Breast Lift Scottsdale, AZ

Changes to the volume and position of the breast as a result of aging, pregnancy or weight fluctuations can leave women feeling less than satisfied with their silhouette. Many women wish to maintain and even gain the firmer and more robust appearance, similar to the breasts from their youth and may pursue a cosmetic breast lift surgery. Scottsdale plastic surgeon Dr. Joseph Berardi is vastly experienced in breast surgery and has the surgical skill and the aesthetic eye to help women regain their youthful figure. Read through the paragraphs below to learn more about breast lift.

What is a Mastopexy?

Breast lift in Scottsdale, AZA breast lift procedure, also known as mastopexy, is a cosmetic surgery procedure which lifts the patient’s breasts and removes any excess skin and tissue that has resulted from sagging breasts. Scottsdale breast lift cost varies as Dr. Berardi uses a variety of advanced techniques to obtain a natural-looking cosmetic result. Dr. Berardi can perform breast lift surgery using one of three different incision types. The decision will be based on your individual body type, specific cosmetic goals, his professional recommendations as well as the degree of lift needed. The incision will either be made around the areola alone, around the areola and extending down to the breast folds, or as an anchor incision, which encircles the areola and extends down and around the breast fold.

Are You a Breast Lift Candidate?

Breast lift surgery is ideal for women who are unhappy with changes to their breasts, including sagging, loss of firmness and loss of volume. If you are nursing, you should wait to have the surgery in order to achieve the best possible results from treatment. Breast lift patients should be over the age of 18 and have fully developed breasts. It is also important that you have realistic expectations regarding the outcome of the procedure. During a comprehensive consultation, Dr. Berardi will evaluate you to determine if you are a qualified breast lift patient.

What are the risks involved with a breast lift?

Breast lifts are major surgeries, so they include risks involved with surgery: bleeding or the formation of a hematoma, reaction to anesthesia, infection, and slow incision healing. 

Risks related to breast lifts include:

  • Changes in nipple or breast sensation (these usually revolve within a few months)
  • Irregularities in breast contour or shape
  • Breast asymmetry
  • Necrosis of fat tissue
  • Fluid accumulation
  • Possibility of the need for revision surgery

Thanks to Dr. Berardi’s board-certified training, expertise, and experience these possible complications are quite rare.

Should I wait until after I have children to have a breast lift?

If you’re considering having a breast lift, you first need to fully consider if you’re going to have additional children in the future. If so, you need to wait until after your final child is delivered and you are finished breastfeeding to have this procedure. Why? With pregnancy and breastfeeding, your breast size will again fluctuate. This will stretch incision scars and will again create volume loss, negating the results of your breast lift.

What do I need to do to prepare for a breast lift?

Your preparations will be the same as with any surgery. Dr. Berardi will have you stop taking blood thinners, anti-inflammatory medications, aspirin, and most supplements for one week prior to your surgery. If you smoke, you’ll need to stop for at least two weeks prior to and after your procedure, as smoking constricts your blood vessels and impedes healing.

 You’ll want to lay low for at least the first couple days after your surgery, so you’ll want to create a comfy recovery nest with lots of entertainment options at your fingertips. You won’t want to sleep on your chest, so have pillows to help you stay mainly on your back for the first few days.

 You will need to avoid any heavy lifting for about six weeks, so if you need to do any of that you’ll need to do so before your surgery. This is an important part of your recovery and to help minimize your scarring, so these instructions need to be heeded completely.

 You’ll also need to avoid reaching up for the first part of your recovery. In preparation for that, it’s wise to bring down items from the cupboard that you use frequently, placing them on the counter or a low shelf for easy access.

Breast Lift Procedure

At the beginning of the surgery, the patient will be administered anesthesia. Then, Dr. Berardi makes incisions on the breast, following the markings that were made just prior to the breast lift surgery. He then removes excess skin and relocates the nipple and areola to a higher position. He may also alter the size of the areola during the breast lift procedure, which in some women has stretched over time. In addition, he may make other adjustments to the tissue to reshape the breast and achieve a natural-looking final result.

Combining Breast Augmentation with a Breast Lift

Doctor showing patient different breast implant options

Dr. Berardi is also pleased to perform a breast lift with breast augmentation in Phoenix and Scottsdale. This procedure simultaneously lifts and adds volume to the breast for a comprehensive treatment and makeover.
Since no two sets of breasts are identical, no two breast surgeries are exactly alike. In your breast lift consultation, Dr. Berardi will explain all of your options for adding a breast augmentation to your breast lift surgery, including the various types of advanced augmentation options, ideal breast size and placement. We offer both silicone and saline breast implants as well as fat transfer breast augmentations.

Breast Augmentation Options

The type of breast augmentation you choose to add to your boob lift is based on a number of unique factors, including your cosmetic goals, personal preferences and Dr. Berardi’s professional recommendations.

