Breast Lift
Conveniently located to serve the areas of Houston Heights, Kingwood, The Woodlands and Cypress, TX
Weight fluctuations, breastfeeding, genetics, and aging contribute to the natural breakdown of the breast tissues. This causes the breast skin to stretch and the underlying tissues to weaken and drop.
Breast lift surgery, or mastopexy, enhances the breast contour and restores a youthful, perky bustline. Dr. Kronowitz specializes in breast lift surgery in Houston, Texas.
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Candidates for Breast Lift
Women choose breast lift surgery after weight loss or pregnancy to address significant breast ptosis (breast sagging). This procedure raises the breasts and is ideal for women who do not smoke and are in good health.
Breast Lift Benefits
Breast lift surgery is beneficial for women who have:
- Loose skin on the breasts
- Sagging breasts that resulted from weight fluctuations
- Downward-pointing nipples
- Stretched or elongated areolas
- Asymmetrical breasts
Improve Skin Conditions
Many women struggle with skin irritations under their breasts. Skin rashes (due to sagging breasts rubbing against the top of the ribcage) can be very frustrating and painful. A breast lift can absolutely help alleviate this discomfort. Since the breasts will be lifted to a higher position on your chest and excess, sagging skin will be removed, your breasts will no longer rub against your skin and cause discomfort.
Breast Size
Breast lift surgery is not designed to change the breast volume; however, as this surgery recontours the breast shape, many women feel as though the size varies slightly. This is simply because the breasts are now more compact.
Women who feel as though their breasts are too small after their breast lift can choose to augment their breasts with implants or fat transfer.
To schedule your breast lift consultation with Dr. Kronowitz, contact one of our Houston-based offices by calling (713) 523-0300.
About Breast Lifts
Breast lift surgery tightens the glandular tissue and removes excess skin to raise and reshape the breasts.
Most breast lift surgeries take three to three and a half hours to complete. After that time, you will be ready to start your recovery so that you can enjoy your newly lifted and beautiful breasts.
Breast Lift Preparation
An in-depth consultation with Dr. Kronowitz is required before your breast lift to discuss and design your procedure. During this consultation:
- Your concerns and goals will be discussed
- Your medical history will be evaluated
- Measurements and photos will be taken
- A detailed surgical plan will be established
Before your breast lift surgery, you will be asked to stop smoking and may be asked to adjust your medications and vitamins. Certain medications, vitamins, herbal supplements, aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs, and NSAIDs can increase bleeding, and should be stopped before the surgery.
Breast Lift Procedure
Your breast lift incisions will depend on your extent of ptosis. Dr. Kronowitz will determine the right incision technique for you during your consultation.
Periareolar incisions: This incision encircles the areola. The periareolar incision method is appropriate for women with mild breast sagging.
Lollipop incisions: The lollipop (or vertical) incision involves an incision around the areola that extends vertically down the lower pole of the breast. This incision resembles a lollipop and allows for a more significant amount of correction.
Complementary Procedures
Combining procedures is always recommended if doing so will maintain aesthetic balance. One of the biggest difficulties people face when they undergo plastic surgery is that while one part of their body is corrected to look beautiful, the rest of their features remain the same as they had been. This imbalance can sometimes cause just as much self-consciousness as the initial issue that was corrected.
Breast lift surgery can be performed alone or in combination with another body contouring procedure. Women who choose breast lift surgery to combat the effects of pregnancy may also benefit from liposuction or tummy tuck surgery. This combination is more commonly referred to as a Mommy Makeover—a personalized treatment that targets the areas most affected by childbirth and breastfeeding.
Combining Breast Lift with Breast Augmentation
Some women discover that their breasts not only sag after pregnancy but also experience a significant reduction in volume. Breast lift with breast augmentation benefits women who are looking to restore lost volume or women who have always desired a fuller bust.
Breast augmentation inserts silicone implants into a breast pocket that is made beneath the chest muscle. These silicone implants are either round or anatomically shaped and can create natural-looking fullness and beautiful cleavage.
Combining Breast Lift with Fat Grafting
Some women desire an increase in size or shape but do not want an implant. Fat grafting to the breast allows women to enhance their breast fullness naturally. The grafted fat contains stem cells that reduce skin laxity, improve stretch marks, and thicken breast skin.
Fat is harvested from the abdomen, thighs, or buttocks before it is injected into the breasts. While the body will absorb some of the transferred fat, much of it will remain to increase breast size.
Combining Breast Lift with Breast Reduction
Traditional breast reduction often uses long incisions that produce unfavorable scarring and unnatural results.
Dr. Kronowitz finds that most women interested in breast reduction are really looking for a breast lift. Since breast lift surgery tightens and lifts the glandular tissue, many women gain a more compact and youthful breast appearance with a breast lift.
