What is a breast uplift?

Breast uplift surgery is known in plastic surgery as mastopexy surgery. And this is surgery which is designed to lift the position of the breast, reduce excess skin and change the nipple position.

Are breast reductions and uplifts the same thing?

A breast reduction and a breast uplift are very similar procedures. Frequently both will involve use of an anchor shaped scar. And both procedures will involve removal of some tissue from the breast.

With a mastopexy, it tends to be skin-only, possibly with a small amount of breast tissue which is removed. But, with a breast reduction, a greater amount of tissue is removed. In some definitions of breast reduction, it is suggested that removal of 500 grams or more of tissue defines a breast reduction.

So, in many ways, breast reduction and mastopexy surgery or uplift surgery are very similar procedures.

Will a breast uplift change my cup size?

Measurement of bra size is a bit of a dark art. And I think lots of people find if they go into a shopping centre and go into four or five shops, they may end up with two or three different cup sizes. And also depending on the style of bra that you choose to wear, you may also find that your same breast size comes out at a different cup size, depending on the manufacturer or style of bra. So, can breast uplift surgery change your bra size or your cup size? Yes, it can.

Sometimes repositioning the tissue on the chest wall means that the cup size actually increases but, more commonly, as the technique does involve removal of a little piece of tissue, the cup size may reduce.

How is a breast uplift done?

Breast uplift surgery is performed as a general anaesthetic operation, either as a day case or with a one-night hospital stay.

There are various different scar patterns that can be considered, and your surgeon will help you to select the pattern which is most appropriate for you. But these would include a circum-areola pattern where there is a scar just around the areola, a lollipop or circum-vertical procedure, where you have a scar around the areola and then down towards the infra fold and then the traditional anchor shaped pattern, which involves a scar around the areola down to the chest wall and then along the fold of the breast.

These procedures can also be combined with implant surgery if what you actually require is additional volume in addition to a redistribution of your breast tissue.

How long does a breast uplift take?

Well, depending on the technique which is most suitable for you, a breast uplift may take from around an hour to around 2.5 hours to complete.

How long is does recovery from a breast uplift take?

So, with the breast uplift, the scars are closed with dissolving stitches, a glue and a tape dressing. You need to wear a supportive post-surgical bra for the first six weeks following the operation. But with the dressings that are used, you should be able to shower from two days after the procedure.

In general, you should be able to drive from around two weeks following the operation. And you have to be safely in control of your vehicle and able to perform an emergency stop.

But for the wounds to fully heal can take around 6 to 12 weeks. And, of course, scar maturation, whereby the scars become soft and flat and pale can take up to a year following surgery.

How long does a breast uplift last?

Well, breast uplift surgery will reposition the nipple and the gland of the breast. But sadly, you can't stop the clock. So, over the years, with the effects of gravity and aging and loss of elasticity, the results will change. But most people would achieve a correction which lasts for many years following the procedure.