:: what it is...
A breast lift is also called mastopexy whereby the surgeon the breasts reshapes and lifts, but can also involve a reduction in the size of the areola. One of the main reasons why women choose for a breast lift is simply because they are unhappy with the looseness of their breasts as a result of for example pregnancy, excessive weight loss or menopause.
Sagging or ptosis breasts can have various degrees. We speak of mild ptosis when the nipples have been dropped to the breast crease level. With moderate ptosis we mean that the nipples have moved below the level of the breast crease and in case of advanced ptosis, the nipples are pointing downwards.
:: the procedure....
With no difference to the other breast surgeries, also with a breast lift there are various ways of doing this. A surgeon will have a look at the degree of the ptosis, the position of the nipple, amount of excess skin and the breast volume. A mild ptosis normally can be corrected by a breast augmentation after which excess skin will be removed.
A moderate ptosis could in most cases only require an incision around the areola to correct the position of the nipple. An advanced ptosis however, would require an additional vertical incision which goes from the breast fold until the areola. In some situations, a surgeon would make a third incision underneath the breast.
Women are advised to wait with a breast lift until they are sure not to have any children anymore as ptosis is likely to occur again after pregnancy.
