Who is an ideal candidate for breast lift surgery?

A good candidate is any woman that has a lower than desired nipple position and some degree of breast sag. Breast sagging, known in plastic surgery as breast ptosis, is defined by where the nipple sits in relation to the lower breast fold. If one's nipple is at or below the lower breast fold, a breast lift can be very helpful.

How is breast lift surgery done?

Breast lift surgery is done by making incisions around the nipple and onto the breast skin to lift and tighten. In a simplistic viewpoint, think of taking a piece of paper and making a cone. A wedge of breast skin is removed from around the nipple and down onto the lower half of the breast. It is then brought together and tightened. This is the most common form of breast lifting. But there are other types which lift less and result in less scar.

What is Breast Lifting?

Breast lift surgery is where the breast mound is reshaped and the nipple is repositioned up to a more central position on the reshaped breast mound. There are four different types of breast lifts which differ by how much they lift and tighten the breast and how much scar results.

Are there risks and complications to a breast lift surgery?

The biggest risk in breast lift surgery is the acceptance that there will be scars. One is essentially trading off one problem for another, a sagging breast for a more perky breast with scars. One has to be certain beforehand that this trade-off is worthwhile. Since scars are created, there is always the risk that a secondary scar revision may be needed if the scars are less than ideal.

What is the recovery period like?

When done by itself, the recovery from breast lift surgery has very little pain and is quite quick (less than a week). Its lack of pain is largely due to the fact that it is a skin only operation. Many breast lifts are done, however, with a breast implant (augmentation) at the same time to lift, tighten, and give more size (volume) as well. That will add to the recovery time by a few days to a week.