Plastic Surgeon Serving North Andover, Boston, Haverhill, MA - Nashua, Salem, Manchester, NH & Nearby Areas
Age, gravity, pregnancy, and weight fluctuations are all factors that can make your breasts sag and lose their youthful appearance. For women with larger breasts, noticeable sagging may occur earlier in life, but most women will experience some amount of ptosis (sagging) with age. Smoking can increase ptosis as well, though to what degree varies from woman to woman.
More than an aesthetic issue, sagging breasts can interfere with your clothing options and significantly reduce your self-esteem and feelings of appeal. But while various breast surgeries may help address breast ptosis to an extent, breast lift alone is specifically designed to restore a youthful breast shape and position.
If you live in New England and have been considering breast lift surgery, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. George Chatson welcomes an opportunity to meet with you at our Andover, MA or Nashua, NH office to discuss your options. Please call 978-687-1151 or 603-882-2103 to schedule your consultation today.
Breast Lift Candidates
If your breasts have become more pendulous than perky, breast lift surgery may be your most effective option. Good candidates should also be:
- Nonsmokers who are in generally good physical health
- Prepared for a surgical procedure
- Able to take some time to recover following surgery
- Willing to follow all of Dr. Chatson’s pre and postoperative advice
Some medications, supplements, and herbs may need to be discontinued prior to your procedure. Dr. Chatson will review a list of your medications to help you determine what is and is not safe in the days leading up to your procedure.
During your breast lift consultation, Dr. Chatson will assess your candidacy for the procedure along with any preparation you will need to make in order to help reduce risks and make your experience as safe and comfortable as possible. It is important that you closely follow all of Dr. Chatson’s advice to help ensure the most pleasing results from your breast lift surgery.
Breast Lift Incision Options
Based on the characteristics of your breasts, there are three breast lift incisions that Dr. Chatson may select. These are:
- Circumareolar mastopexy (Benelli Lift) – a circular incision is made around your areola. Excess skin is removed and the remaining tissue is lifted and firmed over the breast mound. This is the least invasive option and will result in a less conspicuous scar. It is ideal for mild to moderate ptosis, and it is the most common mastopexy technique performed by Dr. Chatson.
- The lollipop lift – an incision is made around the areola with an additional vertical incision from the areola to the breast crease. This option is best for women with moderate sagging.
- Full-pattern mastopexy (anchor incision) – incisions are made around the areola, vertical from the areola to the breast crease, and horizontally along the breast crease. This option offers the most dramatic results and is often best for women with larger breasts and more pronounced ptosis.
The best technique for your breast lift surgery will be dependent upon your anatomical features, your desires, and your ultimate expectations. Dr. Chatson tailors each breast surgery procedure to complement the unique body of the patient. During your consultation, he will take time to discuss the options that will best meet your needs.
Breast Lift with Breast Implants
Depending on the level of ptosis you are experiencing, lifting breast tissue may subsequently reduce breast size. While this reduction is negligible for some women, it may produce noticeable volume loss in others. When this is a possibility, Dr. Chatson will likely recommend breast implants be used in conjunction with your breast lift to ensure more balanced and favorable results.
Breast augmentation is used to improve the shape, size, and profile of the breasts.
This procedure is ideal for women who have never been happy with the appearance of their chests as well as for women who have experienced volume loss and shape changes due to pregnancy, weight fluctuations, and the simple act of aging. Because the same issues that cause ptosis can result in a loss of volume and symmetry, breast augmentation is well suited to complement breast lift for many of our patients.
Combining breast lift surgery with breast augmentation is common during the mommy makeover procedure, but you needn’t have had children to experience the benefits of a fully rejuvenated bust. Dr. Chatson may recommend a combination of breast procedures to meet your stated goals, but we encourage you to ask about your options for breast enlargement along with lift if you believe these two procedures would produce the look you most desire.
Breast Lift Recovery & Results
Your breast lift recovery will be dependent on factors unique to your anatomy. Recovery time and intensity will also be impacted by the surgical options you choose, including incision type, the addition of breast implants, or the removal of excessive breast tissue. However, by and large, recovery from breast lift surgery is typically rather short.
Many women are able to resume normal activities within three to four days and may even be able to adopt a mild exercise routine within one week of surgery. Dr. Chatson will work with you during your recovery period to help you determine when it is safe to resume more intense exercises and activities, but this is commonly around the four-week mark. At this point, most bruising should have subsided as well, giving you a clear idea of what your final results may look like.
Some swelling and postoperative discomfort is possible during the first few weeks of your breast lift recovery. Swelling can be minimized through compression garments, proper incision care, and gentle movement, like walks, that help circulation. These steps will also help reduce your risks of visible scars.
Pain can be managed with over-the-counter medications. If your surgery will be more involved or if circumstances demand, Dr. Chatson can also prescribe medications to improve comfort. We will work directly with you to determine which method of pain relief will be most beneficial in your case.
Final breast lift surgery results should start to be visible within two to four weeks, with most recovery being completed within six. Again, this will depend on surgical combinations and techniques, how well you follow pre and postoperative instructions, and your body’s natural healing response, but even with enlargement or reduction performed at the same time, most breast lift results will be fully realized within eight weeks. Dr. Chatson will discuss what you can realistically expect during your initial consultation to help you appropriately plan for your breast lift surgery.
Why Choose Dr. Chatson for Your Breast Lift Procedure
Dr. George Chatson is a board-certified plastic surgeon with decades of experience helping women in Massachusetts and New Hampshire reach their aesthetic goals. Caring, respected, and dedicated, Dr. Chatson is on staff at Orchard Surgical Center, Holy Family Hospital, Southern New Hampshire Medical Center, and Saint Joseph Hospital, enabling him to perform all breast lift surgeries in accredited surgical facilities where highly-trained support staff can work to protect your comfort and safety.
Dr. Chatson has been awarded the Patient Safety Excellence Award from HealthGrades and is a contributor on RealSelf. Between these two sites, Dr. Chatson has over 30 reviews, most of which are 5-star, and act as testament to his commitment to our patients. So too do his memberships in professional organizations including the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Dr. Chatson is also a past-president and current member of the New England Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons.
More important than distinctions and memberships, however, is Dr. Chatson’s true commitment to the happiness of each patient he sees. It is with this goal in mind that he carefully reviews all options, provides direct instructions, and remains in contact through complete recovery with all of our breast lift patients.
Contact Us
If you are ready to discuss your breast lift options with Dr. Chatson, please call our Andover office at 978-687-1151 or our Nashua office at 603-882-2103 to schedule a consultation. Dr. Chatson welcomes patients from Lowell and Lawrence, Massachusetts, Salem and Manchester, New Hampshire, and all surrounding New England communities.
