired result, a breast augmentation may be recommended to create volume in and around the breast by placing FDA-approved implants behind your natural breast tissue or chest muscle. These implants are made of either saline (salt water) or silicone gel, and are manufactured and covered by a warranty from ALLERGAN®, a leading quality implant manufacturer.

Who is a Good Candidate?

• Women
• Age 18 to 65
• Non-smokers
• Generally in good physical health
• Desire aesthetic enhancement of the breast
• Desires augmentation, lift or reduction of the breast

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Benefits of Breast Lift

Benefits of Breast Lift at Southern Surgical Arts include:

• Lift the breasts into a higher, more youthful position
• Reshape the breasts
• Reduce unwanted breast tissue
• Address breast ptosis (breast sagging)
• Tighten the skin of the breasts
• Improve decolletage 
• Improve fit in clothes
• Restore confidence in your image
• Minimal scarring
• Combine with implants to lift and volumize the breasts
• Comfortable experience

Consultation

We offer breast lift consultations at both our Calhoun and Chattanooga offices. Your specialized surgeon will meet privately with you to examine your breasts and discuss your aesthetic goals with you. Please feel free to ask any questions about breast lift that you may have at this time! 

Your surgeon will discuss a range of information with you, from your health history and supplement use to the implant and procedure options available to you. You will also have a chance to look at the Before & After results we have accomplished for our patients! Once your surgeon has a clear sense of your desired outcomes, they will share their expertise with you and custom-tailor your ideal breast lift procedure plan. 

Preparation

Patients who prepare for their breast lift will enjoy a shorter recovery and more ideal results. You will receive personalized instructions to help you prepare for your breast lift surgery. In general, patients should discontinue smoking at least two weeks prior to their breast lift. This is due to the fact that smoking can increase bruising and slow post-procedure healing. Blooding thinning medications (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and naproxen should be avoided for two weeks prior to and following your surgery as well. Similarly, discontinue blood-thinning supplements like vitamin E, garlic, turmeric, fish oil, and ginkgo biloba prior for two weeks before breast lift. 

Breast Lift: What to Expect

Breast lift is an outpatient procedure. The surgery will be performed at one of SSA’s cutting-edge surgical centers in Calhoun or in Chattanooga, whichever is most convenient for you. The details of your surgery will depend on your preferred procedure steps and outcomes, as determined by you and your surgeon. 

Breast lift will last for two to three hours. Patients have the option of receiving their breast lift under local anesthesia and IV sedation or under general anesthesia. 

Once the patient is 100% comfortable using their chosen method of anesthesia, your surgeon will make the appropriate incision around the areola of the breast. Excess skin and breast tissue will be removed. Liposuction may be performed to assist with the gentle, targeted removal of breast tissue. The areola and nippless may be repositioned. Breast implants, if desired, will be placed at this time. Once the breasts have been reshaped and lifted to the desired position on the chest, the incisions will be closed with fine sutures. 

You will be briefly monitored following your breast lift after which you will be approved to return home to begin your recovery. 

Due to the after-effects of anesthesia, you should not drive yourself home after your breast lift. We recommend arranging for a friend or family member to drive you to and from Southern Surgical Arts the day of your procedure.

Breast Lift Recovery

Bruising, swelling, and sensitivity after a breast lift is common. You will receive a compression garment to wear. This garment will help reduce post-procedure swelling and encourage your body to accept your breasts’ new position. The majority of patients are able to return to work within a week of their breast lift. Heavy lifting and rigorous exercise should be avoided for six weeks. 

You will return to Southern Surgical Arts over the weeks following your breast lift so that we can monitor your healing progress.

Results

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. Final results will emerge within a few months. Breast lift will restore a perky, round breast shape and have you feeling better about your body for years to come!

Allergan Textured Implant Recall 

Due to a concerning correlation between textured implants and breast-implant associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), Allergan has announced a recall of:

• Textured BIOCELL implants 
• Natrelle saline implants
• Natrelle silicone implants

Cases of BIA-ALCL remain very rare at this time. The FDA does not recommend that women who currently have textured implants remove or replace their implants at this time. If you received a textured Allergan implant in the past, the team at Southern Surgical Arts is here to help. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.  

How Much Does it Cost?

The cost for Breast Lift surgery at Southern Surgical Arts begins 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.

RECENT BEFORE & AFTER PHOTOS

To view before and after photos of cosmetic procedures for Breasts, please visit Southern Surgical Arts’ gallery.