Breast Lift FAQ Premier Plastic Surgery Center

You will be asked to fill out a medical questionnaire that will be reviewed by a nurse and the doctor. Additional questions may be asked about your medical history such as medications, tobacco use, prior surgeries, family history, etc. There will also be a discussion of your motivations and desires in terms of breast appearance. A breast exam will be performedand careful measurements taken. After the exam, Dr. Ferrari will discuss your options, risks and show you photographs of other patients. The costs will be reviewed with the Patient Care Coordinator. She will also be able to schedule your procedure and arrange for you to have affordable monthly payments if desired.

Making a decision to undergo any surgical procedure should done after careful consideration. The first thing to decide is if you are properly motivated to undergo a cosmetic surgery procedure. In other words, are you doing this to feel better about your appearance or are you trying to satisfy someone else’s desires or obtain some ideal image in your mind that might not ever be attainable? If you feel you are properly motivated psychologically and have realistic expectations, then there are physical issues to consider. The best candidates are healthy, have stable weight and are non-smokers. Women who have asymmetries in nipple height, nipples that point downward, nipples that are below the breast fold, large areolas, elongated breasts or uneven breasts are typically good candidates for breast lift.

There are three basic types of mastopexy with varying degrees of liftingand scarring. The basic thought is that the more you lift and tightenthe breast, the more skin that needs to be removed and therefore morescaring is created. The first is called a “PERI-AREOLAR” or “DONUT” mastopexy. This is really a nipple shifting operationand does not significantly raise the breast. This is performed by first removing a “donut”-shaped piece of skin around the areola. Then a deep “purse string” suture is placed and tightened in order to decrease the diameter of the opening and lift the nipple toa higher position. Initially, there will be a small amount of wrinkling around the areola due to the bunching up of the skin, but this tends to resolve completely within three to six months after cosmetic surgery.

The second type of mastopexy is called a “LOLLIPOP LIFT” due to the shape of the scar. There will be a round scar around the areola plus a vertical scar extending down to the level of the breast fold (where the lower part of the breast meets the chest). By removing some vertical lower breast skin, the breasts and nipples will both be lifted.

The third type of lift is the “ANCHOR” mastopexy. In addition to the “lollipop” shaped scar, a horizontal scar is added along the breast fold in order to remove large quantities of skin and give the maximum lift.

Depending on which mastopexy you undergo, there is some risk to losing nipple sensation. The “donut” lift has minimal risk, while the “anchor” lift has the highest risk. All of the lifts are designed to try to preserve the tissue that normally contains the nerves that lead to the nipple. However, there are many anatomic variants as to where the nerves travel. Nerves that do not follow the “normal” course within your breasts may be damaged to the point of permanent numbness. Most people experience at least a temporary change in nipple sensation due to stretching and repositioning of the nerves. Most women recover full nipple sensation within three to 12 months after cosmetic surgery. A small percentage of women never regain normal sensation.

It is possible to insert breast implants the day of the mastopexy as long as the size is not excessive. Dr. Ferrari prefers to do the breast lift first and then add the implants through a separate site, such as the underarm. That way, he can see exactly how large an implant can be safely placed without putting undue tension on the repair. Also, if a woman has asymmetric breasts, putting the implants in after the lift allows better volume control to achieve better symmetry. If women want a breast lift and very large implants, then our Charlotte plastic surgeon usually recommends they do the breast lift first and add the implants approximately two months later.