Breast Lift

As time progresses, a woman's breasts may begin to lose their once youthful appearance and become heavy and droop due to lack of skin elasticity, gravity, and/or the breast weight.

Technically referred to as "mastopexy," breast lift surgery can be a beneficial procedure for women experiencing sagging breasts because of factors that may include:

• Age
• Heredity
• Fluctuation in weight
• Childbirth

By reshaping breast skin and tissue, Dr. Livingston is able to provide his patients with the tighter, perkier breasts they may have once had. Following the evaluation of the breasts' flaccidity and ptosis, the size and direction of the areolas, breast shape and dimension, and the quality of the breast skin, Dr. Livingston will decide which incision type and technique will be best suited to help the patient achieve optimal results.

Procedural Steps:

After the patient is given general anesthesia, Dr. Livingston creates incisions on the breasts either around the areolas ("periareolar lift"), around the areolas and vertically proceeding down to the breast crease ("vertical lift"), or around the areolas, down the breasts, and horizontally along the breast creases ("anchor lift").

Through these incisions, Dr. Livingston is able to remove the excess skin and heavy breast tissue. Subsequently, sutures are placed deep within the layers of breast tissue to help support the new contours and position of the breasts. Incisions are closed with sutures and a compression garment is applied to help the breasts heal properly and reduce swelling and bruising.

The Results:

After your surgery, results will be immediately noticeable, although swelling from the procedure may last two to four weeks. The final shape of the breasts may begin to take shape one to three weeks after the procedure. Scars from the incisions may continue to fade and flatten for up to one year following your procedure.

With breasts repositioned higher up on the chest, patients can experience the long-lasting results of more youthful-looking breasts. To further enhance the results of breast lift surgery, Dr. Livingston may also suggest breast augmentation ("augmentation mammoplasty") for added volume.