Seattle Breast Lift Surgery
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Why Women Get Breast Lift Surgery
Over time, the shape and contours of a woman’s body change. Breast skin loses its youthful elasticity and breasts lose their firmness and shape. This happens because of age, weight fluctuations or pregnancy. Some women with large breasts can experience sagging or drooping earlier in life due to the weight of their breast tissue. With other women, heredity determines the look and placement of the breasts. Breast surgery can give the breasts a more youthful look and feel.
Breast lift surgery, or mastopexy, is designed to tighten breast tissue and restore the breasts to a natural-looking position on your figure. By removing excess skin and repairing muscle tissue, Dr. Sobel can successfully relocate the breasts higher on the chest. Breast lift alone will not significantly change the size of your breasts, but can often help them appear fuller.
Seattle women can explore all their options with us—we offer a full range of breast and body surgeries to enhance and reshape your figure. We work to provide natural, beautiful results which will give you a renewed sense of confidence.
- Key Benefits
- Glossary
- Elevated Breast Position: The primary benefit of a breast lift is the elevation of the breasts to a more youthful position on the chest.
- Improved Breast Shape: A breast lift can enhance the overall shape of the breasts, making them appear more rounded and firm.
- Reduced Sagging: The procedure effectively reduces sagging and can reverse the effects of aging, gravity, and breastfeeding.
- Reshaped Areolas and Nipples: A breast lift often involves resizing and repositioning the areolas and nipples to a more natural and aesthetically pleasing position.
- Enhanced Symmetry: Breasts that are asymmetrical in terms of position or shape can be made more symmetrical through a breast lift.
- Increased Clothing Options: Women often find that clothes and swimwear fit better and are more flattering after a breast lift.
- No Implants Required: Unlike breast augmentation, a lift does not necessarily require implants, making it a suitable option for women who wish to avoid them.
- Correction of Post-Pregnancy Changes: A breast lift can correct the changes in breast appearance that often occur after pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- Enhanced Comfort: By lifting and reshaping the breasts, a breast lift can alleviate some physical discomforts, such as skin irritation under the breast fold.
- Anchor Lift: A surgical technique for breast lifts involving an anchor-shaped incision. It’s used for women with significant sagging and allows for extensive reshaping.
- Areola: The pigmented area surrounding the nipple. In breast lift surgery, the size and position of the areola can be adjusted.
- Benelli Lift: Also known as a “donut lift,” this technique involves circular incisions around the areola and is suitable for women with less sagging.
- Breast Asymmetry: A condition where one breast is different in size, shape, or position from the other. A breast lift can help to correct asymmetry.
- Breast Ptosis: The medical term for sagging of the breasts. It’s often classified into different grades based on severity.
- Crescent Lift: A minimal incision technique involving a crescent-shaped piece of skin removal above the areola. It provides a slight lift for patients with minimal sagging.
- General Anesthesia: A medically induced coma with loss of protective reflexes, used during major surgical procedures like breast lifts.
- Incisions: Surgical cuts made in the skin. In breast lift surgery, incisions are strategically placed to minimize visible scarring and can vary in pattern and size depending on the extent of the lift required and the patient’s specific anatomy.
- Inframammary Incision: An incision made along the crease under the breast. This approach is commonly used in breast lift surgeries for more pronounced sagging.
- Lollipop Lift: A breast lift technique involving incisions around the areola and down to the breast crease, resembling a lollipop shape. It’s suitable for moderate sagging.
- Mammogram: A type of breast imaging that uses low-dose x-rays. Women are often advised to have a mammogram before undergoing a breast lift procedure.
- Mastopexy: The medical term for a breast lift, a procedure to raise and reshape sagging breasts.
- Nipple-Areolar Complex (NAC): Refers to the nipple and the surrounding areolar tissue. In breast lift surgery, the position of the NAC is often adjusted.
- Periareolar Incision: An incision made around the edge of the areola. This approach is often used for mild lifts and adjustments.
- Ptosis Grades: Classification system for the degree of breast sagging. There are typically three grades, ranging from mild to severe sagging.
- Recovery Period: The time required for healing post-surgery. For a breast lift, this includes time for swelling and bruising to subside and for incisions to heal.
- Scarring: The formation of fibrous tissue at the surgical site following a breast lift. The extent and visibility of scarring depend on the technique used and individual healing.
- Submammary: Referring to the area underneath the breast. An inframammary incision is made in this area.
- Symmastia: A rare condition where the breasts meet in the middle of the chest, over the breastbone. While not directly related to breast lifts, it is a consideration in breast surgery.
- Vertical Lift: Another term for the lollipop lift, involving an incision around the areola and vertically down to the breast crease.
- Wise Pattern Lift: Another name for the anchor lift, suitable for patients with significant breast ptosis.
Customizing Your Breast Lift
When you come to our office, you will first consult with Dr. Alexander Sobel. Together, we will discuss your surgical options and answer any questions you may have about the procedure. Women often want to combine breast lift surgery with breast augmentation or breast reduction. Dr. Sobel also has great expertise in fat grafting to the breasts, for women who want increased fullness without implants. Based on your aesthetic goals, we will create a customized surgical plan that addresses your needs and expectations. Seattle patients often choose to have more than one procedure at a time to save on anesthesia costs, minimize downtime, and maximize results!
Breast Lift Techniques & Incision Options
Your breast lift incisions will depend on how much sagging you are experiencing, and the degree of correction you’d like to see. Following is a general guideline to breast lift incisions. If you plan to have breast implants inserted during the operation, any of the following incision options can be used.
- Crescent Mastopexy: This is a half-moon shaped incision around the areola. Patients with minimal sagging may benefit from this most minimal incision.
