A breast lift, or mastopexy, is an aesthetic procedure that remodels the breast to achieve a patient’s desired physique. Beautiful breasts are not just a matter of volume or size. A combination of factors that include shape, position, and proportion in relation to frame all contribute to the perception of attractive breasts. Mastopexy helps patients achieve their desired results for these parameters.
Elevate Your Breasts and Your Confidence
All women will experience ptosis (sagging) of their breasts as they age. Life events, including pregnancy, breastfeeding, and weight loss, can increase ptosis. Sagging breasts can also affect how clothes fit and impact self-confidence. Mastopexy can recontour the breasts and create a figure more in tune with what a patient desires. In addition to enhancing a patient’s appearance, a breast lift can provide a boost in self-confidence.
Dr. Justin Booth custom tailors breast lifts to achieve gorgeous aesthetic results. This approach provides patients with the confidence they seek and fit better in their clothes. Dr. Booth specializes in aesthetic procedures that achieve natural-looking results and achieve his patient’s desired outcomes.
To learn more about how a breast lift can elevate you contact Dr. Booth at 512-755-8478. You can also book a consultation online.
About Mastopexy in Austin
Breast sagging or deflation can be caused by a variety of factors: genetics, aging, pregnancy, weight-loss, and nursing. Breast lifts address this condition by removing or redraping excess skin, repositioning the nipple-areola complex, if necessary, and tightening the surrounding tissue to raise the breasts and achieve a younger, more vivacious appearance. Breast lifts can also address some issues of asymmetry. Breast lifts do not increase or decrease the size of your breasts. They adjust the shape and position of your breasts to achieve a desired aesthetic. If you want to add or subtract volume from your breasts, you should consider a breast augmentation or breast reduction, both of which can be combined with mastopexy.
Types of Breast Lifts
Several types of breast lifts have evolved over the years. During your consultation, we can discuss which type of lift is best suited for you based on skin laxity, degree of ptosis, and the goals of the patient.[1]
Benelli Lift or Donut Incision
Also called a donut lift, a Benelli lift uses an incision around the nipple-areola complex. This is one of the less invasive variations of mastopexy. It involves an incision made around the circumference of the nipple-areola complex (NAC). This type of breast lift is ideal for patients with mild sagging. It’s most effective for patients with smaller breasts. It can also be used for minor NAC repositioning and also reduce the size of the areola if a patient desires. The Benelli lift can work wonders for certain patients, but in cases of moderate to severe sagging or larger breasts, a different technique will likely produce better results.
Lollipop Lift or Lejour Technique
The lollipop lift, also called the Lejour technique, suits patients with medium size to large breasts. It can correct moderate to severe ptosis. The Lejour technique uses two incisions. The first incision is a periareolar incision akin to the incision used in a Benelli lift. Next, the Lejour technique adds a vertical incision from the areola down to the inframammary fold which gives it the name of a lollipop incision.
This technique traces its origins to the mid-90s when a Belgian surgeon named Madeline Lejour pioneered a new breast technique that would raise the breasts without being dependent solely on redraping the skin.[2] The Lejour repositions the breast tissue and uses sutures in the fascial framework to strengthen the internal support structure of the breasts rather than rely on the skin to support the lift.[3] This technique leads to longer-lasting results and allows more flexibility in reshaping the breast tissue.
Anchor Lift
The anchor lift begins with an incision around NAC and then adds incisions horizontally along the breast crease. The anchor lift is the most extensive procedure that addresses excessive drooping. It can be used for large breasts to give the breast the high-sitting, firm position of youth. In addition to recontouring the breast, an anchor lift can remove excess skin and transpose the nipple-areolar complex to the most desirable position on the breast mound.
Benefits
- Elevate sagging breasts
- Reshape the breasts as desired
- Restore youthful nipple position
- Remove excess skin
- Reposition and resize nipple-areolar complex if necessary
- Correct asymmetry
Ideal Candidates
Ideal candidates for breast lifts are non-smokers that are at or near their ideal body weight. If you intend to lose a significant amount of weight, then consider postponing the procedure until after you’ve completed your weight loss goals.
- Unhappy with sagging breasts or loss of shape
- Nipples fall below the breast crease
- Nipples that point downward
- Stretched-out areola that looks disproportionate to the overall breast
- Excess skin
- Asymmetry in breasts
Your Personal Consultation with Dr. Booth
Successful procedures begin with a mutually beneficial conversation. When the patient and surgeon are reading from the same page, the best results ensue. Dr. Booth wants you to feel completely comfortable before, during, and after your procedure. In addition to possessing the precision of a surgeon and an eye for how to enhance natural beauty, Dr. Booth is a great listener. During your consultation, Dr. Booth will listen as you share your medical history, goals for cosmetic enhancement, and ask any questions you have. He will explain the options available in detail and devise a surgical plan based on your preferences and unique anatomy.
