Women consider their breasts to be an integral part of their femininity and sexuality. Relatively small changes for a woman’s breast size or shape can have a large effect on a woman’s self-esteem and confidence. Many women seek plastic and cosmetic surgical procedures to help with their breast appearance, procedures such as a breast lift.
Common reasons for having breast lift surgery
There can be many positive reasons to have breast lift surgery. Some common reasons for having breast lift surgery (or mastopexy) include:
- Wanting to restore a higher, tighter, more youthful breast shape
- Regain breast volume and shape that was lost with, pregnancy, and/or weight loss
- Correcting asymmetry between the breasts
What are the types of breast lift incisions?
For breast lifts, an incision on the breast needs to be made. There are 3 main incision types that are made for a breast lift:
- Circumareolar: around the areola,
- Lollipop: around the areola and a vertical incision from the areola to the fold,
- Full anchor: incision around the areola, vertical incision, and incision under the breast fold.
The length of the surgical incisions depends on the degree of breast lift required. The circumareolar lift ideally provides about a 2 cm vertical lift of the nipple and a reduction of the areola size if needed.
If this kind of lift is used for more than 2cm, the final result will have puckering of the incision, an oval areola, and an overall flattening of the breast mound. If there is more than a 2 cm lift needed, the next option is the lollipop incision.
This type of incision is used when there is some excess skin on the bottom half of the breast. The full anchor or Wise pattern incision is used when there is significant skin excess or the need for a higher nipple and areola position that cannot be obtained with the lollipop incision.
Having a breast lift procedure done and getting Mammograms
If you are age 35 or greater or have a significant family history of breast cancer, you should have a baseline mammogram prior to your breast lift surgery. If you already get routine mammograms, you should wait a few months after surgery to allow time for healing, and then resume your normal mammogram schedule.
Can I have a breast augmentation procedure at the same time as the breast lift?
Short answer – Yes. During your breast lift, if you choose to, you can have a breast augmentation with implants at the same time. The breast implant “fills up” some of the excess breast skin and this routinely makes the resultant incisions shorter because less skin needs to be removed.
What is the next step to get a breast lift?
The next step is to schedule a complimentary private consultation with Dr. Kole to discuss your desires and to discuss your options. Please call the office at 215-315-7655 to schedule your breast lift procedure. Our office and Surgical Center is located at 1122 Street Rd Southampton, PA 18966.
