Breast Lift

This can depend on the type of lift being performed but can take anywhere from 2-4 hours and is performed as an out-patient procedure where you go home after surgery.

After surgery you will be placed in a supportive/sports bra to take tension off the breast incisions and allow the breasts to heal in their new position and will need to wear this 24/7 (except to wash it and shower) for 1 month. You’ll be asked to limit raising your arms any higher than shoulder height and avoid lifting anything greater than 15 lbs also for 1 month to allow the skin incisions to heal. Lastly, you will need to avoid laying on your sides or chest during the healing period.

I encourage my patients to plan for a week off from work (includes answering emails/phone calls/text messages etc.) to allow them to recover in a lower stress setting however most patients feel well enough to return to a light duty work environment after several days. Patients who have a more physically demanding job (lifting, pushing, pulling etc.) should plan for at least 4 weeks.

This is known as an augmentation-mastopexy where an implant or fat grafting is performed as the breast is lifted to help patients who want a larger, fuller breast. Some patients have an adequate volume of breast tissue that is just stretched out or in the wrong position. Once a lift is performed to reshape the breast, that volume is returned and will not need an implant. Placement of an implant or fat grafting to increase the volume of your breast can be done at the same time as your lift or in a second stage procedure depending on several factors determined by your surgeon.

While breast lift (mastopexy) is a safe procedure, complications can occur with the most common being small areas of delayed wound healing especially at the point where the vertical and horizontal incisions meet. Other risks are bleeding, infection, changes in breast/nipple sensation, scarring, asymmetry between breasts, fat necrosis, inability to breast feed, loss of nipple.

Depending on the type of lift performed, some of the sensory nerves through the breast tissue may be cut as the breast is repositioned on the chest wall leading to areas of numbness on the breast skin. Often this returns after several weeks-months but in some cases the numbness may be permanent. This can also be true for sensation to the nipple-areolar complex.

Many patients who undergo breast lift have gone on to successfully breast feed afterwards. However, some patients are unable to do so with enough volume to sustain adequate nutrition for their child which may or may not be related to the surgery itself.

Patients are advised to wait at least 6 months after breast lift (mastopexy) before obtaining a new, baseline mammogram that will be used to compare the breasts for future mammograms but screening can and should still take place at normal interval according to your doctor.

The cost for a breast lift (mastopexy) will vary depending on the type of lift that is needed but ranges from $4500 - $6500, not including OR, implant or anesthesia fees.