FAQ – Questions About Mastopexy Procedures
Congratulations on making the decision to proceed with a breast lift. I will try to enlighten you with some basic information. There are essentially 3 basic breast lift procedures: 1) periareolar (donut) lift, 2) vertical (lollipop) lift, and 3) Wise pattern (inverted-T) lift.
The periareolar (donut) lift is designed as a smaller lift procedure that really only lifts and centralizes the nipple-areola complex. It does NOT lift the breast tissue itself. So if you have a lot of breast tissue hanging below your inframammary crease, then you this procedure will not address your needs.
A true breast lift is performed via the vertical lift or inverted-T lift. The vertical lift developed as a technique to minimize scarring, by avoiding the inframammary scar as seen in the inverted-T lift. More and more of us PS are trending towards minimizing scarring, and the vertical lift is an excellent procedure as such. The scarring pattern of the vertical lift is around the areola, and a vertical line from the bottom of the areola to the inframammary crease. This technique is also advantageous in that you can achieve more projection with the vertical lift as compared to the inverted-T lift.
Sometimes an implant can be combined with a lift, but if you are a DD size, then I would not recommend an implant. Judging by the size of your breasts and after having breast fed two children you will most likely need a vertical mastopexy which will lift your breast tissue appropriately.
A mastopexy procedure is a challenging breast surgery, and I would highly recommend you go to a person that has vast experience in this arena. Make sure the Plastic Surgeon is able to explain ALL of your options to you, and that you understand the pros/cons of each procedure. Some Plastic Surgeons may not give you all options because they don’t know how to perform a particular procedure – this is unwise. You can research the different types of lifts, and view many before/after photos in order to educate yourself to find the right plastic surgeon for you.
Edward Park, M.D.
Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery
