Women who are unhappy with sagging in their breasts often choose to have a breast lift. Usually this sagging is a result of pregnancy and breast-feeding, but not always. Frequently a modest implant is used in conjunction with the lift to restore fullness in the upper part of the breast. Adding implants is completely optional and really depends on the look you want.
During a breast lift, also known as a mastopexy, the breast is lifted by removing the excess skin. In many women a delicate incision around the nipple area (areola) is all that is needed. In “medicalese” this is referred to as a peri-areolar mastopexy. In others, who have a large amount of excess skin, the incision will need to be extended (a full or extended mastopexy).
It is important to know that some women who come to our office for breast augmentation from the Knoxville area as well as Johnson City, Cookeville, Cleveland and beyond are surprised that Dr. Reath recommends a breast lift along with their augmentation to achieve a pleasing shape and perkiness. It happens most frequently with women who have had children, but not always.
David B. Reath, MD
Board-certified plastic surgeon David B. Reath, MD is renowned for his surgical skills and his commitment to public education. Practicing in Knoxville, Tennessee since 1986, his personal approach with patients is what truly sets him apart.
Will You Need A Breast Lift Along With Your Breast Augmentation? Here’s an Easy Way to Tell.
Standing in front of a mirror, look at your nipples in relation to the natural crease of your breasts. If your nipples are lower than your breast crease before surgery, adding implants without removing excess skin will make them more saggy. (Sad, but true.) The pictures below show the great results when a lift is performed along with an augmentation.
Breast Lift and Breast Enlargement- One Surgery or two?
Although some plastic surgeons recommend doing these procedures separately, Dr. Reath performs them together in the vast majority of cases. This not only achieves great results but saves patients money and recovery time. In this Truth-O-Meter Tuesday video Dr. Reath explains why this is so:
Breast Lift Before & After Photos
WARNING:
This feature contains nudity. Please click OK to confirm you are at least 18 years of age and are not offended by such material.
She is 5'6" and weighs 131 pounds. Here is a 29-year-old woman concerned with both the size and shape of her breasts. Dr. Reath performed a peri-areolar mastopexy augmentation using silicone implants which he placed underneath her chest muscles. To correct a slight asymmetry he used 425cc implants on her right side and 400cc implants on... Read More
Before and After Full Mastopexy Augmentation: This is a 31-year-old Knox County professional who was concerned with both the shape and size of her breasts. She had significant sagging as a result of pregnancies when her breasts increased to a DD. She told us that they shrunk back to a C cup after breast feeding. Dr. Reath used 325cc silicone implants... Read More
She is 5'3" and weighs 137 pounds. Here is a 44-year-old mom who sawa her breasts lose their shape and volume after breastfeeding and weight-loss. Dr. Reath performed a breast lift along with breast implants to give her the size and shape whe was looking for. He used 400cc silicone implants which he placed underneath her chest muscles. She... Read More
Before and After Full Mastopexy Augmentation (Silicone): She is 5’3” and weighs 177 pounds. Here is a 33-year-old mother who wanted to address the changes in her breasts after childbirth and breast feeding. She wanted to improve the shape of her breasts and after working with breast implant sizers, she liked the look of 350cc implants. ... Read More
This patient is 44 years old. She is 5'4" and weighs 119 pounds. She was unhappy about the size and sagginess of her breasts. Dr. Reath performed a peri-areolar mastopexy using 360cc saline breast implants, which were placed underneath her chest muscles. She is delighted with her results. Read More
She is 5'2" and weighs 133 pounds. Here is a 33-year-old mom who had changes in her breasts after breast feeding several children. Dr. Reath performed a full maxtopexy augmentation using silicone implants which were placed underneath her chest muscles. The right side is 425cc and the left is 450cc to correct a small difference in breast... Read More
Here is a woman who told us that she spent her entire adult life hating the shape and sagginess of her breasts, in addition to the fact that they were two different sizes. Because her breasts were so narrow, Dr Reath performed a full mastopexy augment with silicone implants placed beneath her chest muscles. He used 325cc implants on the right and... Read More
She is 5'7" and weighs 172 pounds. Here is a 21-year-old woman who was unhappy with both the size and shape of her breasts. In order to give her the perky shape that she wanted, Dr. Reath recommended a peri-mastopexy breast augmentation. He used 450cc silicone breast implants which he placed underneath her chest muscles. She is... Read More
She is 5'3" and weighs 147 pounds. She told us that she was concerned both with the sagging of her breasts, but also with the uneven size with the right being considerably smaller than the left breast. Dr. Reath performed a full mastopexy augment using 350cc silicone implants placed subglandular (over her chest muscles). With the lift, he... Read More
