256-340-5188
1206 Somerville Rd
Decatur, AL 35603
256-340-5188
1206 Somerville Rd
Decatur, AL 35603
Breast ptosis (sag) is defined by the relationship of the nipple to the inframammary fold. The inframammary fold determines the position of the breast.
If the inframammary fold is low on the chest the breasts will be low on the chest.
Breast ptosis can be corrected by breast lifting, but it doesn’t mean the breast volume will be moved upward toward the clavicles!
An aesthetically attractive breast has the nipple position above the level of the inframammary fold and has normal skin showing between the lower edge of the pigmented areola and the inframammary fold.
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300 Round Filled To 330 cc
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300 Round Filled To 330 cc
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300 Round Filled To 330 cc
The basic goal of a mastopexy is to re-shape the breast. It is a combination of a nipple lift and a tightening and modification of the breast skin. Natural, aesthetically pleasing breast shape does not have a lot of sagging. The nipple position on the chest should be above the level of the lower breast fold. The diameter of the areola should be in balance with the size of the breast. A mastopexy achieves these goals. Since we do not remove breast tissue in a mastopexy, we only re-shape and re-position it, your bra size should not change.
The plan for the operation starts with selecting the height for the new nipple position and deciding how much of the upper breast skin needs to be saved. The skin area on each side of the nipple and above the nipple gets removed. The arrow indicates how the nipple will move upward.
The nipple moves upward as the breast tissue gets tucked upward under the skin flaps that were saved. The skin flaps then rotate around the bottom of the breast to close up the opening.
When all of the skin is sutured together the incisions and therefore the scars, are around the areola, up and down from the areola to the bottom of the breast and then along the bottom of the breast.
Analysis For Nipple, Fold and New Nipple Position
Marking Before Surgery
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During your initial consultation we will discuss all of the aspects of the operation and how it relates to you. We will have a second visit that is the pre-operative visit where I will answer all of your final questions, write the prescriptions for the medicines you will need after the surgery and you will do your pre-operative visit at the hospital.
This is not an insurance covered case unless the breast lift is related to congenital or developmental deformities and asymmetries of the breast.
Patient Presented To Me And Was Not Sure About Her Breast Shape
She Thinks She Wants Implants To Fill Out Her Clothes And A Bathing Suit
The Problem Is She Has Too Much Breast Sag To be Augmented
She Needs A Mastopexy First To Get Normal Breast Anatomy And Landmarks
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Approximately 8 Months Later She Loves Her Breast Lift, But Now Thinks It Would Be Nice To Be Larger.
We Augmented Her With Round 240 implants Filled To 270 cc.
After Augmentation
After Augmentation
After Augmentation
Before Mastopexy
After Mastopexy
The operation is done as an outpatient procedure or day-surgery at Decatur Morgan Hospital using general anesthesia. It is done in the main operating rooms at Decatur Morgan Hospital and takes just about 3 hours to perform. We do the operation in the morning and you will get discharged to home late in the afternoon or the early evening. You will go home with a drainage tube in each breast to remove postoperative blood and fluid so it does not accumulate in the breast.
Patient After Massive Weight Loss. She Lost Most Of The Fat In Her Breast An Has Very Little Padding
Before Mastopexy
After Mastopexy
All patients are unique and the response to post-operative discomfort is variable. Most patients state that the discomfort feels like tightness and burning in the bottom portion of their breasts. Some patients take the narcotic medicine only for a day or two and then switch to Tylenol for pain. Some patients take a narcotic medicine for 3 or 4 weeks after the surgery. As I said, patients are all unique and their pain tolerance is very different. Almost all patients feel normal by 3 weeks.
For a desk job that does not require any heavy lifting you should expect to be away from work for 1 week. Some women have gone back to a desk job in as little as 4 to 5 days. For a job that requires physical exertion or heavy lifting you should expect to be away from work for 2 weeks. If there are any small healing problems with your breast we may keep you off of work for an additional 1 week or consider light duty for a week if that is available at your job.
You will need to come to the office two days after your surgery and you should arrange for someone to drive you to this appointment because you will be sore and on narcotic medications. At this first postoperative check, I will change your dressings and remove your drain tubes. Removing the tubes pinches a little but is not terribly painful. You will go home with a light gauze dressing that you will change every day for 3 to 5 days. I do not use any special postoperative surgical bras. You can take a full shower 24 hours after you drains are removed. You will take off your dressings to shower. Soapy water will not hurt your incisions, pat yourself dry and replace your light dressings.
Your next appointment will be in approximately 1 week. The next appointment will be in 2 weeks and at that time we will begin discussing issues like returning to work and shopping for a regular bra.
Your next appointment will be in approximately 1 month. After that I will see you again in approximately 6 months. I will see you again about 12 months after your surgery and do a final assessment of your size and shape, assess the quality of your scars and get your final opinion on the surgery.
I Draw This Diagram In The Chart For Every Patient That Needs To learn About The Normal Anatomy Of An Attractive Breast, The Degrees Of Ptosis And Why Augmenting A Ptotic Breast Will Not Have A Result That Will Last
Generally you can resume all of you normal activities, including physical exertion and exercise after 4 weeks. If you are at the age where you were getting mammograms you should continue them after waiting at least 6 months. This wait is to allow postoperative density changes in the breast to soften and resolve.
The Next Four Patients Had A Breast Lift And A Breast Augmentation At The Same Time
This Patient Had A Wise Mastopexy (W Pattern) And A Breast Augmentation At The Same Time
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This Patient Had A Donut Mastopexy And A Breast Augmentation At The Same Time
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After 1 Year
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After 1 Year
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Same Patient As Above At 4 Years Postoperatively. The Results And Shape Is Stable.
After 4 Years
After 4 Years
After 4 Years
This Patient Had A Donut Mastopexy And A Breast Augmentation At The Same Time
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This Patient Had A Donut Mastopexy And A Breast Augmentation At The Same Time
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© 2005 - 2020 Gordon M. Telepun, MD
Providing care to patients in Decatur, Huntsville, Madison, Hartselle, Florence, Muscle Shoals
Photographs May Not Be Reproduced, Written Text and Descriptions are Copyrighted and May Not Be Reproduced