Breast Lift
Breast Lift in Oklahoma City, OK | Bajaj Plastic Surgery
A breast lift, also known as a mastopexy, is a plastic surgery procedure aiming to reshape and reposition the breasts to a more youthful position on the chest. It’s most commonly performed on women unhappy with drooping and sagging breasts caused by age or breastfeeding.
Breast lift is well known for boosting the self-esteem and confidence of countless women. For many women, well-defined breasts aren’t just about cosmetics—they help to relieve discomfort and make finding bras and clothing that fit less of a struggle. Breast lift with Dr. Anureet Bajaj in Oklahoma City, OK, lift and reshape the sagging breast, reverse the effects of breastfeeding and pregnancy, and create a more defined cleavage. It can also reshape and relocate the nipples. These are just a few benefits breast lift can achieve, but the most important outcome is the change patients see and feel about themselves.
Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Anureet Bajaj understands how crucial the decision to undergo a cosmetic change can be. She believes that everybody is unique, which is why she customizes each procedure to meet her patients’ individual needs and goals.
Why Choose Dr. Bajaj for Breast Lift Surgery?
Are you concerned that your breasts are ‘saggy’ or ‘deflated’? Have you noticed that your nipples point downwards rather than straight ahead? If these are some of your concerns, you may benefit from a breast lift, also known as a mastopexy.
The Ideal Breast Lift Candidate
Before moving forward, Dr. Bajaj will first ensure that the patient is a good candidate for the procedure. The following characteristics are used to define the ideal breast lift candidate:
- A desire to rejuvenate sagging breasts
- A desire to reshape pendulous breasts
- A desire to relocate nipples higher on the breast mound
- Patients must be at a healthy weight, have no major health concerns, and engage in an active lifestyle
- Patients should be non-smokers or willing to quit for at least six weeks before and after their surgery
- Patients should have had a mammogram within the past year if they are over the age of 40
For patients who want to enhance their breasts’ volume and projection, Dr. Bajaj may recommend a lift with implants instead.
What a Breast Lift Can Accomplish
Breast lift surgery is designed to reposition the breasts to a more youthful position on the chest by removing excess skin, reshaping the breast tissue, and relocating the nipple areola complex so that it is centered on the breast mound. Treatments can also resize areolas that have stretched over time due to breastfeeding and age and relocate them to a more youthful position.
To achieve the desired results, Dr. Bajaj will create a variety of incisions on the breasts, including:
- Around the areola (circumareolar)
- Around the areola and down the center of the breasts (lollipop)
- Around the areola, down the center of the breasts, and across the breast crease (anchor)
The length and position of the incisions will depend on the amount of reshaping needed, the amount of tissue that needs to be removed, and the elasticity of the skin. Dr. Bajaj will do everything she can to help minimize the appearance of the scar by limiting the tension on the incisions and providing you with detailed instructions on how to care for your incisions at home. With the proper care, the scars should heal and fade over time. According to many women who have undergone a breast lift, the rewards outweigh the potential scarring.
It’s a common misconception that a breast lift will reduce the size of the breasts, but that’s not necessarily true. The breasts will likely remain the same size. If you’d like to reduce the size of your breasts, your treatment can be combined with breast reduction surgery. If you’d like to increase your breast size, discuss the option of including implants with your breast lift.
Another option with a breast lift, is a breast lift with auto-augmentation. In this procedure, the excess tissue along the side of your breast is used to help shape your breast and slightly increase volume. Good candidates for this procedure will have excess skin and fat along the side of their breasts – sometimes referred to as ‘side boob’.
What Is a Breast Lift?
A breast lift will lift and reshape your breasts. In other words, if your nipple points to the floor, a mastopexy will remove the excess skin and reshape your breasts so that your nipple is now at the point of maximal projection of your breast.
Do I Need an Implant With a Breast Lift?
Whether you need an implant in addition to your mastopexy will really depend on the look you desire. While a mastopexy will reshape your breast and restore the position of your nipple-areola complex, it will not raise or lift where your breast sits on your chest wall or give you a rounded appearance along the top part of your breasts. These goals can only be achieved if an implant is also placed in addition to the mastopexy. Women who do not want an implant but still want some fullness may also be candidates for fat transfer which can be performed at the same time as the mastopexy.
Can a Breast Lift and Breast Augmentation Be Performed at the Same Time?
Yes, both procedures can be performed at the same time.
What Is Involved With the Surgery?
A mastopexy is typically performed under general anesthesia and is an outpatient procedure. Most women will have either a lollipop-shaped scar or an anchor scar on their breasts. These scars will take 6-12 months to fade.
Breast Lift Before and After Results
How Dr. Bajaj Plans Your Oklahoma City Breast Lift
At Bajaj Plastic Surgery, our entire team will support you from the moment you walk in for your consultation to when you leave after your recovery. First, you’ll meet with Dr. Bajaj for a one-on-one consultation to discuss your main goals. Dr. Bajaj’s goal of a consultation is to educate the patient on the details of their surgery, help patients make decisions regarding their breast lift, and curate a plan of action to achieve their aesthetic goals. Dr. Bajaj is known for her incredible surgical skills and for establishing a warm, welcoming, and comforting environment for her patients. Your consultation will take as long as you need it to, and Dr. Bajaj will ensure you never feel rushed or pressured.
After a thorough discussion on why you want to pursue a breast lift, Dr. Bajaj will examine your figure, characteristics, and skin integrity. Then, she’ll take measurements and photographs to help her curate a plan in more detail.
