Breast Lift and Breast
Augmentation Surgery

Breast lift (also known as mastopexy) and breast augmentation surgeries are increasingly common cosmetic surgery procedures. Millions of women turn to breast lift and breast augmentation procedures each year to boost their self-esteem and confidence, restore their breasts after childbirth, and correct an imbalanced appearance, as well as for many other personal reasons. Unfortunately, most health insurance policies don't cover elective cosmetic plastic surgery procedures such as mastopexy or breast augmentation surgery.

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Breast Augementation Overview

Breast augmentation surgery involves the insertion of breast implants in a woman's chest. The implants generally take one of three forms: saline-filled, silicone gel-filled, or alternative (e.g., soybean oil) implants. After the patient is put under anesthesia (usually general anesthesia, though it can be performed using local anesthesia with IV sedation), the surgeon makes an incision in the woman's breast, usually in the crease below the breast. Depending on the cosmetic plastic surgeon and the technique, though, the incision can also be made in the armpit, around the areola, or, very rarely, in the navel. Next, the surgeon inserts the implant through the incision, placing it either under the chest muscle or directly beneath the breast. The surgeon then adjusts the implant as needed to create the desired look, taking into account the patient? desired size, symmetry, shape, and other factors.

Breast augmentation procedures typically take one to three hours to complete, depending on the technique used, the placement of the implants, the patient's body, and the anesthesia. The surgery usually doesn't require an overnight hospital stay; the vast majority of patients can go home just a few hours after surgery.

Breast Lift Overview

Breast lift surgery (a.k.a. mastopexy) involves reshaping the breast to reverse the sagging often brought on by gravity, aging, pregnancy, weight changes and other causes. Some women choose to have breast augmentation surgery in concert with the breast lift; others choose to have breast reduction surgery at the same time.

A mastopexy patient can be put under local anesthesia with IV sedation or, more commonly, under general anesthesia. Once the patient is properly sedated, the surgeon removes excess skin from the patient's chest area, then lifts and reshapes the breasts to create a higher, fuller look. The surgeon will also reposition the nipple and areola as needed to maintain the patient's natural look.

The two most common techniques in breast lift surgery are concentric breast lifts and anchor-shaped breast lifts. The concentric technique, usually performed on women with smaller and less-sagging breasts, involves making concentric circles around the areola and removing each doughnut-like section of skin. The outer skin is then sutured to the areola. This technique requires fewer incisions than the anchor-shaped technique.

In the anchor-shaped procedure, the surgeon draws a keyhole shape above the nipple and areola and then draws an anchor shape across the breast at the bottom of the keyhole. The skin in the upper portion of the anchor is removed along with excess breast tissue, and the nipple and areola are raised. The surgeon then sutures the skin around the areola, vertically down the chest, and sideways across the new bottom fold of the breast.

Breast lift surgery is usually completed within one to five hours, depending on the chosen technique, and most patients are able to return home a few hours after surgery. If a patient has had large amount of excess skin removed, however, the surgeon will typically keep her in the hospital overnight to allow medical professionals to monitor her recovery.