Breast Lift in Savannah, GA

What Is a Breast Lift?

A breast lift, or mastopexy, is a surgical technique that reshapes breasts that sag due to aging or body changes. It can be performed alone or in conjunction with another breast-enhancement procedure such as breast reduction or augmentation.

Every part of the body changes with age, and breasts are no different. Skin loses its elasticity and firmness as we age, and this affects the skin of the breasts too. Combined with the effects of gravity, getting older typically means breasts begin to sag.

Certain life events can alter how your breasts look too. For instance, during pregnancy and nursing, the breasts get larger, but once the baby is born or nursing ends, breasts contract to their original size. Unfortunately, the extra breast skin that formed often doesn’t contract, which makes the breasts sag. Losing a significant amount of weight can have a similar effect on the breasts.

The breast lift procedure is designed to address any changes that cause breast sag. With a breast lift, these changes can be corrected and youthfulness restored to the breasts. If you’re interested, your plastic surgeon can also restore volume with breast augmentation techniques such as implant placement or fat transfer.

Why Have a Breast Lift?

Whether it’s due to pregnancy, nursing, weight changes, or just the effects of aging, breast sag is extremely common. But that doesn’t make it any easier to deal with! It can be frustrating to experience these body changes. Breast sag alters your silhouette and can affect how clothes fit on your body. And body changes can make you feel that you don’t look like you anymore.

For some people, breast sag can have a negative impact on self-image, leading to a loss of self-esteem and confidence. You may no longer enjoy your body the way you used to. These feelings can lead to a loss of libido and may even affect intimate relationships.

If you’ve experienced any of these problems because of breast sag, then a breast lift may be the solution. By removing the excess skin that leads to sagging, breast lift surgery can reshape your breasts, giving them a more youthful appearance. And knowing you look your best can help you feel your best, restoring confidence and self-esteem.

Am I a Good Candidate for the Breast lift Procedure?

The breast lift is designed for people who aren’t happy with their breasts due to breast sagging or due to breast shape or volume. You might be suitable for a breast lift if any of the following apply:

• Your nipples point downwards or are below the crease of your breasts when you’re not wearing a bra.
• Your breast shape is elongated or flat.
• The skin of your breasts looks stretched.
• Your breasts have more skin than is needed for their volume.

In order to be a good surgical candidate, you should also be in good physical health and be a non-smoker. This is important because it helps reduce surgical risk and promotes healing during your recovery period.

For a mastopexy, it’s also important to be at a stable weight. This is because gaining or losing weight may affect your breast size and your breast lift results.

What Happens at a Breast Lift Consultation?

Your breast lift consultation is where you get together with your plastic surgeon to discuss your surgery. There are a number of things to discuss and plan for before the procedure, and your consultation is where it all happens.

At your consultation, you’ll talk about your body goals, including what you’d like to change and what you’d like your results to look like. Together, you and your surgeon will decide on the procedure that will best help you achieve your goals.

In addition, you’ll discuss your medical and health history with your cosmetic surgeon. This is important because your health, and any medications you’re taking, may affect your surgery and your results.

Your surgeon will ask a lot of questions, but don’t forget to ask questions of your own, if you have any. Having cosmetic surgery is a big decision, so it’s important to be well-informed when making this choice.

Schedule Your Breast Lift Consultation

How Should I Prepare for Having a Breast Lift?

Depending on your health and lifestyle, there may be some changes you need to make prior to surgery. If there’s anything in particular you need to do to prepare, your surgeon will let you know.

Certain medications can affect your level of risk during surgery. For instance, if you take blood-thinning medication, you may be advised to stop taking it for a week or two before your surgery. This includes over-the-counter medications such as aspirin, as well as prescription blood thinners.

If you’re a smoker, you’ll be asked to stop smoking in advance of your surgery. This is necessary because smoking reduces blood oxygen levels, which can add to surgical risk. It’s also best to avoid smoking after surgery, as it can slow down your recovery.

What Is the Mastopexy Procedure Like?

The breast lift procedure is performed in our surgicenter. It starts with administration of an appropriate anesthetic. For breast lift surgery, this is typically general anesthesia, meaning you’ll be asleep for the duration. This ensures you are safe and comfortable while the procedure is performed.

The surgical approach for a breast lift typically involves three specific incisions:

• An incision underneath the breasts, along the natural breast creases
• An incision around the areola of the nipple
• A vertical incision that connects the incision around the areola to the incision underneath the breast

Not every patient will have these exact same incisions, as the correct incision method depends on the individual. For instance, some patients with smaller breasts may opt for “donut” incisions, which are made only around the areola of the nipples. This enables the nipples to be repositioned to a more natural-looking location.

