Breast Lift (Mastopexy)
Many factors—such as gravity, childbirth, and genetics—can cause your breasts to sag or droop over time. To correct breast sagging and achieve a more shapely look, many women undergo a mastopexy or breast lift, a commonly requested cosmetic breast surgery. Board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Henry Garazo offers beautiful, natural-looking breast lift results to his patients at Plastic Surgery Services in Hagerstown, Maryland.
- What is mastopexy?
- How much does a breast lift cost in Maryland?
- Am I good candidate for a breast lift surgery?
- Can I combine a breast lift with other procedures?
- What is breast lift recovery like?
What is mastopexy?
A breast lift, also known as mastopexy, is a procedure in which your surgeon removes excess skin and reshapes your breasts for a firmer, more youthful appearance. Depending on factors such as the severity of drooping, skin elasticity, and breast size, a variety of breast lift methods can be used to achieve the desired results. For those seeking to increase or restore volume as well, a breast lift can be combined with a breast augmentation. During your personal breast lift consultation, Dr. Garazo will explore your breast lift options with you and help you determine which techniques and procedures will work best to achieve your goals.
“Excellent service! Dr. Garazo is amazing, with excellent bedside manners! The staff made me feel very comfortable and stress free throughout my procedure ( Bilateral Standard Mastopexy) with a successful outcome! Dr. Garazo and staff personally contacted me after my procedure to make sure I was ok, and if I needed anything. I would recommend Plastic Surgery Services for all your cosmetic surgery needs!”
—Real review from a 2023 breast lift patient
How much does a breast lift cost in Maryland?
In our Hagerstown, Maryland plastic surgery office, the cost of a breast lift procedure can vary depending on any special considerations, anesthesia time, etc. The final cost of your procedure will depend on a few factors. Your cost of surgery will include:
- Dr. Garazo’s surgeon’s fee
- All of your pre- and post-operative visits
- Operating room time and supplies in our Quad-A accredited surgery center
- Anesthesia
- Post-surgical bra
After your consultation with Dr. Garazo, we’ll provide you with a surgery fee quote with your exact price. In addition to accepting cash, check, and card, we also work with CareCredit for plastic surgery financing.
Am I good candidate for a breast lift surgery?
Hagerstown breast lift candidates include women of all ages who are unhappy with sagging or drooping breasts. The best candidates tend to be physically healthy women who do not smoke and who maintain a fairly stable weight. It’s also important to possess specific, realistic expectations about the results. If you do not fit these exact criteria, a consultation with Dr. Garazo can help you determine if a breast lift is a safe, viable cosmetic option for you.
View Breast Lift results in our Before & After gallery »
Can I combine a breast lift with other procedures?
For a more complete body makeover, a breast lift is often combined with other cosmetic procedures, such as Hagerstown breast augmentation, breast reduction, abdominoplasty, or liposuction.
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- Key Benefits
- Glossary
- Improved Breast Shape and Position: A breast lift elevates and reshapes sagging breasts, creating a more youthful, lifted, and aesthetically pleasing breast contour.
- Enhanced Nipple and Areola Placement: A breast lift can reposition downward-pointing nipples and reduce the size of enlarged areolas, aligning them with the newly shaped breasts for a natural look.
- Improved Symmetry: Breasts that are asymmetrical in terms of size or shape can be made more symmetrical through a breast lift procedure.
- Reduced Skin Irritation: By lifting the breasts and removing excess skin, the procedure can reduce skin irritation beneath the breast fold, which is common with sagging breasts.
- Restoration After Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: A breast lift can restore the breasts to their pre-pregnancy shape and position, addressing changes that occur during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- Anesthesia: Medication used to prevent pain during surgery; breast lift procedures typically require general anesthesia to ensure patient comfort throughout the surgery.
- Areola: The pigmented area surrounding the nipple; a breast lift can reposition or reduce the size of the areola to better match the newly lifted breast shape.
- Breast Asymmetry: A common condition where one breast is different in size, shape, or position than the other; a breast lift can correct asymmetry, making the breasts more symmetrical.
- Breast Lift (Mastopexy): A surgical procedure aimed at raising and reshaping sagging breasts to a more youthful appearance and position.
- Breast Ptosis: The medical term for sagging of the breasts, which can be caused by aging, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and weight fluctuations; a condition that breast lift surgery addresses.
- Incision Patterns: The surgical techniques used during a breast lift, which vary based on the degree of lift needed and the patient’s anatomy.
