Breast Lift Surgery in Portland, OR

How does a patient know if they need a breast lift versus just an augmentation? Is there a simple pencil test or selfch check they can do at home? One general rule of thumb is for the pencil test, if the uh the breast has enough weight where it's hanging down and that pencil stays in place, there may be enough extra volume. I would use the nipple as the you know most accurate position to kind of gauge. So for patients who the nipple position is really you know gone down with time gravity breastfeeding over the years if that nipple position is at a lower point in the breast generally you need a breast lift if you're going to combine that with an augmentation. Breast augmentation tends to kind of act like a magnifying glass. So if there's any characteristics or asymmetries of the breast that are existing, if you put implants in, it tends to make those more pronounced. And that's certainly true for any sagging ortosis, we call it. So for patients who have breasttosis or sagging and need a breast lift, putting an implant alone will just make that look worse. So generally, I'm going to recommend a breast lift along with an implant to help correct that. And that's usually elevating the nipple, removing a little bit of skin, and then adding that augmentation. And the difference between an augmentation and a lift uh really has to do with what we're doing to the tissue. An augmentation is just adding volume in a certain plane to make the breast shape and volume bigger. It's kind it's it's akin to taking a funnel and filling the breast with, you know, with fluid. and uh you know it has its own natural characteristics of how much it will stretch in shape and filling that. Now for uh a nipple position that's too low, you're going to want to elevate that up and make it look more natural. Um an implant in a totic breast or sagging breast is going to make that nipple in some cases even point more downwards and give the breast a very unnatural appearance. And that's why I think that there's um definitely a point where patients definitely need a lift rather than just an implant or a combination of the two. And that's really up to uh my expertise to help decide what I think is best way to go for them.

Can you explain the internal bra technique? How does using surgical mesh help provide longlasting support for a lift? I think surgical mesh is a tremendous uh advancement in terms of what I can do surgically for breast augmentation or breast lifts. Um I just placed some you know last week. Uh the the idea of an internal bra is to provide some reinforcement of the tissues and I and I actually do this a couple different ways. Um both with internal sutures using an internal bra technique where I take the mound uh of the breast when I'm doing the lift. Uh again, it really depends on the technique I use, but doing sutures to re-elevate that position internally and then redrarraping the skin. Um I'll often combine this with absorbable uh P4HB mesh. There's different brands out there, but the idea is that this mesh imparts a stronger level of scarring to the tissue to help it stay in position because the skin itself tends to be kind of weaker than the underlying tissue and will will kind of follow, so to speak. So, you can't just necessarily make the skin tighter. It's creating a um stronger placement of either the breast tissue or an implant. And I think it's tremendous. You know, I think it helps to reinforce the tissue. And the advantage is unlike other meshes that I think often uh you may have seen for other medical conditions, it's absorbable. So, it goes away. And when it's gone after about 2 years at the max, it the scarring that's behind is stronger. So that tissue has a stronger level of reinforcement. So I like it. I don't use it in every case. Uh but for patients where we're either trying to keep the breast implants in position or reinforce a lift, I think that that mesh can be uh very helpful.

Scarring is the number one concern for lift patients. What is your specific protocol for minimizing scars and ensuring they fade over time? Scarring starts with a number of things. I think one it's scar placement, putting them in natural locations for a lift and then doing the minimum amount of lifting. So some patients benefit from a perol per uh some patients benefit from a pererolar scar or just one around the nipple. Other patients with a vertical lift where that scar is both around the nipple and up and down, kind of a lollipop lift, so to speak. Others need kind of what we call the anchor pattern. So, it's really trying to get the least amount of scarring. Um, it really depends on how much we have to lift. And I think that for patients though that really need more change in their shape vertically and horizontally, the anchor pattern is very reliable for that. But getting scars to fade really has to do with good nutrition. I think that's a good foundation, but also good scar care. So, it's how we treat the scars after. Um, and I always recommend patients use silicone tape, silicone scar gel, and uh, it really helps to modulate those scars. Um, usually have them start that a couple weeks after the the the tapes come off. We put some specialized tapes, which really in themselves are a form of scar therapy. They're putting micro amounts of pressure on the scar, but also the surgical technique is very important as well. I think uh adding absorbable sutures uh at the deeper layer as well. All these things help to really give patients as fine and minimal scarring as possible. And then it's all these afterare things we do um help to give them the best looking scar in the long run. But color is probably the last thing to change. There are certainly um things we can do in terms of laser treatments early on, but generally those scars are going to take about six months or even up to a year before we see them fade, you know, to a significant degree. But um a lot of those scar care uh techniques or things patients can do afterwards are extremely important for helping to give them the best result in terms of their scars.

