Breast droop is a result of pregnancy and breastfeeding. It is the result of hormonal softening of the ligaments responsible for keeping the breast up and of tissue stretching due to breast enlargement during pregnancy. Breast droop after pregnancy is often accompanied by loss of breast tissue, together giving the characteristic, sagging look with flatness in the upper pole of the breast. Minor degrees of breast droop can be adequately corrected by breast augmentation alone. However, once the breast droop has reached a point where the nipple is at or below the level of the breast crease, mastopexy is the only way to restore the youthful, high nipple position.
Mastopexy is often combined with augmentation if decrease in breast tissue is also a problem. Together, these procedures can restore the breast into its natural fullness, shape and position. The operation can be done either under intravenous sedation or general anaesthetic depending on the individual situation.
Is mastopexy for me?
Mastopexy may help if you are happy with the overall size of your breasts but unhappy with their shape in terms of sagging or drooping. You may have noticed this “ptosis” with time or following breast-feeding, loss of weight or with ageing. Mastopexy lifts and restores the breast into its position and helps improve your overall appearance.
You may be a good candidate for breast lift surgery if you have one or more of the following conditions:
- Breasts that are pendulous, but of satisfactory size.
- Breasts that lack substance or firmness.
- Nipples and areolas that point downward especially if they are positioned below the breast crease.
Sometimes these conditions may be inherited traits. In certain cases the breasts may have developed differently so that one breast is firm and well positioned while the other is not. There may be differences in the size of your breasts as well as their shape. Breasts that are large and heavy can be lifted but the results may not be as long lasting as when the procedure is done on smaller breasts.