- Peri-Areolar Mastopexy: This is a full circle incision around the areola. Patients with moderate sagging can have this type of breast lift.
- Vertical Mastopexy: This incision is lollipop shaped: the top of the “lollipop” is a circle around the areola, and the stick is a central incision from the bottom of the areola to the base of the breast. It can be a successful choice for patients with moderate to intermediate sagging.
- Inverted T or Anchor Mastopexy: Patients with more severe sagging may need this type of incision. This incision adds an incision in the fold of the breast to the vertical mastopexy (lollipop) incisions described above. This was the main method for breast lifting before the development of the crescent, peri-areolar and vertical incision options.
Dr. Sobel will discuss which breast lift incision options may be the best for your goals during your personal consultation.
Increasing Breast Fullness with Fat
If you’d also like your breasts to be fuller, ask Dr. Sobel about fat grafting to the breasts during your consultation. You can learn more on our site too; click to read about how fat transfer works.
After Your Breast Lift: Recovery & Results
Once the surgery is complete, we recommend that patients strictly follow their personalized recovery plan. Bed rest is encouraged for two to three days. It is also important to limit reaching and stretching motions with the arms for up to three weeks. The final results of the surgery should be revealed within six months. Complete recovery is usually 6 to 12 months after surgery.
Recovery following cosmetic surgery can be an incredibly emotional process. Just as you should prepare yourself for your physical recovery, you should likewise have an idea about what to expect emotionally and mentally as your body heals and your final results take shape.
Throughout the healing process, you will have easy access to Dr. Sobel so that any concerns can be addressed. We’d be glad to discuss the best timeline for your surgery if you need to be ready for summer, winter holidays, or any important event or occasion.
Results
After your recovery, you can go out in public to flaunt your breast lift results as soon as you feel comfortable doing so. To keep your surgery under wraps, however, it’s best to keep the area out of sight until post-op bruising and swelling have gone away. Scars can appear bright pink for several months, but they are usually easy to conceal with cosmetic products if you desire. When cared for properly, surgical scars will continue to heal and fade beautifully over time.
It’s important to understand that while your results will look great within two to four months after surgery, they won’t be final for up to one year. Fortunately, the most dramatic changes occur in the first few months and are subtle thereafter.
View results in our gallery
Dr. Sobel has performed thousands of cosmetic surgeries on happy patients in the Seattle area. To view real patient transformations and see what kind of results you can expect from breast, body, or facial rejuvenation surgery, please visit our before and after gallery.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my breasts need a lift, implants, or both?
Many women experience volume loss in the upper pole of the breast after pregnancy, breast feeding, weight loss, and aging, which results in the appearance of breast sagging (also known as pseudoptosis). Restoring this volume via breast augmentation with implants or fat grafting to the breast can elegantly reverse a drooping appearance without the need for a lift. However, if there is already adequate breast tissue – it is just a matter of correcting the sagging that comes with age with a breast lift. Some women desire both a lift and a volume boost, so a breast lift with augmentation is the best fit for them.
Will my breasts have scars after surgery?
If cared for properly, incisions following breast lift surgery will slowly lighten and continue to heal over time. That being said, modern breast lifting encompasses a spectrum of approaches—including minimal scar breast lifting, and the procedure is usually less invasive and leaves fewer scars than patients typically expect.
Will a lift also affect the shape and size of my breasts?
Breast lifts are performed on candidates who already have enough breast tissue, as opposed to patients who desire additional volume via implants for fat transfer. Breast lifts make the breast appear younger, while still retaining a natural look. During this procedure, the surgeon removes excess skin around the breasts, as well as repairs the breast mound to reposition the breasts and make them appear fuller. The resulting shape will be much more lifted, but the size should not be too different.
How much does a lift cost?
The cost of a breast lift in Seattle can range anywhere between $5,500 – $11,500 depending on the extent of your procedure. During your consultation with Dr. Sobel, we will provide you with a full estimate, including all costs and fees associated with your procedure. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about paying for your cosmetic surgery, and we also have financing options available. Our cosmetic surgery financing partners offer convenient solutions for patients by providing extended financing options, low monthly payments, and stellar customer service. If you would like to apply for financing, please contact our office to get started. It’s very easy to apply!
Learn more about cosmetic surgery financing options
Ensuring your safety during a breast lift
Choosing to have cosmetic surgery is a very personal decision—and it’s important that you feel safe, comfortable, and confident with the surgeon and practice you choose. At Anderson Sobel Cosmetic Surgery, we are fully committed to your safety and comfort.
Because a breast lift an incredibly nuanced surgical procedure, it’s critical that patients choose a doctor who operates in a surgery center with hospital-level safety measures in place. You and your family can rest assured knowing that our private operating suite is accredited by the Washington State Department of Health (WADOH). Our fully-equipped, state-of-the-art surgery suite is well-appointed with your safety and comfort in mind.
In addition, Dr. Sobel is Cosmetic Surgery Patient Safety® certified by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery.
Why choose Dr. Sobel for your breast surgery
As an award-winning, triple-board certified surgeon in general cosmetic surgery, cosmetic facial surgery, and otolaryngology, Dr. Alexander Sobel has extensive experience performing cosmetic breast surgeries, in addition to breast augmentation with implants, breast augmentation with a lift, fat transfer, mommy makeovers, facelifts, Brazilian butt lift, liposuction, and more. Dr. Sobel had the honor of being voted as a Seattle-area Top Doctor in the Seattle Met’s 2018 Top Doctor awards.
Find out why Dr. Sobel’s Bellevue and Seattle patients love his safe, consistent results—schedule your breast lift consultation online or by calling (425) 738-3560. He will be happy to discuss the best procedures to fit your goals and what you can expect from surgery.