She is 5'4" and weighs 122 pounds. Here is a 49-year-old woman who was unhappy with the size and shape of her breasts, and also the slight difference in her breast size. Dr. Reath performed a full mastopexy augmentation with a 350cc silicone implant on her right side and a 325cc silicone implant on her left side. He placed both of these... Read More
Before and After Peri-Areolar Mastopexy Augmentation- She is 5’4” and weighs 150 pounds. Here is a 47-year-old woman who came to us because she did not like the size or shape of her breasts. She did have a bit of sagging to her breasts, (her nipples are below the inframammary crease, with the right being slightly lower... Read More
She is 5'5" and weighs 172. Here is a 42-year-old woman who was unhappy with the shape and size of her breats after both having children and an 80-pound weight loss. Dr. Reath performed a full mastopexy augmentation using silicone breast implants which he placed underneath her chest muscles. Since the right breast was larger than the left... Read More
She is 5'1" and weighs 140 pounds. Here is a 33-year-old mom who was unhappy with the sagging in her breasts after breastfeeding her children. Dr. Reath performed a breast lift with an augmentation placing 270cc and 300cc silicone breast implants over her chest muscles. Using a slightly different size corrected the mild asymmetry in her... Read More
Before and After Full Augmentation Mastopexy with Silicone Implants- She is 5'9" and weighs 153 pounds. Here is a 39-year-old mom who was concerned about the uneven size and sagginess of her breasts since she had her children. She is very active and works out every day. Dr. Reath performed a full Mastopexy augment using 300cc silicone... Read More
She is 5'3" and weighs 135 pounds. This mother-of-four came to us with concerns about her breasts. Through diet and exercise she lost over 30 pounds, which was great for her health but left her with some saggy skin which she wanted removed. Dr. Reath did a a full mastopexy augment with 350cc silicone cohesive gel implants placed on... Read More
Before and After Breast Lift with Augmentation: This is a 23-year-old woman who wanted to improve the size and shape of her breasts. She told us that even before her pregnancy, she did not like the tubular shape of her breasts. After breastfeeding, she lost breast tissue and began to have more sagging. Dr. Reath performed a full mastopexy augment... Read More
Before and After Breast Lift with a Slight Breast Reduction- She is 5'4" and weighs 152. Here is a 45-year-old woman who was unhappy with the sagginess of her breasts. She was starting to get neck and back pain and her shoulders were sore where her bra hit them. She had lost 30 pounds and with the weight loss her breasts became more saggy.... Read More
Before and After Full Mastopexy Augmentation (Silicone)- She is 5’5” and weighs 162.
Here is a 45-year-old mom who came to us having lost 140 pounds after gastric bypass surgery. She was not pleased with what the fluctuations in weight had done to her breasts, especially the excess sagging in her skin. Dr. Reath... Read More
She is 5'0" and weighs 139 pounds. Here is a 41-year-old woman who did not like the sagginess in her breasts after a 30-pound weight loss. Dr Reath performed a breast lift with 330cc silicone implants to achieve the size and shape she wanted. Because she had enough natural breast tissue, he placed the implants over her chest muscles. Read More
Before and After Peri-Areolar Mastopexy Augmentation (Silicone): She is 5’7” and weighs 143 pounds. Here is a 37-year-old mom who was unhappy with the size and shape of her breasts after having children. Because she had a minimal amount of breast sagging, Dr Reath was able to correct it with a peri-mastopexy augmentation, rather than... Read More
Before and After Full Mastopexy Augmentation (Silicone)- She is 5’4” and weighs 145 pounds. Here is a 53-year-old woman who had sagging and loss of breast tissue after breast feeding two children. After working with sizers, she chose a modest 275cc silicone breast implant size. Because she had enough natural breast tissue, Dr. Reath placed... Read More
Before and After Periareolar Mastopexy Augmentation- She is 5’9” and weighs 154 pounds. Here is a 28-year-old who had both asymmetry and laxity in her breasts after breastfeeding two children. Dr. Reath placed 325cc saline implants above her chest muscles because of the shape of her breasts and the fact that she had enough natural... Read More
Before and After Breast Lift: She is 5'2" and weighs 139 pounds. Here is a 39-year-old woman who wanted her breasts to be perkier, but not larger. As she did not have a large amount of excess skin to be removed, Dr. Reath performed a breast lift with a peri-areolar incision (around the nipples) for this lovely result. Read More
All of the silicone implants plastic surgeons work with are cohesive gel implants, but some are more cohesive than others. Breast implant manufacturers have been using cross-linking technology to create more implant options that may work well in different circumstances.
Recently, Allergan has introduced round implants with greater cohesivity. Dr. Reath’s favorite of these are the SoftTouch implants. The advantage of this increased cohesivity is to have greater fullness in the upper breast (referred to in medicalese as “upper pole fullness.”)
In breast lift patients, maintaining this upper pole fullness is always a challenge depending upon the amount of natural breast tissue present. These newer implants may well help with this desired fullness, which is why he has started using them in most breast lift patients.