Once the incisions have been made, your surgeon will remove breast skin and reshape your breasts. At this point, breast implants can be placed, if you’ve opted for them in addition to the lift.

Surgery typically takes two to three hours, depending on treatment goals and surgical methods used. After the incisions are closed, the procedure is complete.

Breast Lift Aftercare and Recovery

After a breast lift, you can expect soreness and fatigue for several days. There will be bruising and swelling in your chest area, along with discomfort and tenderness. You may also experience some sensations like tingling and numbness in the skin of your breasts and around the nipples. These breast sensations should subside within a few weeks.

Try to arrange to have the week following your surgery off work to give your body time to start healing. For at least one month after surgery, you’ll need to avoid:

• Lifting
• Certain forms of exercise
• Any other strenuous activities

This is important because high-impact exercise and strenuous activities can strain your incisions and may increase swelling in the chest area. You’ll need to wear a surgical bra for several weeks following surgery. This provides support and protection for your breasts while they heal.

During your recovery period, it’s vital to follow your surgeon’s aftercare instructions carefully. This is important to promote a smooth recovery and help prevent complications.

Breast Lift Risks and Complications

Breast Lift Risks

All surgeries have some associated risks. These occur rarely, but it’s still important to know about them, simply because the risk is present with any surgery you have.

General anesthesia can pose a risk to some people. Between 1 in 5,000 and 1 in 10,000 are either allergic or sensitive to anesthesia. If you’ve had anesthesia before without problems, it’s very unlikely you’ll have a reaction to any subsequent anesthesia.

The risk of having a blood clot or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) temporarily increases after surgery. Smoking also increases the risk of a clot or DVT. Inactivity contributes to your risk too, so make sure to get back on your feet quickly after surgery. Some kinds of exercise will be off-limits for a few weeks, but most people can resume light walking the day after.

Finally, there is the risk that even though there are no problems with the surgery, your breast lift results aren’t exactly what you had envisioned. This is one reason it’s important to choose an experienced and skilled surgeon. In addition to performing your surgery, they’ll also work with you during your consultation to set realistic treatment goals. This helps ensure your results are in line with your goals and expectations.

Breast Lift Complications

During breast lift recovery, there are some possible complications that may occur. The most common include:

• Fluid buildup known as seroma (2.7%)
• Severe bruising or hematoma (2%)
• Infection (1.3%)

In the longer term, some patients’ scars don’t heal and fade as normal (6%) or become puckered (2%).

You can reduce your risk of complications, such as infection and severe scarring, by following your surgeon’s aftercare instructions correctly.

What Results Can I Expect from a Breast Lift?

Immediately after surgery, you’ll already be able to see that your breasts look different, especially if you’ve had implants placed. However, it will take a few weeks to months for all the swelling to subside.

Don’t be alarmed if your scars look very noticeable at first. They may be pink and puffy initially, but over the course of a few months, they’ll fade in color and become less prominent. Eventually, they’ll fade to thin white lines that are easily concealed beneath a bra or bikini.

Your breast lift results are permanent, but aging, pregnancy, nursing, and weight gain or weight fluctuations can affect them. For this reason, we encourage patients to be sure they’ve finished having children before making the decision to have a breast lift.

How Much Does a Breast Lift Cost?

At Savannah Plastic Surgery, the cost of a breast lift ranges from $5,000 to $8,500. If you decide to have a breast lift, the exact cost will depend on your treatment goals and your custom treatment plan. We’ll discuss all of this with you at your consultation, and once we’ve developed your treatment plan, we’ll provide you with an exact cost of treatment. We can also determine your eligibility for health insurance coverage at this time.

Does Insurance Cover the Cost of a Breast Lift?

The breast lift is a cosmetic procedure, typically performed to improve the appearance of the breasts. This means it isn’t usually covered by insurance.

However, in some cases, insurance may cover part or all of the treatment costs. This is more likely in cases where your breast size and/or shape cause discomfort or pain, or otherwise affect quality of life. If you think this may apply to you, make sure to bring it up during your consultation.

If you are eligible for partial or full insurance coverage, get this confirmed in writing by your insurance provider before the procedure.

Financing Options for Breast Lift at Savannah Plastic Surgery

SPS offers several payment options, including checks and cash, and all credit cards. We also offer Alpheon®, Care Credit® and PatientFI® financing. To learn more about your payment options, please visit our financing and insurance page.

Want to learn more about the breast lift procedure or discuss the type of results you can achieve? Contact us today to schedule a consultation and talk with one of our doctors. We proudly serve the residents of Savannah and the surrounding areas of Chatham County, including those in Brunswick and Hinesville, Georgia and in Bluffton, South Carolina.