eliminate sagging breasts with exquisite contouring by dr. hardesty

The ideal breast is one that makes a woman feel powerful, confident, and helps to enhance their body contours. Sagging breasts often limit certain wardrobe choices such as a backless gown, halter top, certain bathing suits, or “going braless.” Patients who undergo a breast lift often want to change the shape of the breast they were born with, reverse the effects of post-pregnancy sag, improve the effects of aging breasts, and regain their youthful, lifted, and sculpted breasts. Whatever reason you have for wanting a breast lift Dr. Hardesty, with his team at Imagine Plastic Surgery, will help you attain the breasts you desire.

What is a Breast Lift?

A breast lift, also referred to as mastopexy, is a constellation procedure that provides women choices to create their ideal breast shape and position. Often undesirable changes in the breasts occur over time, causing the breasts to lose volume resulting in sagging. The loss of volume can be due to pregnancy, breastfeeding, or weight change. This breast deflation is often accompanied by the loss of elasticity in the breast tissue. All of these factors contribute to the sagging of the breasts. Ultimately, the ratio of breast skin to breast volume increases over time, resulting in the breast to sag, look flattened, and make the nipple areolae complex point down. A breast lift surgery while complex is safe and predictable. Mastopexy surgery requires a clear understanding of the breast anatomy and several sequential intra-operative steps to accomplish your ideal breast shape.

Understanding what the patient specifically desires is paramount to achieving the patient’s breast shape goals. Dr. Hardesty will not only be lifting up the breast tissue, sculpting the breast mound, but also modifying the size of the areola making it more proportionate and aesthetically pleasing. As a board-certified plastic surgeon, you can trust Dr. Hardesty and his team to provide you with excellent care and great results.

WATCH PROCEDURE

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Customize Your Look: Different Breast Lift Options

Dr. Hardesty often uses the phrase, “One Goal, Many Options,” to describe his approach in determining what option is best for each patient. Dr. Hardesty will make sure you understand each option and he will individualize the treatment plan to the patients’ desires, which means that women who want this surgery won’t be treated in a “cookie cutter” fashion. Each patients’ unique needs, wants, concerns and desires are taken into consideration. It is important to understand what makes each individual want to undergo the breast lifting procedure. The following are common reasons that Dr. Hardesty will pay attention to:

• Breasts that are not equal in size
• Breasts that are small
• Breasts that lack firmness
• Breasts with nipples that point downward
• Breasts that are pendulous

Breast Lift Incisions

In keeping with your individual breast shape desires, Dr. Hardesty will choose an incision based on your breast size, shape, nipple size and position, skin quality, as well as the degree of sagging, and elasticity. There are five different kinds of breast lift incisions. Each mastopexy procedure removes unwanted saggy breast skin. Thus, depending on the original shape and sag of the breast, the specific breast lift procedure will be chosen to remove the unwanted saggy skin.  Dr. Hardesty has found that as long as the desired breast shape is obtained, hidden scars are of minor concern when following his preventive scar program.

Each of the following mastopexy techniques removes only the specific unnecessary saggy breast skin to achieve the patients desired breast shape and look.

Scarless Lift:

This procedure focuses on patients who have breast implants. Internal sutures are placed (capsulloraphy) to move the breast implants upwards shifting breast volume rather than actual resecting sagging, non-elastic skin.

Crescent Lift:

This is used for mild sagging. Thus, this lift is a less commonly used procedure. The incision is made along the upper half of the areolae and removes minimal excess skin This is typically done in conjunction with breast augmentation.

Donut Lift:

This incision is also called the “periareolar incision” and extends the crescent lift all around the perimeter of the areola. Suitable for women with mild-to-moderate sagging. The excess skin can be fashioned to move the nipple areolar complex (NAC) in any direction needed. To lift the NAC upwards, the design of the skin incision is oblong and when the incisions are closed the nipple areolar complex is elevated. The final suture is placed gathering the skin like a closed “purse string”. In certain cases, it can give the breast a slightly flattened appearance.

Lollipop Lift:

This lift is typically used for moderate sagging. This mastopexy technique starts with a doughnut incision and adds a triangular vertical excision component. The initial incision is made around the areola and then extends vertically down to the breast crease. This additional triangular “dart” excision helps to round and add additional shaping that a periareolar or doughnut lift can’t. This type of mastopexy is also called a “keyhole” lift because the resultant incision resembles a keyhole.

Anchor Incision:

This incision builds upon the periareolar mastopexy (incision made around the perimeter of the areola), the lollipop mastopexy (vertically down to the breast crease), but then, in addition, a skin excision horizontally along the breast crease. The resultant scar is often referred to as an inverted “T” or anchor mastopexy. This technique removes the most sagging skin of all breast lift techniques and is quite versatile in shaping breasts. It is often used to lift the breast when a breast reduction procedure is done.

How Does a Breast Lift Work?

It is important this ‘precise’ procedure is performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon, such as Dr. Robert Hardesty.  Most often the patient is administrated general anesthesia by one of the certified team members at accredited surgical facilities. The specific mastopexy procedure options to be done by Dr. Hardesty is discussed at length at the preoperative office visit.

Temporary intraoperative “tailor tacking” is done based on the particular shape and look that the patient desires. A clear understanding of the patients pre-determined shape and utilizing the placement of temporary tailor tack is completed. The breasts are re-marked, and the final incisions are made. Thus, precisely removing the unwanted, excess, and sagging breast skin. After removing the unwanted skin, Dr. Hardesty will be able to shift and reshape the areola and nipple area to give your breasts the shape and look you desire. Depending on your aesthetic goals, in conjunction with the breast lift, Dr. Hardesty often performs breast reduction or breast augmentation.

Breast Lift Recovery

At your preoperative consultative appointment, Dr. Hardesty will provide a complete, detailed list of pre-operative instructions as well as post-operative instructions following the procedure. Your recovery time will vary depending on the extent of the procedure. Most routine non-strenuous daily activities can be resumed several days after surgery. Progress activity is recommended and only limited by pain and swelling. Most women return to work after a week of rest, depending on the job’s physical requirements. In general, most women have returned to their preoperative state of exercise 6 weeks after the mastopexy without restrictions.  You will be given recovery aids such as stretch bras and a compression garment to wear while your breasts are healing along with various medications.  If  you choose, a “non-narcotic pain pump” will be available, which provides a constant infusion of local non-narcotic anesthesia.  In addition, you will be started on the preventive anti-scarring program.

You will see and appreciate the results immediately following the procedure and are sure to enjoy them for years to come. Dr. Hardesty takes much pride in helping his patients regain their confidence in their breasts.

Breast Lift Frequently Asked Questions

Schedule a Consultation

Are you interested in finding out more about the Breast Lift procedure? If so, be sure to call our Riverside office today, fill out an online form or fill out our self-assessment survey and one of our staff members will get back with you to schedule a consultation. Dr. Hardesty and his team at Imagine Plastic Surgery are excited to hear from you. Click Here