Breasts are an integral part of a women’s sexuality and overall femininity. Relatively small changes in a women’s breast size or shape can have a large affect a women’s self-esteem and confidence. Common reasons for having breast lift surgery (or mastopexy) include:
- Wanting to restore a higher, tighter, more youthful breast shape
- Regain breast volume and shape that was lost with, pregnancy, and/or weight loss
- Correcting asymmetry between the breasts
What are the breast lift Incision types?
There are 3 main incision types for a breast lift:
Circumareolar: around the areola,
Lollipop: around the areola and a vertical incision from the areola to the fold,
Full anchor: incision around the areola, vertical incision, and incision under the breast fold.
The length of the surgical incisions depends on the degree of breast lift required. The circumareolar lift ideally provides about a 2 cm vertical lift of the nipple and a reduction of the areola size if needed. If this kind of lift is used for more than 2cm, the final result will have puckering of the incision, an oval areola, and an overall flattening of the breast mound. If there is more than a 2 cm lift needed, the next option is the lollipop incision. This type of incision is used when there is some excess skin on the bottom half of the breast. The full anchor or Wise pattern incision is used when there is significant skin excess or the need for a higher nipple and areola position that cannot be obtained with the lollipop incision.
Mammograms and breast lift surgery
If you are age 35 or greater or have a significant family history of breast cancer, you should have a baseline mammogram prior to your breast lift surgery. If you already get routine mammograms, you should wait a few months after surgery to allow time for healing, and then resume your normal mammogram schedule.
Can I have a breast augmentation at the same time as the breast lift?
Yes, you can have a breast augmentation with implants at the same time as your breast lift. The breast implant “fills up” some of the excess breast skin and this routinely makes the resultant incisions shorter because less skin needs to be removed.
What is the next step?
The next step is schedule a complimentary private consultation with Dr. Kole to discuss your desires and to discuss your options. Please call the office at 215-315-7655 to schedule your future breast lift plans.