Breast Lift Surgery (Mastopexy) in Scottsdale, AZ

Breast lift surgery is performed using general anesthesia. 

There are several techniques that can be used for breast lift.  Most women for whom the sagging is severe enough for a breast lift will get the best result with the "anchor" or "Wise Pattern" breast lift.  This technique involves leaving the nipple and areola attached to the breast tissue, but releasing them from the surrounding skin so that the breast and nipple can be moved back to where they belong, and the excess tissue removed below.  The result is a scar around the nipple, going downward on the breast, and then across the breast at the inframmamary fold.

More limited procedures are available, including the "vertical" or "lolly-pop" incision, and the "peri-areolar" incision that only goes around the nipple.  However, women considering those procedures should be aware that there are some drawbacks.  For example, the vertical mastopexy scar often approaches the abdominal wall, and I have often seen cases where other surgeons have allowed the scar to come onto the abdominal wall, where it is visible in a bathing suit.

That is not a problem with the peri-areolar incision, but the peri-areolar incision does not tighten the lower breast at all, and it tends to "flatten" the breast and result in widened scars.

With each technique, the areola is generally reduced to a more normal size with the breast lift. 

If a breast lift is the only procedure being performed and if breast fullness and shape become a concern at a later date, breast implants can be placed at a second surgery.  This is often an excellent choice for a woman who wants a breast lift, but is not certain that she wants breast implants.

The overall recovery period for a mastopexy is more lengthy than breast augmentation surgery, because there is a longer scar to heal. After surgery, you will have skin strips on the incisions, some gauze, and a loose Ace Wrap around the chest.  It is critical that the Ace Wrap be either loose or left off, because tightness here can interfere with blood supply to the nipple in the early post-operative period.

You can remove the Ace Wrap and gauze whenever you want, and should either replace it loosely, wear a very loose sports bra, or wear nothing tight on the chest.  After removing the Ace Wrap and gauze, at least temporarily, you may shower as early as the day of surgery.

Your first return visit with Dr. Nachbar will be within the first few days after surgery.  You should also expect to see some white sutures coming out around the areola and along the incisions for up to three months after surgery.  For patients in the Phoenix area, we often see them at one month, two months, and three months after surgery to help remove those sutures.  For patients who have traveled to Arizona for surgery, we can show you how to remove them yourself.

When breast implants are used in conjunction with a breast lift, you should expect the implants to be somewhat high immediately following surgery, and to settle into the breast over the weeks and months following surgery.