Dr. Booth considers breast procedures as one of his specialties. He completed a fellowship in complex reconstructive surgery at the MD Anderson Cancer Center and a fellowship in plastic surgery at the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical complex in the world. He’s performed a wide range of plastic and reconstructive procedures and harnesses that expertise to help you achieve the figure you dream about.
When you’re ready to start a conservation with Dr. Booth about mastopexy, give our Austin office a call at 512-755-8478. You may also book a consultation online.
Safe Preparation
Before any breast procedure, you might be advised to undergo a baseline mammogram just as a safety precaution to check for any abnormalities. All mastopexy patients will be advised to stop smoking and avoid medication and supplements that thin the blood. These blood-thinning medications include aspirin and ibuprofen along with supplements such as ginkgo biloba and ginseng.
Procedure
Regardless of which type of breast lift you elect, the procedure follows the same basic steps.
- Preoperative Preparation – When you arrive for your procedure, you will be made comfortable and then our licensed anesthesiologist will administer the appropriate amount of anesthesia based on what you discussed during your consultation. Dr. Booth will then use a surgical marker to create guidelines for the procedure. These markings provide a valuable tool for ensuring proper placement.
- Incision – When you are ready, Dr. Booth will make the incision suitable for the type of lift you have agreed upon.
- Remodeling/Lifting – Dr. Booth will remodel, elevate, and redrape your breast tissue and skin. Depending on the nature of your lift, he might remove excess skin, transpose the NAC to the position you desire, or suture the connective tissue to strengthen the internal support structure.
- Close incisions – Dr. Booth will suture the incisions and begin preparing you for recovery.
Recovery
Relaxation and rest are the most important steps to a healthy recovery. However, you should also make sure to walk around at some point during the first few days. Don’t just sit for a week, but try to do some mild activity. You should be able to return to work in a week.
Plan to take at least 2-3 weeks off from moderate activities and up to 6 weeks off for very strenuous activity. If you have any doubts, make sure you are cleared by Dr. Booth for any exercise or heavy activity. Also, plan to wear a sports bra for 3 weeks. Don’t wear a wired bra until cleared by Dr. Booth. Follow any and all personal instructions provided to you by Dr. Booth and his medical staff.
Results
Breast lifts have a great track record of satisfied patients. One survey of breast lift patients reported that 70% saw improvement in overall quality of life and roughly 95% said they would do it again and recommend it for others.[4]
How Much Does a Breast Lift Cost in Austin?
Prices vary from patient to patient depending on the type of lift and surrounding circumstances. Generally, the cost for a mastopexy begins at $3,500.
FAQ
Gravity can’t be defied and continues to drag down the breast. Women with larger breasts will naturally experience more sagging over time than a woman with smaller breasts. Breast lifts can greatly reduce sagging, improve the shape and position, and delay ptosis for long-lasting results, but they can’t stop gravity completely.
Patients may experience a decrease in cup size although that doesn’t necessarily mean the breasts have grown smaller. Rather, the reduction in bra size might reflect the true cup size of a woman’s breast. Ptosis and excess skin may lead to a woman being more comfortable with a larger bra size than the actual best fit for the breast. Sort of like how some people are more comfortable wearing pants with a larger waist than necessary and then wearing a belt.
Yes. If the nipples remain attached to the nerve structure in the deeper region of the breast, the sensation will remain.
Yes. Reduction in areola size can be included in your mastopexy. Make sure to mention your desire for this during your consultation.
References
- Ramanadham, S. R., & Rose Johnson, A. (2020). Breast Lift with and without Implant: A Synopsis and Primer for the Plastic Surgeon. Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open, 8(10), e3057. https://doi.org/10.1097/GOX.0000000000003057
- Madeleine Lejour. (1996). Vertical mammaplasty for breast reduction and mastopexy, Aesthetic Surgery Journal, Volume 16, Issue 3, September 1996, Pages 167–170, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1090-820X(96)70044-4
- Ali A Qureshi, Terence M Myckatyn, Marissa M Tenenbaum. (2018). Mastopexy and Mastopexy-Augmentation, Aesthetic Surgery Journal, Volume 38, Issue 4, April 2018, Pages 374–384. https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjx181
- Swanson E. (2016). All Seasons Vertical Augmentation Mastopexy: A Simple Algorithm, Clinical Experience, and Patient-reported Outcomes. Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open, 4(12), e1170. https://doi.org/10.1097/GOX.0000000000001170