Breast Lift Pricing
One thing that nearly everyone asks is how much breast lifts cost, so we include our surgery prices right here on our website. Amazing, right? Here’s what you’ll want to know:
The cost of a breast lift depends on several factors: the incision site, the amount of skin to be removed and whether or not implants are used. If you’ve undergone significant weight changes, your breast lift will be more expensive because there is more skin to be removed, which takes more time in the operating room.
The cost of a breast lift with Dr. Reath includes both surgical and anesthesia fees, post-surgical bra, implants if you want them, our exclusive recovery kit and all follow-up visits.
Note: The pricing below is for breast lifts with no implants and breast lifts with silicone implants because they are by far the most popular. If you want saline implants, just subtract $1,000 from the silicone implant price. If you want SoftTouch silicone gel implants you’ll add $500 to the silicone implant price.
Breast Lift Procedure
Cost
Cash Price
Full Mastopexy No Implants
$6,383
$6,064
Full Mastopexy Silicone Implants
$8,636
$8,204
Peri-Mastopexy Silicone Implants
$7,186
$6,827
Extended Mastopexy No Implants
$6,888
$6,544
Extended Mastopexy Silicone Implants
$9,119
$8,663
Cash Discount: Great news! We offer a 5% discount for our patients who would like to pay with cash or check instead of using a credit card or financing.
The Operation
The good news is that breast lifts are done as an outpatient procedure and do not involve an overnight stay in the hospital. The entire operation is done under general anesthesia (you will be put to sleep) and takes about an hour or a bit longer if breast implants are used. At the end of the operation, you are placed in a special bra to support your breasts. After recovery from the anesthesia, you’ll go home in the care of your family.
Recovery
Helping our patients manage a speedy recovery is one of our primary missions. Most patients are up and about the day after a breast lift but instructed to rest and avoid any lifting. About a week after the operation patients are seen in the office to check their surgical sites and instruct them in massage and stretching exercises. Expect the stitches to be removed in about a week.
Most women are able to return to normal activities in 7 to 10 days and usually need no more than a week off from work.
Our Surgical Recovery Kits are a great personal touch. Patients tell us that the recovery kits we include with their surgeries are an area that really sets us apart. Each recovery kit contains items hand-picked to make your recovery faster and more pleasant. We put together everything you’ll need after surgery so you don’t have to. People who have had surgery with other doctors are amazed that we include these kits at no charge for all of our surgery patients.
New! We now include medical-grade silicone shapes (which are medically proven to aid in healing and reduce the appearance of scars) in all of our breast lift recovery kits. (an $80 value)
Not our patient? No problem! We will be happy to ship you your very own recovery kit to make recovering so much easier. Just visit our online store.
Breast Procedures Leave Women Extremely Satisfied according to a new study.
A new study presented at the ASPS Meeting in Chicago confirms our experience with breast lift patients. In the study breast lift (mastopexy), the combination of breast lift with augmentation, breast augmentation, and breast reduction achieve high satisfaction rates, enhance self-esteem and improve quality of life. Moreover, 99 percent of women would have their surgery again.
The study found breast lift and lift/augmentation to have a high level of patient satisfaction that rivals breast augmentation and reduction. “Many studies have shown breast augmentation and reduction are highly gratifying procedures for women, but until now we’ve had limited information on patient satisfaction for breast lift or combination lift/ augmentation. This data fills in the gap,” said Eric Swanson, MD, ASPS Member Surgeon and study author. “When the vertical technique is used in the augmentation/lift procedure, patient satisfaction is high.” (Dr. Reath agrees with the study’s findings and uses the vertical technique whenever possible.)
The Latest Mommy Makeover Posts from Dr. Reath's Blog
5 Ways I’ve Made My Tummy Tucks Better
From the Blog
One of the rewarding and challenging things about medicine is that things are always changing, and mostly for the better. Anyone who has had a surgical career for more than 10 or 15 years is now doing things which we learned after we completed our training. Sometimes we are doing an entirely different operation and … Read more »
How the New Opiod Law Affects Your Recovery (and our brilliant solution for leftover pills)
From the Blog
On July 1 of this year, our state legislature passed “The Tennessee Together Plan”, which regulates the use and prescription of narcotic pain medications. The intent of this law is certainly laudable: to curb the overuse of opioids such as hydrocodone, oxycodone, oxycontin, and fentanyl, to name a few. Certainly, as a state we need … Read more »
The Top 3 Misunderstood Procedures in Plastic Surgery (and what you should know about them)
From the Blog
As you and I know, there is a ton of information available to the public about plastic surgery. The good thing about this is that patients can be very well informed about something that they are interested in. The flip side to this is that many people come in wanting one operation when they really need … Read more »
Women who are unhappy with sagging in their breasts often choose to have a breast lift. Usually this sagging is a result of pregnancy and breast-feeding, but not always. Frequently a modest implant is used in conjunction with the lift to restore fullness in the upper part of the breast. Adding implants is completely optional and really depends on the look you want.
