BREAST LIFT IN PORTLAND

Patients might decide to have a breast lift if their nipples and areolae point downward or are unsupported, their nipples have dropped below their breast creases, the areolas have become stretched out (causing them to be out of proportion with the breasts), their breasts are unusually shaped, or one of the breasts has fallen lower than the other and they want to correct the asymmetry. Patients should also consider whether they are satisfied with their breast shape when they’re wearing a bra. Although a breast lift on its own won’t significantly alter your breast size, it does make the breasts appear to be fuller and rounder.

A Waldorf Center plastic surgeon will perform your breast lift by making incisions around the areolas (the darker skin around the nipples) and, in some cases, vertically on the lower portion of the breast. The next step is to remove excess skin, reposition the nipples, and reshape the breast tissue. Your surgeon can also resize and reshape the areolas, if necessary.

A breast lift is highly customized for you based on your anatomy and how you wish to look. The breast lift incisions do result in scars, but they will fade, soften, and flatten within a year._*

The surgery usually takes one to two hours and is performed with the patient under general anesthesia. After recovering from the anesthetic, you can return home to be cared for by family or friends.

There are three main techniques used for breast lift incisions: crescent, vertical, and peri-areolar. The crescent lift, which involves a small incision made halfway around the border on the top half of the areola, is intended for breasts that don’t have significant sagging and only need a minimal amount of correction. Peri-areolar lifts are also designed for mild sagging, and they include a circular incision made around the edge of the areola. Vertical lifts enable extensive re-shaping of the breasts to correct a moderate degree of sagging. One incision is made around the border of the areola, and another runs vertically down to the breast crease.

Many patients return to work within one to two weeks after a breast lift. Normal physical activity can be resumed in about four weeks, and complete recovery may take six weeks. Expect some soreness, swelling, and bruising for two to three weeks.* Bandages are placed on the incisions, and patients must wear a support bra for some time to reduce the swelling while providing support for the breasts as they heal. Patients should avoid strenuous exercise—especially weightlifting and chest exercises—for at least two to six weeks.

You may take pain medication to manage discomfort. We will provide further instructions on how to care for your breasts, information on oral medications to take for pain relief and lowering the risk of infections, any signs of complications that patients will need to look for, and when you should return for follow-up appointments.

The results from a breast lift are lasting, and although some improvement will be seen right after the surgery, the breasts will continue to improve over several months as you heal.

Remember that a breast lift won’t prevent aging and gravity from continuing to affect your breast shape. Significant weight fluctuations, aging, hormones, or pregnancy could cause changes to breast lift results.

Each patient’s goals are unique, and we offer a number of different breast surgery procedures that are tailored for each individual’s needs. Breast augmentation is available for patients who want to increase the size or alter the shape of their breasts, breast reductions are for patients who hope to remove excess fat and skin from their breasts to make them smaller, and breast revision surgery is offered for patients who want to have their implants removed or replaced.