Breast Lift

Restore youthful, perky breasts with our expert breast lift services. A breast lift, also known as mastopexy, is a surgical procedure designed to elevate and reshape sagging breasts caused by aging, pregnancy, weight fluctuations, or genetics. Our skilled surgeons carefully remove excess skin, reposition the breast tissue, and lift the nipples to create a firmer, more youthful contour. Whether performed on its own or combined with breast augmentation or reduction, a breast lift is customized to your unique anatomy and goals. Reclaim your confidence and love your silhouette—schedule your consultation today to explore your options!

Who is a Candidate for Breast Lift?

A breast lift (mastopexy) is best suited to women who have good volume in their breasts. For womens who are wanting more volume in their breasts, this surgery can be combined with an augmentation (implants) or with fat grafting to help achieve the shape each person is wanting.

Anyone with more ptosis (sag) in the breasts than they want are candidate for this procedure. This most commonly includes women with prior children and are unhappy with the changes caused by pregnancy. The other large group of patients interested in this surgery are patients with substantial weight loss as this can cause a very large amount of sag in the breasts.

The most common age range for this procedure is women in their 30s to 50s, however Dr. Lewis has performed these procedures in women through their 20s through 70s.

Cost in Richmond

There are multiple costs involved in surgical related fees. At your consultation we will give you a detailed breakdown of these fees. The estimate at the top of this page is usually fairly accurate but is an estimate and will not be confirmed until you consult with Dr. Lewis. At that point, we’ll provide a written quote. The total price given is all inclusive and will include:

• Dr. Lewis’ fee
• Operating room fee
• Anesthesia fee
• Cost for CosmetAssure® (insurance) to cover surgical related complications in the short run after surgery.

Your Surgery

Breast lift surgery is performed under general anesthesia on an outpatient basis. This usually takes Dr. Lewis about 2 hours to perform.

Incisions

Unfortunately, performing a breast lift does require incisions. The nipple needs to be elevated and the excess skin needs to be removed. The degree of the lift is used to determine the incision type. Most commonly this is what is called a Wise pattern incision which means an incision around the nipple, vertically down to the inframammary fold and along the inframammary fold. If an implant is placed at the same time as the left, often the horizontal incision along the inframammary fold can be avoided. Although a periareolar incision around the nipple itself is frequently written about as an option, Dr. Lewis believes that this is rarely if not never a good option for a standard lift. This ultimately relies on the skin itself to hold up breast tissue and frequently results in a recurrence of the sag, a poor incision, and a substantially widened areola. There are a few unique situations where he may use a periareolar incision only, but this is very uncommon. The vertical incision in most mastopexies allows Dr. Lewis to bring breast tissue back to breast tissue which provides more structural support of the breast and takes tension off the nipple incision.

Once Dr. Lewis makes the appropriate incision, he removes excess skin and repositions the breast tissue and places the nipple higher on the underlying breat tissue. The skin that was previously above the nipple is then brought down around the nipple and sutured in place. During the procedure, the nipple and the areola remain connected to the underlying tissue and nerves to help prevent loss of sensation after surgery.

Upper pole fullness/ Autoaugmentation:

In all mastopexy cases that he is able, Dr. Lewis will use your existing breast tissue as an auto augmentation.

One of the limitations in most breast lift procedures is the ability to give fullness to the upper aspects of the breast. By far the most predictable way of getting this is to use a breast implant. This can be done in conjunction with a mastopexy. However, not everybody wants the increased volume of breast implant will give.

Dr. Lewis’s standard mastopexy when performed without an implant is a dual pedicle mastopexy. The “pedicle” is the term for the tissue that keeps the nipple alive after breast reduction or a mastopexy. This tissue is important because it provides the blood supply, both arterial and venous, for the nipple areolar complex. With this mastopexy, the nipple is Connected to the tissue on the top portion of the breast. For his mastopexies, Dr. Lewis creates a pocket or tunnel under the upper portion of the breast and bring all of the lower breast tissue into that pocket and precisely sutures it into place. This brings more tissue to a higher position than any other breast lift procedure. This will give more upper pole fullness and should have more longevity than any other option.

This dual pedicle technique can help achieve fullness in the upper aspect of the breast without the need for breast implant. Fat grafting can be combined as well for further increases in upper pole fullness without large increases of total breast volume.

Recovery

At the end of the surgical procedure, a soft bra is placed around the chest to protect the breasts in the days following surgery. This helps keep the breasts in place and reduces swelling and risk of trauma to the treatment area.

You will be taken to the recovery room and our kind and friendly team will make you as comfortable as possible. Breast lift is performed on an outpatient basis. You will be able to return home on the same day. You need to ensure someone is available to drive you to and from surgery and to stay with you for at least the first night after your procedure.

Breast lift surgery involves tissue removal and reshaping, which is not easy on the body. After the procedure, you may experience swelling, bruising and some discomfort, all of which is addressed with pain medicine, and plenty of rest. During the first weeks, you will wear a surgical bra to help with the healing process. Patients return to us within a few days for a post op check and to remove drains if they were placed. Most patients should be fine to return to work after 7 to 10 days. Strenuous physical activity should be avoided for up to 6 weeks.

If you have any concerns or questions once you are discharged from our care, we encourage you to contact us straightaway, no matter how small or trivial you feel they might be.

Reducing Risks & Complications

There are risks that you should be aware of with any surgical procedure. To minimize the risks, ensure your surgery is conducted in a safe and secure environment using the latest surgical techniques by checking the certifications and accreditation of your plastic surgeon. Accreditation boards and bodies are there to protect you. Dr. Gordon Lewis is one of the best breast lift surgeons in Richmond and has extensive surgical experience performing breast enhancement surgery. He is affiliated with several important professional organizations, including:

• American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
• Richmond Academy of Medicine
• Medical Society of Virginia
• American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

During your initial consultation, we will discuss every possible outcome of your procedure including possible complications. All surgery has potential complications. As with most of the procedures he performs, mastopexy has a very safe risk profile and it is unusual to need any revision or further procedures.

Consultation Expectations

During a comprehensive 1-on-1 consultation at Lewis Plastic Surgery, you will learn about:

• What to expect based on breast anatomy, skin characteristics and fat availability
• Degree of sagginess and asymmetry
• The surgical approach for minimal scarring
• Nipple position and breast implants, if necessary
• Anesthesia and surgical facility
• Risks of the surgery
• Cost of surgery

During your consultation, we will carefully examine your breast anatomy and tissue availability. We will listen to your aesthetic goals and go over all the treatment options that will help you achieve the results you seek. We use the latest surgical techniques to lift the breasts with minimal tissue trauma and scarring.

We have a great collection of before-and-after breast lift surgery photographs that will help you get a clear picture of real life results that have already been achieved at Lewis Plastic Surgery. We believe that knowledge is power and therefore strive to thoroughly educate our patients so that they can feel comfortable knowing what to expect prior to, during and after surgery.

If you would like to learn more about the procedure, request a consultation with Dr. Gordon Lewis using the online form, or call our office at (804) 492-7105 to schedule an appointment.