- Mammogram: A specialized X-ray of the breasts used for cancer screening; it’s important to inform the radiologist about the presence of breast lift scars or implants for accurate mammogram interpretation.
- Nipple-Areolar Complex (NAC): Refers to the nipple and the surrounding areola as a single unit; a breast lift can elevate a downward-pointing NAC to a more forward-facing position.
- Periareolar Lift: A type of breast lift that involves an incision solely around the areola, suitable for patients with mild sagging who require minimal lifting.
- Ptosis Grades: The classification system used to measure the degree of breast sagging, ranging from Grade I (mild) to Grade III (severe), which helps in planning the appropriate surgical approach.
- Recovery Time: The period needed for healing post-surgery, where patients may need to limit physical activity and follow specific care instructions to ensure optimal healing.
- Sutures: The stitches used to close incision sites after surgery, which may be absorbable or require removal during a follow-up visit.
- Vertical Lift: Also known as a “lollipop” lift, this technique involves incisions around the areola and vertically down to the breast crease, suitable for moderate sagging.
- Anchor Lift: The most extensive breast lift technique, involving an anchor-shaped incision pattern to correct significant sagging and reshape the breast comprehensively.
What is breast lift recovery like?
Many of our patients are pleasantly surprised to find their breast lift recovery is not as long or as uncomfortable as they assumed. After your surgery, you’ll spend some time in recovery as you stabilize after anesthesia—and then you’ll be able to go home and rest in your own home. You’ll need a designated driver and a little help around the house that first night as the effects of anesthesia wear off. While there will be some discomfort, most patients find they can switch to OTC pain relievers within just a few days. Some swelling, tenderness, and bruising are normal, and your surgeon may recommend intermittent icing for your comfort. Though quite dark at first, if cared for properly, your breast lift scars will gradually fade over time.
“Absolutely 100% glad I picked PSS and Dr. Garazo as my place to have my BL and BA done. The results are beautiful and I couldn’t be more pleased. Also every person in that building treated me as a friend not a patient. Thank you! I won’t be going anywhere else for further needs.”
—5-Star Google Review
If you have a non-strenuous job, you should be able to go back to work within a few days. All strenuous activity, heavy lifting, and exercise will need to be avoided until you get permission from your surgeon, which is typically around 4–6 weeks after your surgery.
Dr. Garazo is a board-certified plastic surgeon with over 20 years of experience offering aesthetic procedures in the greater Hagerstown, MD area. Known for his thorough, expert, and friendly care, Dr. Garazo is a 5x winner of “Best Plastic Surgeon” in the Herald-Mail Tri-State’s Best! Community Choice Awards. He prides himself on offering comprehensive, informative consultations and ensures every patient always meets personally with him.
For those considering a breast lift, board certified Maryland plastic surgeon Dr. Henry Garazo invites you to explore your options through a patient consultation. To schedule a consultation at Plastic Surgery Services, contact us online or call (301) 791-1800.
References »
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W. Grant Stevens, David A. Stoker, Mark E. Freeman, Suzanne M. Quardt, Elliot M. Hirsch, Mastopexy Revisited: A Review of 150 Consecutive Cases for Complication and Revision Rates, Aesthetic Surgery Journal, Volume 27, Issue 2, March 2007, Pages 150–154, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asj.2006.12.014
Stahl S, Santos Stahl A, Feng YS, Estler A, Swoboda K, Buiculescu F, Seabra Robalo Gomes Jorge AC. Enhanced Recovery After Aesthetic Breast Surgery Under Sedation, Intercostal Block and Tumescent Anaesthesia: A Prospective Cohort Study of the Early Postoperative Phase. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2023 Jun;47(3):979-997. doi: 10.1007/s00266-022-03214-w.
Ramanadham SR, Rose Johnson A. Breast Lift with and without Implant: A Synopsis and Primer for the Plastic Surgeon. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2020 Oct 28;8(10):e3057. doi: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000003057. PMID: 33173660; PMCID: PMC7647657.
Pferdehirt R, Nahabedian MY. Finesse in Mastopexy and Augmentation Mastopexy. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2021 Sep 1;148(3):451e-461e. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000008303.
Qureshi AA, Myckatyn TM, Tenenbaum MM. Mastopexy and Mastopexy-Augmentation. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2018 Mar 14;38(4):374-384. doi: 10.1093/asj/sjx181.
Sarosiek K, Maxwell GP, Unger JG. Getting the Most Out of Augmentation-Mastopexy. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2018 Nov;142(5):742e-759e. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000004961.