What is a Breast Lift or Mastopexy?

Pregnancy. Nursing. Gravity. Loss of skin elasticity. All of these factors take their toll on a woman’s breasts over time. As this happens, your breasts often lose their shape. They are no longer firm. They sag. No one has invented an antidote to gravity or to any of the factors that lead to drooping sagging breasts. No matter how hard you exercise or diet, it is not possible to rejuvenate your breasts to their original form or shape. Not even those creams or pills that are advertised over the internet help! However, in the hands of a skilled plastic surgeon, you can raise and reshape sagging breasts through a Breast Lift, or "Mastopexy" and regain your more youthful figure.

No one can turn back the clock. However, a skilled cosmetic surgeon can indeed help you to regain your the perky breast shape and form of your youth. The inevitable toll of pregnancy, gravity and the sagging that occurs with aging can be addressed through a Breast Lift. Especially for women who have started to doubt their femininity and sexuality, a Breast Lift can be a very helpful procedure.

A Breast Lift, also known as "Mastopexy" is a procedure to lift and reshape sagging breasts. Sometimes, it is combined with a Breast Augmentation procedure to restore breasts to a fuller and enhanced appearance, in which case it is called an Augmentopexy. Other times it is part of a breast reduction surgery, with the aim of lifting the breast while reducing their size to a more proportionate one.

The removal of excess skin with the rearrangement and re-suturing of breast tissues literally lifts the breast. Almost 100,000 women annually undergo this procedure. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported that 92,740 Breast Lifts were performed in the United States in 2005.

Who Are Candidates for A Breast Lift?

Any woman who has sagging or Ptotic breasts is a candidate for a breast lift or Mastopexy. There are several conditions or lift events that contribute to the sagging of the breasts:

Aging
As women age there is a gradual reduction in the skin elasticity, as well as the stretching and elongation of the Cooper's Ligaments, which are responsible for holding up the breast tissue against the chest wall. The breast tissue itself also goes through changes with age. The breast substance or "Parenchyma" changes from one of mostly milk glands which are fibrous and firm to fatty tissue which is soft and saggy. This becomes accelerated with menopause and gradual reduction of estrogen levels. Therefore, one of the benefits of estrogen supplements in post-menopausal women, is having firmer and more youthful breasts.

Pregnancy and Nursing
Along with age and gravity, pregnancy and nursing take their toll on breast firmness and volume. Enlargement of breasts with pregnancy followed by their deflation after end of breast feeding results in stretching of the Cooper's Ligaments as well as loss of breast Parenchyma and volume. The combination of the loss of supportive ligaments as well as loss of volume results in the Ptosis or sagging of breasts.

Weight Loss
Rapid weight loss or frequent dramatic fluctuations in body weight leaves its toll on the breasts. One of its signs is the appearance of stretch marks on the breasts which signify the loss of skin elasticity and breast tissue. With the increasing prevalence of Gastric bypass Bariatric Surgery more women are now facing Breast Ptosis, after having gone through post-surgical massive weight loss.

Large Breasts & Implants
The larger the breast weight, either by having inherently large breasts or by getting very large breast implants can stretch out the breast tissue and skin, resulting in breast sagging and Ptosis.

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