Breast Lift
As you age, your body undergoes certain changes. Factors such as changes in your weight, pregnancy, and gravity can all impact your breasts, causing them to sag and lose volume. If you are experiencing these issues, you are not alone. Fortunately, you can restore a youthful, perky breast appearance with a breast lift.
There are several different procedures that can help you improve the appearance of your breasts. The best way to determine if a breast lift is the ideal solution to address your unique aesthetic goals is to speak with Dr. Roberta Gartside in person. Please call 703-742-8004 today to schedule a consultation. We have offices conveniently located in Reston and McLean, Virginia.
What is a Breast Lift?
A breast lift is a surgical procedure performed to reshape your breasts and restore a more youthful appearance. This is accomplished by reshaping the skin and breast mound in order to improve firmness and achieve a more attractive breast contour. Your nipple will also be repositioned to a higher place on the breast for a perkier appearance.
In some instances, Dr. Gartside may recommend a breast lift with breast implants for enhanced results. This is typically an effective option if you would like to increase the size of your breasts and address sagging issues.
Breast Lift Incision Options
Breast lift incision options offered by Dr. Gartside include:
- Crescent – Made in the shape of a half-moon, the crescent incision is placed at the top of the areola. This incision is best for mild levels of ptosis
- Donut – Made around the circumference of the areola, the donut incision is well suited to addresses mild to moderate ptosis
- Lollipop – By adding a vertical incision from the areola to the bottom of the breast, the lollipop incision is best for moderate to more pronounced ptosis
- Anchor – A lollipop with an additional incision made along the crease of the breast, the anchor is ideal for pronounced ptosis
There are a number of things that can impact which breast lift incision Dr. Gartside recommends. What’s correct for your needs is best determined during your Washington, D.C. breast lift consultation with Dr. Gartside.
Breast Reduction with Breast Lift
If you are unhappy with the size, shape, or placement of your breasts, you may be an ideal candidate for breast surgery. No matter if you were born with breasts that are ill-suited to your frame or if you have experienced changes due to genetics, aging, or weight fluctuations, breast surgery is often the most effective way to produce desirable contours. Determining which type of breast surgery can benefit you is best accomplished during your consultation with board-certified Virginia plastic surgeon Dr. Roberta Gartside.
Overly large breasts can be both an aesthetic and physical issue. With breast reduction surgery, Dr. Gartside will remove excess breast tissue to bring your breasts into better proportion with your frame. Excess skin is also removed from the chest area with this procedure to help ensure a well-contoured and appealing end-result.
Large breasts often result in significant ptosis (sagging), which may not be entirely addressed through the breast reduction procedure. In these cases, Dr. Gartside will include breast lift surgery with your reduction. Breast lift surgery is used to produce a firm and perky appearance, which can enhance your natural contours and provide a more proportionate upper body.
Combining breast reduction with breast lift surgery is a wonderful way to restore symmetry to your chest while also improving physical comfort. However, combining procedures is not always necessary to achieve optimal results. During your Virginia breast surgery consultation Dr. Gartside will listen to your concerns and provide you with honest information about all of your options.
Mastopexy Breast Lift with Breast Implants
Mastopexy is the surgical expression associated with a breast lift. It is for women who desire a more young-looking shape by lifting the breast and repositioning the areolas while also adding size and volume.
Breast Lift Procedure
The breast surgery procedure generally lasts 1-3 hours depending on the anesthesia process, the amount of skin being removed and the size of the implants being inserted. A mastopexy is usually performed under general anesthesia; our patient will be asleep during the procedure.
The mastopexy will reshape and raise the breasts by removing excess skin and repositioning the nipples and areolas, while the implants will add contour and volume. The incisions are typically made in an anchor shape along the natural contour of the breasts. This type of incision helps define the new location of the nipple and outlines the area from where the excess skin will be removed. The implant will be placed either below the muscle (sub-muscular) or under the breast tissue (sub-glandular). This will be decided prior to the procedure depending on our patient’s anatomy and personal preference.
Am I A Candidate for a Breast Lift?
A breast lift is performed primarily to address sagging issues, which are often caused by:
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Weight loss
- Large breast size
- The aging process
In addition, you should be in good overall health and have realistic expectations for the outcome of your procedure. If you are a smoker, you must be prepared to quit throughout the duration of your breast lift procedure, from the planning phase through your recovery, in order to ensure proper healing and the exceptional results you desire.
Keep in mind that a breast lift isn’t performed to increase the size of your breasts. If this is your primary goal, then you may want to consider breast augmentation.
Breast Implant After-Care
Upon completion of the mastopexy procedure, our patient will be monitored in a recovery area by a nurse. It is required to arrange for a friend or family member to drive our patient home and stay with our patient for at least the first 24 hours.
Our patient should expect some discomfort for a few days. Dr. Gartside will prescribe pain medication for any discomfort and will recommend that a bra or special dressing be worn to provide support during the recovery period. It is essential to understand the importance of a safe recovery to ensure the proper healing and desired results of the mastopexy.
Contact Our Breast Implant Plastic Surgeon
If you would like to find out if a breast lift is right for you, please contact New Image Plastic Surgery Associates today by completing the online form on this page or calling 703-742-8004 to schedule your initial consultation. Dr. Roberta Gartside serves patients in Reston, Fairfax, and McLean, Virginia and throughout the Washington DC area.