  • Silicone breast implants are filled with silicone gel, which feels similar to one’s natural breast tissue. If you choose silicone implants, you may need to visit your plastic surgeon regularly to make sure the implants are functioning properly. Silicone implants are FDA-approved for breast augmentation in women age 22 or older.
  • Saline breast implants, consist of a saltwater solution, which is filled after the implant shell is placed. Saline breast implants provide a uniform shape, firm breasts, and are FDA-approved for breast augmentation in women age 18 or older.
  • Fat transfer breast augmentation, also called fat grafting, essentially uses liposuction to take fat from other parts of your body and inject it into your breasts. This is a breast augmentation option for women who are looking for a relatively smaller increase in size and would prefer more natural-looking results.

Patient Testimonial

"The staff was very professional & friendly, the consultation with Dr. Berardi was extremely thorough and he provided a great deal of detailed information about the procedure and the expectations. I felt that everyone was interested in what i was looking for."

Is breast lift recovery painful? 

These are not overly painful recoveries. Dr. Berardi will provide a prescription for pain medication, and you’ll probably want to use this for the first two days or so. From there, pain decreases quickly, and most patients can switch to over-the-counter pain medication options.

The surgical bra we have you wear for the first few days really helps minimize any movement of your breasts. This helps with pain, as well as protecting your incisions.

It’s also important to not rush things with your recovery. This helps keep your incisions as thin as possible, but it also allows you to avoid unnecessary pain with breast movement.

Recovering after Breast Lift Surgery

Woman wearing bra after recovering from breast lift surgeryRecovery from breast lift surgery will vary from patient to patient. You should expect to feel mild pain or discomfort in the days following the procedure. Dr. Berardi will prescribe any necessary pain medication to promote your comfort, and will also prescribe antibiotics to reduce the risk of infection. You will be encouraged to get up and walk around the day after your surgery to promote circulation. Some patients experience a loss of sensation in the nipple area, but this is temporary in a majority of the cases. Swelling from breast lift surgery should subside within 10 to 14 days, and you may return to work typically within one week. Other strenuous activities and exercise should be avoided for several weeks after breast lift surgery to promote a faster and safe recovery period. Dr. Berardi and his staff will provide thorough post-operative breast lift instructions, including instructions for changing bandages, when you may resume certain activities, bathing and follow-up appointments. They are available around the clock should any questions or concerns arise during the recovery period of your breast lift operation.

What will my scarring be like after a breast lift?

 In the vast majority of breast lift procedures, Dr. Berardi uses a lollipop or anchor incision, as this allows the amount of tissue repositioning and excess skin excision necessary for most women. These incisions create scarring; there’s no way around that. But you’ll be surprised at how they fade with time. The anchor incision will create the most scarring, as you would assume.

The best advice for managing or attempting to minimize the appearance of your scars is to leave the silicone wound dressings in place until Dr. Berardi removes them at your follow-up. Also, always wearing your surgical bra and then your support bra during the first 4-6 weeks is critical. This eliminates any pressure on the incisions, which keeps the scars as narrow as possible. It also helps eliminate some of the redness.

 Topical scar-minimizing treatments keep the area moisturized and help to minimize the appearance of the scars. SkinMedica makes one such product called Scar Recovery Gel with Centelline.

 Lightly massaging your scars can help them heal more smoothly. But you cannot do this too early and put stress on your incisions. Ask Dr. Berardi when massage could be appropriate, along with the proper technique.

What can I expect from the results with my breast lift?

 No one likes to see how the aging process affects our bodies, and this is exacerbated on a woman’s breasts if she has had children. This is because the combination of aging, pregnancy, and breastfeeding, and gravity tend to accumulate more and more of the breast mass at the bottom of the breasts. This can create a pendulum-like appearance.

 With this surgery, Dr. Berardi changes that, returning the breasts to a higher, younger position on the chest. Lifts are very satisfying procedures for women whose breasts have become pendulous. They can downsize enlarged areolae. They can take nipples that may be pointing downward and bring them back to their natural higher position.

 And if you opt to add augmentation, you’ll gain a curvier figure at the same time.

Schedule Your Consultation At Our Scottsdale Office Today

Dr. Berardi is an experienced surgeon including the breast lift procedure. Dr. Berardi takes great pride in helping patients restore their youthful figure and self-confidence. If you have been considering a breast lift, we encourage you to contact our practice at 480.397.0711 to schedule a comprehensive consultation. Dr. Berardi will address all of your questions and concerns and help you decide if this surgery is right for you. He can also discuss other available treatment options that may be added to your breast lift, including breast augmentation, breast reconstruction, or breast reduction. In addition, he may go over body contouring procedures such as liposuction and tummy tuck.

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