Breast Lift – Mastopexy

I trained overseas with plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Ted Eisenberg.  He has extensive experience in breast surgery which he has done almost exclusively for many years.  In his surgery in Philadelphia we performed many breast augmentations and breast augmentations with mastopexy.  The technique which we worked on was called staple-first mastopexy which involves putting staples into the skin before cutting out the actual tissue.  The advantage of this procedure in this manner is that one can see and ascertain exactly how much skin should be removed before committing to the actual excision surgery.  Surgery on the chest is not an easy area since it is one of the worst areas of healing on the body.  As a dermatologist we know that this area is prone to keloid scars and any procedure that requires long cuts such as breast lift needs to be done with care and only when it is really required.

HOW DOES ONE TELL IF ONE NEEDS A BREAST LIFT OR A BREAST AUGMENTATION?

The principle thing to decide is: Is the problem a lack of volume in which case a breast implant would be appropriate or is it a drooping of the breast in which case an actual lift is required?  The way to tell if the breast is drooping is to look at the nipple and see how much lower it is than the fold below the breast called the inferior mammary fold.  If it is hanging down very low then it is possible that the lady would require a breast lift and not a breast augmentation.

CAN ONE PERFORM A BREAST AUGMENTATION AT THE SAME TIME AS A BREAST LIFT?

Yes, sometimes patients have the combined procedure.  Generally speaking a lot of patients prefer to try the implant first which has a lot less scarring and risks and then perhaps look at removal of skin at a later date.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH A BREAST LIFT?

Breast lift has a number of risks.  The first is that there are many scars that may thicken and become keloid in nature.  The breasts may have a boxy, squared appearance and may not look like a natural breast.  Because of the amount of cutting, there is a risk of swelling, bruising, and infection.

WHERE IS THE BREAST LIFT PERFORMED?

All surgeries performed by Dr. Lanzer are performed in his state-of-the-art Day Surgery Centre.

HOW LONG WOULD A PATIENT REQUIRE TO TAKE OFF OF WORK?

Generally patients require 2-3 weeks off of work and must avoid anything strenuous.

IS BREAST LIFT RELEVANT FOR A MAN?

Most man boob reduction surgery can be done without the surgical breast lift.  In very extreme cases, breast lift would be needed.  My personal experience has been that it is almost never done due to the amount of skin contraction that occurs with liposuction alone.