Breast Lift for Saggy Breasts

Mastopexy

Breast Droop (Saggy Breasts)

Look in the mirror, and carefully inspect your breasts. If your nipples have drooped to the level of the crease beneath your breast, then you have mild breast droop (also known as Grade I ptosis). If they have drooped below this line, then you have moderate droop (also known as grade II ptosis). If they are pointing toward your shoes, then you have severe breast droop (also known as grade III ptosis). Read more about different degrees of breast droop to understand whether you have breast droop and how extensive it is. Read more about the causes of saggy breasts.

Some women would prefer to have breast implants (rather than a breast lift) to fix their saggy breasts. However, implants alone will not raise your breasts. Simply put, if your nipples and breasts are sagging and you want them lifted, then you need to have a breast lift also known as mastopexy to accomplish this. However, this does not mean that you must have a breast lift when droop is present.

Read more about breast augmentation WITHOUT a breast lift when droop is present.

Read more about breast lift WITH augmentation to find out how and when the two operations can be combined.

Read more about limitations of breast lift to find out why breast lift is not for everyone. .

Breast Lift Scars and Incisions

Breast lift scars are the greatest drawback to the surgery. They will be around the nipple, and may also extend from the nipple down to the crease, and along the breast crease. The extent of scars is often related to the degree of droop: the greater the droop, the more extensive the breast lift scars are. Any woman considering a mastopexy must realize that she is exchanging one cosmetic breast problem (saggy breasts) for another cosmetic breast problem (scars). In general, women with mild sagging breasts do not find this exchange worthwhile. Women with moderate or severely saggy breasts do find this exchange worthwhile. This remains a personal decision. Another thing to consider is that most scars, even those which are initially unfavorable, fade over time. Read more about breast lift options. See breast lift photos.

Breast Lift: During and After Surgery

Anesthesia: General or sedation.

Location of operation: Office or hospital.

Length of surgery: 1-2 hours (3-4 hours if performed with augmentation).

Length of stay: Outpatient (home same day).

Discomfort: Mild to moderate. Anticipate 2-7 days of prescription pain medication.

Swelling and Bruising: Improve in 3-10 days.

Bandages: Will be removed in 1-7 days.

Stitches: Will be removed in 5-7 days.

Support: You will wear a sports bra or ace wrap for 1-4 weeks. Avoid an under wire bra until your plastic surgeon approves it.

Back to work: 3-7 days.

Exercise: May be resumed in 2 weeks.

Final result: Will be seen after the scars have matured, which will be about six months.

Read more about breast lift recovery.

Read about the risks of breast lift to find out what the potential pitfalls are.

Breast Lift Tips and Traps

• Realize that this breast surgery involves the exchange of one cosmetic problem (droop) for another (scars). If you are unwilling to accept scars, you should not have this operation, as no plastic surgeon can predict how the scars will heal on you.
• As a general rule, the more extensive your droop, the more extensive will be your scars.
• Wait until you are done having children before considering breast lift & enhancement: future pregnancy is likely to leave you with droopy breasts again.
• Quit smoking for at least 2-4 weeks before surgery to reduce your risk of healing problems.
• Anticipate recurrent droop if your breasts are large. The larger your breasts, the more droop you can expect, and the sooner you can expect it.
• See more breast lift tips and traps.