Lingerie companies offer an endless array of bras designed to lift your breasts when you wear them, but what if you want to change the shape of the actual breast? Dr. Daniel Y. Maman of 740 Park Avenue Plastic Surgery in NYC helps many women searching for a permanent solution, in the form of a breast lift.
Noticeable deflation of breasts begins for many women in their thirties and forties. Multiple pregnancies, breastfeeding, weight fluctuations and the downward pull of gravity all add to the problem as time progresses. “Typically what happens is patients present asking for either a breast augmentation or a breast reduction and after thorough examination and analysis it becomes apparent that actually the correct operation for them is a breast lift or mastopexy procedure,” shares Dr. Maman.
Breast Lift vs. Augmentation
When a breast deflates, the obvious option would seem to be adding volume with an implant. Maman explains that while an implant may restore volume, it doesn’t address the other factors that are causing the breast to sag.
As the breast deflates over time the skin also loses elasticity. An implant alone can’t return skin to the youthful, perky shape that patients desire. An implant alone can lead to a heavier sagging breast in some patients. Breast lift surgery, says Maman, “is a tailoring of the skin on the outside. The key to a mastopexy procedure is designing the skin excision in a way that will yield the best looking aesthetic and symmetric breast for that particular patient.”
As breasts deflate and sag, nipple positions also change. A breast augmentation does not address nipple position. A breast lift allows for complete repositioning of the nipple on the breast. “I spend a lot of time marking the patient preoperatively, designing the excision patterns, understanding the patient’s desires in terms of determining the ideal size and diameter of the areola. There is an art to the procedure,” adds Maman.
Results vs. Scars
Maman compares his work to that of a tailor, likening each scar to a seam on a piece of clothing. The more seams he adds to the breast, the better the contour will be as a result.
Scars are a major concern for patients considering undergoing a breast lift. “In the vast majority of these patients, these scars heal incredibly well to the point that they’re barely visible,” Maman points out. Advances in scar treatment methods allow him to provide his patients with a complete post-operative scar treatment regimen, minimizing scarring.
“Women are so happy with the improved shape of the breast,” says Maman, ”that the scars really become irrelevant.”
Recovery
The procedure itself takes two to three hours and patients are able to return home later the same day. Dr. Maman encourages his patients to walk around their apartment or home, go up and down stairs and even go out to dinner if they feel up to it. He advises patients to take it easy for the first week, allowing their bodies to heal. Most patients then return to their normal jobs after the first week, and begin to show outwardly the youth they still feel inside.