Breast Lift in Baltimore, MD

Dr. Woodyard is an experienced breast lift surgeon creating a youthful, natural appearance for breasts that have lost shape and position over time. Breast lift surgery can help improve these changes, which are often the result of childbirth, breastfeeding, aging, or weight loss. This surgery restores breast shape and firmness and returns them to their natural, youthful position. At times women may opt for a combined breast lift and augmentation procedure in order to increase the overall cup size. During the consultation, Dr. Janet Woodyard will determine which approach will garner the most desired outcome.

There are multiple factors that can cause the breasts to sag or droop, whether from the expected aging process, childbirth, or dramatic weight loss. This procedure in Baltimore, MD at Dr. Woodyard Plastic Surgery can help restore an increasingly younger breast appearance with a wide variety of benefits to rejuvenate and improve your feel, including:

• Reduces breast sagging and lowering
• Lifts and tightens the breasts
• Enhances the form and attractiveness of breasts
• Provides the breasts with a perkier aesthetic
• Improves nipple shape
• Addresses breast imbalance
• Provides a lifted, perkier, younger feel to the breasts
• Reduces the size of the areolas for a smaller, improved look
• Reduces chafing beneath the breasts

You may initially visit Dr. Woodyard Plastic Surgery because you believe you are a candidate for breast augmentation using implants, but after a physical exam, you may discover that breast lift surgery is what you really need. This is because of the severity of sagging that is shown. Breasts and nipples that point down typically need a lift to reduce skin looseness and bring the breasts to a higher position. If your nipples point downward and your breasts look elongated, a lift surgery can dramatically help boost their appearance. If you are contemplating a breast lift, you should be physically healthy and at a good weight.

The type of incision used during a breast lift procedure will vary depending on the degree of lift and whether implants will be placed during the surgery. If implants are a part of the procedure, whether silicone or saline, they are placed under the pectoralis muscle. This method provides additional support and helps to keep the breasts in a higher position for a longer period of time. In situations where a larger implant is desired, a supportive tissue matrix may be used as a sling to hold the implants in place.

The degree of lift will determine how many incisions are needed. Once the incisions are made, excess skin and tissue are removed, and the nipple and areola are repositioned for a natural placement. There are several different incision patterns used depending on the amount of lifting required for an optimal result:

• Around the edge of the areola (donut mastopexy for a minor amount of lifting)
• The addition of a vertical incision from the lower edge of the areola to the inframammary crease (lollipop pattern)
• The addition of a horizontal incision beneath the breast in the natural crease(inverted" "T or "anchor" incision

Breast lift surgery is performed under general anesthesia and is considered an outpatient procedure. Operative time in most cases, is between 1 – 3 hours. Recovery following a breast lift will vary depending on whether it was a stand-alone surgery or if it occurred in conjunction with another body contouring procedure. Most patients are able to resume their normal work schedules within a few days. Exercise will be a gradual process. Most women are able to resume all of their normal activities and exercise about 4 – 5 weeks after surgery in a well-fitted bra for support.

Breast augmentation surgery with implants will help with size, but it will not help women if their breasts sag or droop downward past a certain point. Some doctors may use implants to help with sagging. With this approach, the immediate results may look better, but the additional weight causes the breasts to sag further. Some women find a breast lift is the only procedure they need to obtain the fullness they desire and determine implants aren’t necessary. During the consultation, we will discuss whether a breast lift, breast augmentation, or a combination of both will attain the best results.

During a breast lift procedure, the nipple and areola will be placed in a location on the breast that is natural and proportionate. The goal during this surgery is to reduce the size of the areola (the area surrounding the nipple) so it looks balanced with the new breast size and shape.

There is no way to avoid making the necessary incisions to complete a breast lift procedure. Therefore, some scarring will result from this procedure. Every effort is made during surgery to minimize scarring. Most women feel that the physical results following a breast lift procedure are worth the scars left behind. During the consultation, we will provide detailed post-operative scar care instructions.

Breast reduction surgery may also be combined with a breast lift to help a patient achieve the size and shape she desires. The breast reduction surgery procedure is very similar to a lift but with the added step of removing more breast tissue in conjunction with excess skin. More information on this procedure can be found on the breast reduction page.