What to Expect from Your Oklahoma City Breast Lift Procedure
Breast lift surgery is performed under general anesthesia at our accredited Oklahoma City surgery center. On the day of surgery, patients will first meet with our nurse, who will prepare them for surgery and address any pre-surgery questions or concerns. Then, Dr. Bajaj and our anesthesiologist will come in and ensure that the patients are ready and at ease for their procedure. Finally, our team will give the patients a goodie bag to keep their belongings in while in surgery.
Once the patient is fully prepped, they will be led into the operating room, where Dr. Bajaj will get started on their breast lift. A breast lift surgery can take anywhere from one to two hours.
What to Expect from Breast Lift Recovery
Recovery can be different for everyone, but a breast lift recovery generally involves two to three weeks. Most patients can return to work after three to five days of rest if their occupation doesn’t require heavy lifting or strenuous activities. Dr. Bajaj will monitor your recovery closely and be available for any questions you might have while recovering at home. She’ll provide you will prescription medication at your pre-operative visit, which you will begin to take two days before your surgery.
Dr. Bajaj implements a multi-pronged approach to treatments to manage post-operative pain. Therefore, she will inject the breast tissue with the fast-acting anesthetic Exparel before operating. In addition to Exparel, you’ll also be provided with anti-nausea, pain, and anti-inflammatory medications to help reduce swelling and discomfort. Finally, the incision site will be covered with a dressing and a specialized bra to help reduce swelling and provide your breasts with the necessary support while they settle into their new position.
Strenuous activities should be avoided for the first few weeks after surgery, but Dr. Bajaj encourages light walking to help digestion and blood circulation. You will also receive detailed care instructions for your incisions. Following these instructions will help prevent infection and irregular scarring.
Will I Lose Nipple Sensation?
Since we are moving the nipple, there is a possibility of losing the nipple sensation, at least temporarily. If you lose sensation, most of the time, it will return within 6-12 months. The risk of permanent loss of sensation is 3-5%.
Breast Lift in Oaklahoma City FAQs
How much is a breast lift? The price of a breast lift (aka mastopexy) varies based on your individual needs. For example, do you also want an implant for fullness along the top of your breast, or do you need galaflex for soft tissue support? Typically, the price will range between $9000-$15,000.
What is a breast lift? If your nipples are pointing to the ground, a breast lift reshapes the breast so that the nipple areola complex is on the central part of the breast mound or at the point of maximal projection. Without the use of an implant, it does not change where your breast sits on the chest wall (your breast footprint).
How long does a breast lift last? Unfortunately, we live on planet Earth and will always be subject to the forces of gravity. It is also important to remember that a breast lift won’t stop the effects of gravity but will help to slow them down. That means that how long a lift lasts is also dependent on your own tissues – does your skin have good elasticity? I tell patients that if they maintain their weight and a healthy lifestyle, it should last for about ten years.
How is breast lift performed? There are several different techniques for performing a breast lift. The most simple is a skin only lift in which only the excess skin is removed and the skin envelope is used to reshape the breast. More complex types of mastopexies involve reshaping the breast parenchyma rather than relying on the skin alone to support the breast. The latter is my preferred technique since it is more long-lasting. In this type of breast lift, the blood supply to the nipple areola complex is preserved by leaving it attached to a pedicle of breast tissue, the breast tissue is reshaped, and the excess skin is removed. The incisions are either a lollipop type of incision or an anchor pattern depending on how much excess skin you have.
Can I combine a breast reduction and lift? Yes, you can combine a breast reduction with a lift. The initial markings for both procedures are similar, but the goals are different. When performing a breast reduction, more breast tissue is removed so that we can reduce the breast size as well.
How long does it take for breast lift incisions to heal? The actual healing process will take about a year. However, after surgery, initially the incisions will appear as fine red line – it will be water-tight within 24-48 hours, so you will be able to shower after that time. During the next 6 weeks to 6 months, the incisions will go through an inflammatory phase where they may look red and feel firm. After that point, as the collagen continues to remodel, the scars will start to soften and fade.
What can I expect after a breast lift? Immediately after a breast lift, you can expect to be in your post-surgical bra with gauze dressings. Usually, you will be able to shower after your first office visit (which is 24-48 hours after surgery). If you have drains, they will be removed when the output is less than 25cc/24hours. There may be some discomfort (a burning type of pain) which is the worst for the first three days, and bruising which may take 2 weeks to resolve.
How long should I sleep elevated after a breast lift? Typically, we ask you to sleep elevated and with your surgical bra for the first two weeks after surgery.
Can I get pregnant after a breast lift? Yes, you can get pregnant after a breast lift. However, after your pregnancy, your breast size and shape may change since the breast tissue does respond to these hormonal fluctuations.
Can I combine a breast lift and breast augmentation? Yes, a breast lift can be combined with a breast augmentation. When combined with a breast augmentation, you can also obtain the fullness along the top part of your breast that is only attainable with an implant. Under some circumstances, however, it may be best to stage these two procedures – for example, if your skin lacks elasticity, or if you have an abnormal breast shape.
Ready to Get Started?
The breast can change in various ways, whether it’s due to aging, weight loss, pregnancy, or genetics. As a board-certified surgeon specializing in breast reconstruction, Dr. Bajaj will work with your unique profile to help create natural-looking results. To learn more about breast lift surgery, call our office at (562) 448-6100 to schedule your consultation with us today!