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.
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
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
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
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
She is 5'4" and weighs 158 pounds. Here is a 36-year-old woman who didn't like the changes in her body after having three children and gaining and losing over 90 pounds. Dr. Reath performed a Mommy Makeover: Full Tummy Tuck with excision of hip rolls (muffinator) and a Breast Augmentation Mastopexy (breast lift). During the breast lift, he used 495cc... 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 pictured... Read More
Before and After Full Mastopexy Augmentation (Silicone)- She is 5’2” and weighs 127 pounds. Here is a 24-year-old mom who was concerned about the changes in her breasts as a result of breast feeding her children. After working with sizers, she chose 300cc silicone gel implants. Dr. Reath removed the excess skin and restored her shape with the... 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
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.
3 Ways I have Made My Breast Lifts Better
As I continue to practice plastic surgery, I look for ways to improve the operations I have been doing for years to achieve better results. One such procedure is the breast lift (mastopexy), most often using breast implants (augmentation mastopexy). Several aspects of how I do this have evolved, and presently I think I am … Read more »
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.
Now available:“SoftTouch” silicone implants
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.
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
Your Body Fat: An Expert Guide
From the Blog
The majority of my plastic surgery practice here in Knoxville is body contouring surgery, which is changing the shape of my patient’s bodies. Inevitably this means dealing with fat. We all have it. We all need it. Some have less than they want; most of us have more than we want. Frequently we get questions … Read more »
3 Ways I have Made My Breast Lifts Better
From the Blog
As I continue to practice plastic surgery, I look for ways to improve the operations I have been doing for years to achieve better results. One such procedure is the breast lift (mastopexy), most often using breast implants (augmentation mastopexy). Several aspects of how I do this have evolved, and presently I think I am … Read more »
Demand For Plastic Surgery Is Through The Roof. Here’s Why.
From the Blog
When the pandemic hit six months ago, none of us knew how this would affect our lives and our businesses. The outlook seemed pretty bleak, and it has proved to be such for many businesses. As a plastic surgeon, I would not have expected to see the demand for plastic surgery to rise, but that … 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.
