This is the breast lift page

Augmentation and Mastopexy At The Same Time Is Discussed At The Bottom Of This Page

The General Purpose of This Operation The basic goal of a mastopexy is to re-shaped the breast. It is a combination of a nipple lift and a tightening and modification of the breast skin. Natural, aesthetically pleasing breast shape does not have a lot of sagging. The nipple position on the chest should be above the level of the lower breast fold. The diameter of the areola should be in balance with the size of the breast. A mastopexy achieves these goals. Since we do not remove breast tissue in a mastopexy, we only re-shape and re-position it, your bra size should not change.


The plan for the operation starts with selecting the height for the new nipple position and deciding how much of the upper breast skin needs to be saved. The skin area on each side of the nipple and above the nipple gets removed. The arrow indicates how the nipple will move upward.	The nipple moves upward as the breast tissue get tucked upward under the skin flaps that were saved. The skin flaps the rotate around the bottom of the breast to close up the opening.	When all of the skin is sutured together the incisions and therefore the scars, are around the areola, up and down from the areola to the bottom of the breast and then along the bottom of the breast.

Insurance Coverage This is not an insurance covered case unless the mastopexy is related to congenital or developmental deformities and asymmetries of the breast. Or, if the mastopexy is used to achieve breast symmetry after a breast reconstructive case for breast cancer.

The Operation The operation is done as an outpatient procedure or day-surgery at Decatur General Hospital using general anesthesia. It is done in the main operating rooms at Decatur General Hospital and takes just about 3 hours to perform. We do the operation in the morning and you will get discharged to home late in the afternoon or the early evening. You will go home with a drainage tube in each breast to remove postoperative blood and fluid so it does not accumulate in the breast. I discharge you from the hospital with a prescription for narcotic pain medication, an antibiotic and a nausea medication.

Postoperative Discomfort All patients are unique and the response to post-operative discomfort is variable. Most patients state that the discomfort feels like tightness and burning in the bottom portion of their breasts. Some patients take the narcotic medicine only for a day or two and then switch to Tylenol for pain. Some patients take a narcotic medicine for 3 or 4 weeks after the surgery. As I said, patients are all unique and their pain tolerance is very different. Almost all patients feel normal by 3 weeks.

Time Off From Work For a desk job that does not require any heavy lifting you should expect to be away from work for 1 week. Some women have gone back to a desk job in as little a 4 to 5 days.

For a job that requires physical exertion or heavy lifting you should expect to be away from work for 2 weeks. If there are any small healing problems with your breast we may keep you off of work for an additional 1 week or consider a light duty for a week if that is available at your job

This Is An Example Of A Wise Mastopexy And A Breast Augmentation At The Same Time
Before Mastopexy and Augment	Before Mastopexy and Augment	Before Mastopexy and Augment


After Mastopexy and Augment	After Mastopexy and Augment	After Mastopexy and Augment

Postoperative Visits To The Office You will need to come to the office the 2 days after your surgery and you need to arrange for someone to drive you to this appointment because you will be sore and on narcotic medications. At this first postoperative check I will change your dressings and remove your drain tubes. Removing the tubes pinches a little but is not terribly painful. You will go home with a light gauze dressing that you will change every day for 3 days. I do not use any special postoperative surgical bras. You can take a full shower 24 hours after you drains are removed. You will take off your dressings, shower, soapy water will not hurt your incisions, pat yourself dry and replace your light dressings.

Your next appointment will be in 1 week. The next appointment will be in 2 weeks and at that time we will begin discussing issues like returning to work and shopping for a regular bra.

Your next appointment will be in approximately 1 month. After that I will see you again in approximately 6 months. I will see you about 12 months after your surgery and do a final assessment of your size and shape, assess the quality of your scars and get your final opinion on the surgery.

This Is An Example Of A Donut Mastopexy And A Breast Augmentation At The Same Time
Before Mastopexy and Augment	Before Mastopexy and Augment	Before Mastopexy and Augment


After Mastopexy and Augment	After Mastopexy and Augment	After Mastopexy and Augment

Resuming Normal Activities You can shop for a regular bra once most of the initial post-operative swelling gas resolved and there are no wound problems. This is usually 3 to 4 weeks after the surgery. You can wear a very lightweight sports bra or a camisole earlier then this if you discuss it with me in the office. Generally you can resume all of you normal activities, including physical exertion and exercise after 4 weeks. This could be delayed slightly if there are any wound healing problems.

Mammograms should be continued as usual after a mastopexy if you were at the age where you were getting mammograms. You should wait at least 6 months after a mastopexy before getting another mammogram to allow postoperative density changes in the breast to soften and resolve.

This Is An Example Of A Donut Mastopexy And A Breast Augmentation At The Same Time
Before Mastopexy and Augment	Before Mastopexy and Augment	Before Mastopexy and Augment


After Mastopexy and Augment	After Mastopexy and Augment	After Mastopexy and Augment

Photographs May Not Be Reproduced, Written Text and Descriptions are Copyrighted and May Not Be Reproduced

Before Mastopexy	Before Mastopexy	Before Mastopexy


After Mastopexy	After Mastopexy	After Mastopexy