When is it beneficial to do a breast lift and augmentation at the same time? often called an augmentation mastoexy. So augmentation mastopexy is really its own unique hybrid of the two. So it utilizes both an implant and a lift. And for me I see a lot of patients that come to see me with neck and back pain and they really are better candidates for a breast reduction and we're talking about taking some of the weight off. They they want to lift but really they want that neck and back pain to go away. those patients are going to benefit most from a breast lift, breast reduction, and really the difference between a reduction and lift is often how much tissue is removed. So, we think about taking more tissue off in a reduction, but there's still a lift that occurs. So, for patients though that really want more fullness and I think that when I or I talk to patients about their goals or desires, uh, particularly after breastfeeding, for example, so maybe a patient has had some loss of volume after breastfeeding, has lost some volume in the upper portion of their breast and wants that back. that's really going to be a breast implant. A lift will only give you so much rearrangement of that volume, but for that upper fullness in the upper pole or increasing the size of a breast, for example, um, and not just repositioning things, that's where an implant's going to come in in addition to the lift part. So, it really has to do with volume and really kind of understanding what the patient wants and what's going to give them the best look in terms of the outcome. And you know the masterpexy augmentation uh for patients who are great candidates is a tremendously uh powerful operation and you know happy patients when they have that is a breast lift recommended as a solution for sagging breasts. So a solution for sagging or a sagging solution for uh patients who've had changes in their breast shape after pregnancy time particularly with weight loss. I see this more in GLP1s now. Um, sagging solution is going to be a breast lift. And I'll see this particular in the weight loss patients where they've lost a tremendous amount of volume and have had uh some sagging of the breast tissue itself. And a lot of those patients are going to be benefit from a lift sometimes with the internal bra. And for those patients who want more volume, especially after the weight lo massive weight loss in some cases is going to be an implant, too. So, it's uh really just is tailored specifically to what their anatomy is. That's number one. And kind of what they're looking to accomplish.

What is the recovery timeline for a breast lift? So recovery time for a breast lift, first two weeks are going to be the most bruising and swelling and discomfort. Most patients don't need to take uh many pain pills and should be off pain medication after two weeks. by six weeks returning back to full activity and then kind of gradually increasing that.

Will a breast lift remove stretch marks? So breastlfts can remove some stretch marks if they're within the pattern of the skin that's being removed. So yes and no. Uh for patients that have stretch marks in the upper part of their breast, those will not be removed most likely. Um it just it really depends on the distribution.

Can a breastlift correct breast asymmetry? Breast lifts can correct some degree of breast asymmetry. Now, you can um decrease the size of one breast. You can elevate the position. In some cases, breasts have a different width. You can there's some things you can do to try to offset that. I don't think you can ever get the breast perfectly symmetrical, but we can either add or subtract volume with a lift. um to try to make things match as best as possible.

What is the best age for a breast lift? I don't think there's one perfect time for a breast lift. I'm seeing patients uh frankly in their early 20s, even late teens that have very large breasts where that nipple position is lower and they actually benefit from a lift. Um, in some cases I'm seeing it after weight loss, some cases after pregnancy, but it's not necessarily associated with age, more so with their anatomy and those changes which have occurred and sometimes they're when patients are quite young.

How long do breast lifts last? That is a question which depends on a number of factors. So when the breast is repositioned, the nipple itself will often stay in position. But in terms of any changes to the breast shape um depends on future pregnancies, weight loss or weight gain. So they may last the patient's entire life. But I've seen some patients where they had a breast lift or reduction when they were in their younger years, maybe their teens or 20s and body changes occur. Patients had kids and they have larger breasts or there's been some recurrence of that um sagging and the sagging solution is a secondary breast reduction. So it really just depends.

Will your breast lift last forever? One way to increase longevity is if you have a hidden support system. Myth number one, an internal bra is an actual piece of plastic in your chest. Reality, it's a soft biocompatible mesh or tissue matrix that acts as a hammock to support your breast tissue from the inside. Myth number two, you can feel it through the skin. Reality, when placed correctly by a specialist, it's completely undetectable. It feels just like your natural breast tissue. Myth number three, it's only for patients with massive sagging. Reality, I recommend it for some patients who have a lift or to help stabilize their breast implants and ensure the results last for years, not months. Give your lift the support it deserves. Click the link to learn more about the internal bra technique.

Thinking about a breast lift? Let's clear up some common misconceptions.

Myth number one, a breast lift is only for older women. Incorrect. Many factors like pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight fluctuations, and genetics can cause sagging at any age. A lift is about restoring perkiness, not just age.

Myth number two, breast lifts always result in prominent visible scars. While scars are inevitable, modern techniques and meticulous closure along with advanced scar management protocols mean they can fade significantly and be strategically placed for discretion.

Myth number three, a breast lift will make your breast bigger. This is false. A breast lift reshapes and repositions existing tissue for a more youthful contour. If you want more volume, we often combine it with implants in a procedure called augmentation mastopexy.

Myth number four, the results of a breast lift don't last. While gravity is always at play, techniques like an internal bra and careful tissue support can provide very longlasting results. Maintaining a stable weight helps, too.

Ready to understand how a breast lift can transform your silhouette? Schedule a personalized consultation today.