Illinois/Chicago Area Plastic Surgery Procedures:
Breast Lift (Mastopexy)

Before and After Set #1

Before and After Set #2

The effects on gravity on women's breasts over time is striking, as supportive structures become attentuated and the skin itself loses its elasticity. This usuallly results in drooping, or ptosis of the breast. Stretching and loss of "superior pole fullness" is often compounded by pregancy and lactation, the aftereffects of which are termed "post-partum involution".

There are several grades of breast ptosis, which are usually defined by nipple position relative to the breast mound and/or inframammary fold. The continuum of these grades of ptosis may be treated by a variety of progressively involved procedures, collectively known as mastopexy:

-Mild ptosis can often be treated with either breast augmentation to effectively lift the nipple and restore fullness, or peri-areolar (donut) mastopexy;

-Moderate ptosis may require more extensive incisions, although this often can be limited to scars around the nipple +/- a vertical component;

-Severe ptosis with the nipples well below the inframammary fold or pointing downward, usually requires incisions placed in an "anchor" or "upside-down T" pattern around and below the nipple (also see Breast Reduction), to significantly lift the nipple and adequately manage an excess of skin in the vertical and horizontal dimentions.

For information about breast lifting or mastopexy, please see the American Society of Plastic Surgery page.

Contact our office today to schedule your private consultation. We encourage you to click here for your printable certificate good for $50 off your surgical consultation.

(Link reference used with permission from the ASPS; our approach to certain procedures may differ from those described byt the ASPS.)