The breasts tend to sag with age. The skin loses some of its elasticity, making the breasts appear flatter. Also, the ligaments that attach the breasts to the pectoral muscles stretch and weaken with time. Throw in the changes caused by pregnancy and breastfeeding, or a gain and loss of weight, and you can wonder what happened to your higher sitting, perky breasts. Dr. Armen Serebrakian of Bay Area Laser Cosmetic Surgery Center offers breast lift surgery to Pinole, Larkspur, and surrounding areas in the Bay Area.
WHAT IS BREAST LIFT SURGERY?
A breast lift, also known as a mastopexy, aims to return the breasts to a higher position on the chest. To accomplish this, excess skin is removed and tissue is repositioned to raise and firm the breasts. In most cases, the nipples and areolae are repositioned to match the higher position. And if the patient feels she has lost too much volume, or would simply like to increase her breast size, Dr. Serebrakian can combine a breast lift with implants.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BREAST LIFT SURGERY?
Mastopexy surgery offers a number of cosmetic and personal benefits to patients who choose to undergo the procedure. Breast lift surgery also offers functional advantages in addition to cosmetic benefits. The benefits of mastopexy include:
- Fuller breast appearance
- Youthful look
- Pain relief in the neck and back
- Reduced chaffing
- Improved confidence
Dr. Serebrakian will discuss how breast lift surgery will personally benefit you during your pre-operative consultation.
AM I A CANDIDATE FOR A BREAST LIFT?
A breast lift can be a good procedure if you have some or all of these existing issues with your breasts:
- Your breasts have lost their shape or volume
- Your breasts sag
- The skin on your breasts is stretched
- Your breasts are flat, elongated, or pendulous
- Your nipples point downward
- Your breasts are asymmetrical
TYPES OF BREAST SURGERY INCISIONS
There are typically three possible incision patterns. If the patient has smaller breasts with minimal sagging and not much need to remove excess skin, Dr. Serebrakian will often use a donut-shaped incision around the areola. This is called a small-incision mastopexy. The other two incision methods are in the shape of a lollipop, where the incision circles the areola and makes a straight line down to the breast crease at the bottom of the breast; or in the shape of an anchor, where the incision circles the areola, runs down to the breast crease, and then moves outward in both directions along the crease. Obviously, the anchor method allows for the most skin removal and tissue adjustment, but involves the largest scar.
HOW IS BREAST LIFT SURGERY PERFORMED?
Breast lift surgery can be accomplished with different incision techniques based on your individual needs. Dr. Serebrakian will discuss your options during your consultation.
Once the incision is made, Dr. Serebrakian lifts and reshapes the breast tissue to compensate for the sagging and stretching. The nipples and areolae are moved to a higher position to match the new profile of the breasts; extra skin can be removed around the areolae. The final step is to trim away excess sagging skin. If you’ve opted to augment your breasts, at this point pockets are created and the implants are placed using the incisions made for the lift.
WHAT IS THE RECOVERY FROM A BREAST LIFT?
For the first couple of days after your surgery, you’ll need pain medication. You will wear a surgical support bra for the first few days at home. A softer support bra that will need to be worn 24-hours-a-day for one month will replace this. Swelling will last a couple of weeks, and will depend in part on your incision type. Most patients can return to work in about one week.
Strenuous exercise or heavy lifting needs to be avoided for six weeks after surgery. This is especially important for activity that causes your breasts to move. By being prudent with this advice, your scar tissue can reach its maximum strength. This will also allow the scarring to fade more dramatically with time.
WHAT RESULTS CAN I EXPECT FROM A MASTOPEXY?
Patients who undergo mastopexy with Dr. Serebrakian report satisfaction with their results. The results of a breast lift are immediate, although full results will be apparent after the breasts have fully healed. While aging will continue to have an effect on the breasts.
CAN I COMBINE MY BREAST LIFT WITH BREAST AUGMENTATION?
A breast lift doesn’t affect the size of the breasts; it simply brings them back up to a higher position. A lift doesn’t change the fullness or roundness in the upper portion of the breasts. If you want to add fullness or size, adding implants to the breast lift procedure will accomplish that. This is why women who want full breast rejuvenation choose to undergo mastopexy and breast augmentation at the same time.
HOW LONG DO BREAST LIFT RESULTS LAST
The results of the initial mastopexy are long lasting.
SHOULD I GET A BREAST LIFT IF I PLAN ON HAVING MORE CHILDREN?
There is one stop sign before proceeding with a breast lift, however. If you plan on having additional children, you need to wait to have a breast lift until after that future pregnancy. Why? The effects of the change in breast size from your weight gain and loss, coupled with breastfeeding, will nullify any benefits you gain from having a lift done now.
ARE THERE RISKS TO A BREAST LIFT?
When performed by an experienced and skilled surgeon, such as Dr. Serebrakian, breast lift surgery is a low-risk procedure. However, no surgery is without it’s associated risks. Risks of breast lift surgery include:
- Deformed shape
- Increased sensitivity
- Nipple loss (full or partial)
- Asymmetrical results
- Scarring
- Bruising/swelling
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the risks and side effects of breast lift surgery, be sure to ask your doctor during your consultation.
PATIENT TESTIMONIALS
Dr. Serebrakian is a true artist! I’m delighted with the cosmetic work he’s done for me!
SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION
If you are interested in a breast lift and would like to see if you are a good candidate, contact Bay Area Laser Cosmetic Surgery Center. Call our Pinole office at (510) 724-8282 or our Larkspur office at (415) 461-5755 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Serebrakian.