Breast lift surgery will result in a slightly smaller breast. Women who are looking for a significant reduction in size, and who have an excess amount of breast fat, may benefit from liposuction of the breast. Liposuction can be performed at the same time as your lift to remove unwanted fat and enhance comfort and aesthetics.
Combining Breast Lift With Breast Implant Removal
When breast implants are removed and not replaced, the breasts are no longer filled with the implant, which had previously improved breast volume and position. This loss tends to result in sagging skin, asymmetry between the breasts (at times), changes in nipple-areolar projection, and weakened breast tissue.
If you are having implants put back in, some of these issues may be corrected, but if you choose not to replace the implants, then you will want to address these concerns with a breast lift.
As the name suggests, a breast lift will lift the breasts to a higher and more aesthetically pleasing level. Drooping skin will be removed, allowing your breasts to have a smoother and more beautiful look and feel. Additionally, your breast tissue will be repositioned to fix any deformities in the breasts. Lastly, your nipple and areola will be raised to a more natural-looking position.
Pre Natal Surgery Before Having Kids?
One of the best parts about a breast lift is that it can be completed at any time, whether you are finished having children or not — many women choose to have a breast lift after significant weight loss, even if they are still planning on having children in the future. However, it is important to understand that pregnancy and breastfeeding can affect the size and shape of your breasts, impacting the results achieved from your breast lift surgery.
Will My Breast Lift Affect My Ability to Breastfeed?
Breast lift surgery may reduce or negate your ability to breastfeed. This will vary from patient to patient, depending on the techniques used during the procedure. Many times, the connection between the ducts and nipples are severed, impacting your ability to nurse.
There is no way to guarantee that you will be able to breastfeed following a lift; however, some women are able to produce milk following their surgery.
What Will My Breast Lift Recovery Be Like?
Breast lift surgery is an outpatient procedure performed under general anesthesia—patients are required to have someone to drive them home and assist them with all activities and responsibilities for the first night.
Patients will be sore, bruised, and swollen. The chest will be wrapped in a compression bandage that will improve comfort and facilitate healing by reducing the swelling and promoting circulation. This garment will be worn for several days or weeks to assist with recovery.
Any discomfort can be lessened with prescribed or over-the-counter pain medication. Most of the discomfort will dissipate after a few days, and most women return to work and their normal activities after two weeks. But strenuous exercise should still be avoided for four to six weeks.
What Kind of Scars Will I Have After a Breast Lift?
Since a breast lift is a surgical procedure, there will be scarring. However, due to the location of the periareolar and lollipop incisions, most of the scarring will blend naturally into the edges of the areola or be hidden beneath the breast, causing them to be less visible. There will be a vertical incision from the bottom of the areola to the breast crease; however, over time the reddish-pink color of the scar will fade, and the raised scar will lay flatter on your skin, making it much less noticeable. These scars are easily hidden with bras and bathing suits.
Following your post-operative instructions, such as wearing a support bra and staying rested, will help to reduce scars.
What Are the Risks of Breast Lift?
Breast lift surgery is safe, but as with any invasive surgical procedure, complications are possible. These risks include:
- Adverse reactions to anesthesia
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Blood clots
- Fluid accumulation
- Prolonged swelling
- Poor wound healing
- Unfavorable scarring
- Changes to skin or nipple sensation that may be permanent
- Breast asymmetry
When Will I See My Breast Lift Results?
The results of your breast lift will be apparent immediately following the procedure, but they will continue to improve over the following weeks and months as the residual swelling subsides.
Breast lift surgery results in more youthful and elevated breast contour. Many women find that this procedure enhances aesthetics and physical comfort.
The effects of your breast lift will be long lasting, but no surgery can halt the natural aging process. Eventually, additional sagging will develop. You can help prolong the length of your results by wearing a supportive bra, maintaining a stable weight, and avoiding further pregnancies.
How Much Will My Breast Lift Cost?
The starting price for a breast lift with Dr. Kronowitz is $6,750. There will be some variance in the price of your breast lift since Dr. Kronowitz customizes every patient’s plastic surgery to fit their needs.
The final cost of your breast lift will be influenced by anesthesia fees, facility fees, surgeon’s fees, combination procedures, pre-surgical tests, post-surgical bandages and dressings, and medication. Dr. Kronowitz performs breast lift surgery in state-of-the-art surgical facilities or hospitals so that you receive the best care possible.
Are You Interested in Breast Lift Surgery in Houston, Texas?
To learn more about breast lift surgery or to set up a consultation with Dr. Kronowitz, please call us at (713) 523-0300 or fill out our online contact form.