Breast sag is most commonly due to pregnancy, weight gain or extreme enlargement of the breast during puberty. We evaluate the sag by how much the nipple has fallen below the breast fold. For very mild droopiness, we can often insert an implant to fill out the cavity and give the appearance of some uplifting to the nipple-areolar complex.

When the drooping is more severe, then incisions are made around the nipple-areolar complex to move the nipple upward. The goal of the breast lift procedure is to uplift and reshape the breast. Soft tissues are lifted and reshaped on the chest wall and the skin tightened and closed around. We perform the breast lift in our in-office certified operating room, with a few exceptions being performed at the hospital. Healing time is seven to ten days, and time off work is relatively minimal. The breasts can be sore and the scars must be massaged and treated with special creams to ensure a fine line scar.

When a patient wants an enlargement as well as a lift, a breast lift mastopexy (breast lift with implantation) is performed. This dual procedure is more extensive and involves more variables. The implant is normally placed under the muscle pocket and the soft tissues are then lifted around the implant.