What will happen at the initial consultation ?

Breast lifts help reshape and lift the breast. Breast reductions are a similiar surgery, but in a reduction you will remove breast tissue. In a breast lift no breast tissue is removed. The initial consultation is for us to meet, for me to look at your breasts and educate you on your options, and for you to see photos and ask questions about the procedure. I always meet directly with my patients. Some doctors will have a nurse or coordinator meet with you. Breast lift patients vary widely. Some women really are just deflated (oh those kids and breastfeeding! It does a doozy on the breasts) and those women might not need a lift at all- they may need a breast augmentation to restore their breasts. Others are not very droopy, and I have told many patients it is not worth it. But I get many women who truly need a breast lift. For them, this a mastopexy (fancy way of saying breast lift) is a great operation.

How long does breast lift surgery take?

Breast lift surgery usually takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours, depending on the type of lift and if you are putting in an implant or not.

Do I have to stay in the hospital?

No. Breast lift surgery is an outpatient surgery.

How much pain is there?

Breast lifts do not hurt that much. It seems like they should, with the amount of movement and scars, but there are not a lot of nerves internally in the breast. If you want to do a lift with an implant, an augmentation, then the pain is more. Still, even with an implant, most of my patients are off their pain medication totally at 7-10 days.

What should I expect during the surgery?

During the surgery you are asleep. We do breast lift surgery under general anesthesia. I use board certified anesthesia doctors to give the anesthesia. During the surgery I do sit you up on the table (breasts look very different lying down than sitting up). If you are asymmetric, we can try to even out your volume by removing a little tissue, or if you are doing a breast lift with an implant, adjusting the implant volumes.