Restore a More Youthful Breast Position at Nashville Plastic Surgery Institute

A breast lift—also known as a mastopexy—is a cosmetic procedure performed to restore the perkiness and elevated position of the breasts with the use of various surgical techniques. A breast lift can also be combined with other procedures, such as breast augmentation or breast reduction, to provide especially natural-looking results.

Dr. Jacob Unger’s skill, experience, and artistic approach have allowed him to refine his technique and produce outcomes that have elevated his status as an international authority on breast enhancement procedures, including breast lift.

Patients sometimes wonder: “Does a breast lift really make a difference?” This procedure has a high satisfaction rate, with many women reporting feeling more confident, attractive, younger, and fitter after they have had the surgery.

Since the breast lift procedure is designed to lift sagging breasts, it can make uneven breasts look more balanced, improve drooping nipples, and even address stretched areolas. Here are some of the main advantages of a breast lift:

Over time, breasts can develop a condition called ptosis, or sagging. With breast ptosis, the breast hemisphere can sag dramatically, even to the point where the nipple points downward. Breast ptosis can undermine a patient’s self-confidence. The breast lift is a cosmetic procedure that deals with breast ptosis by lifting the breasts to a more youthful and proportionate position.

Breast ptosis has a number of root causes, but the most common is gravity. Over time, the tissue that supports the breast hemisphere gives way and falls forward due to the effects of constantly being pulled downward. This is called prolapsation.

The breast may prolapse in varying degrees for different reasons. In younger women, excessive volume and weight of the breasts may cause sagging. For middle-aged women, the hormonal changes and development of milk glands during pregnancy can contribute to breast ptosis. With older women, aged skin has lost elasticity and is more prone to stretching.

The degree of breast ptosis will vary from patient to patient and may even vary between each breast. The amount of breast ptosis is measured along the Regnault ptosis grade scale. This is a scale that grades sagging along four degrees: mild, moderate, advanced, and severe. The measurement is typically determined by the degree to which the nipple is drooping in relation to the inframammary fold.

The best way to determine the degree of ptosis of your breasts and how to best treat the problem is through a consultation with Dr. Unger.

“How do I know if I should get a breast lift?” “Who is the best candidate for a breast lift?” These are common questions from people who are considering breast surgery.

Anyone with drooping breasts may benefit from a breast lift, but the procedure can be ideal for patients with breasts that are adequately sized but pendulous, with breasts that are uneven in position or appearance, with large breasts that are heavy and sag, with stretched areolas, or with downward-pointing nipples.

You may be eligible for a breast lift if you are physically healthy and maintain a stable weight, are a non-smoker, and are bothered by the fact that your breasts have lost shape, firmness, or their position over time.

To best prepare for a breast lift consultation, you should first be aware of your aesthetic goals and ensure that you are in good health for a procedure. You will be asked to discuss your current medication use, as well as your health history. Contact our office to set up a consultation and learn more about what to expect from the discussion.

For Dr. Unger, your satisfaction is the focus of each breast lift procedure in Nashville, TN. Patients regularly express appreciation for the care he takes to understand their needs from their perspective. His sophisticated measuring systems, artistic eye, experience, and advanced surgical skills allow patients the highest levels of care even in complex or particularly demanding situations.

When you meet with Dr. Unger, he will assess your breast shape and position to determine your degree of sagging, explain your options, and recommend an approach focused on your goals. Your breast lift options include:

While most breast lift patients should expect some level of scarring, Dr. Unger has achieved exceptional results in terms of skin smoothness and natural appearance. He plans each breast lift procedure individually and will be happy to help you establish healthy expectations for your results.

When preparing for your breast lift, you may need to make certain lifestyle changes. Dr. Unger may recommend that you take certain medications or adjust how you take certain medications, quit smoking, and especially avoid taking medications or supplements that increase bleeding—if our own healthcare team agrees that it is safe to do so. This helps to ensure optimal breast lift safety and aesthetic results. We will provide you with a comprehensive list of preoperative guidelines.

What is the process for a breast lift? When you come in for surgery, Dr. Unger and his knowledgeable staff will take the time to address any questions you may have about your procedure or recovery. To maximize comfort, a breast lift is performed with the patient under general anesthesia, and our surgical staff receive extensive training to ensure a high level of safety and service at each stage of your procedure.

The surgery aims to enhance the position of the breasts. The technique used is tailored based on the specifics of a patient’s breast size, shape, areola size, areola position, degree of ptosis, and skin quality.

The procedure involves incisions on the breasts. The incision pattern may be circular, lollipop, anchor, or a combination of techniques—and incisions are made  along the natural contours of the breast to best hide surgical markings. The breast is then reshaped and repositioned by removing excess skin or reducing enlarged areolae. The nipple and areola, together known as the nipple-areola-complex, are also re-positioned to fit with the newer breast shape. The incisions are then closed.

Breast lift surgery typically takes less than an hour, although more time will be needed if you are having multiple procedures at the same time, such as during a Mommy Makeover.

The results of the procedure are visible right away and will continue to become increasingly apparent as the body heals. The Nashville Plastic Surgery Institute team will provide guidance on when to return to work and normal physical activity. Most patients are fully recovered within a matter of weeks and can even generally ease back into normal activities within a few days of their procedure.

Breast lift surgery is one option to consider, but Nashville Plastic Surgery Institute offers a full selection of procedures to enhance the breasts, including breast augmentation, breast revision, breast reconstruction, breast reduction, fat grafting to the breast, and other techniques. For breast augmentation, implants or fat transfer are used to enhance the size and shape of the breasts. Breast revision involves exchanging or removing implants. Breast reconstruction rebuilds the shape and look of the breasts after all or part of the breast tissue has been removed. A breast reduction is done for cosmetic or functional reasons to reduce the size of large breasts. Fat grafting to the breasts involves the use of liposuction to take fat from another area of the body and transfer it to the breasts to increase their size and volume.