Breast Lift

Breast Lift at UVM Health

A breast lift (mastopexy) is a surgical procedure to raise and reshape the breasts. It’s often done to reverse a loss of breast firmness and volume (ptosis) due to aging, weight loss or pregnancy.

At University of Vermont Health, we offer an exceptional care experience centered around your individual needs and preferences. Our skilled plastic surgeons and support professionals guide you through every step of breast lift surgery. From your first visit, you’ll find a highly skilled, compassionate team dedicated to giving you the results you are looking for.

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Why Choose UVM Health?

As a leading plastic surgery program in the region, we offer:

Surgical expertise: You receive care from skilled plastic surgeons dedicated to giving you beautiful, natural results. Many are academic leaders, training the next generation of physicians in the latest surgical techniques.
Comprehensive approach: We offer a full range of breast lift techniques. You may also combine breast lift with another procedure, such as breast reduction, breast augmentation, tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) or body sculpting.
Personalized care: You are the most important member of your care team. Our surgeons listen to your goals for surgery and help you understand your breast lift options. We then develop a surgical plan tailored to your needs.
Comfort and convenience: Your comfort, safety and privacy are a top priority for our team. With offices in Vermont and northern New York and digital health options for some types of visits, we make it easy to access care.

Types of Breast Lift

A breast lift involves removing extra skin and tightening the tissue to raise and reshape the breasts. Your surgeon may also reposition or resize the areolas during the procedure.

Our surgeons use different incision patterns when performing breast lifts:

Donut Breast Lift (periareolar)

This type of lift uses a circular incision around the areola (nipple).

Lollipop Breast Lift (vertical pattern)

This type of lift uses a circular incision around the areola plus a vertical incision from the bottom of the areola to the breast crease.

Anchor Breast Lift (Wise pattern)

This type of breast lift uses a lollipop incision plus a crescent-shaped incision along the breast crease.

Auto-Augmentation Breast Lift

The removal of breast tissue in a lift procedure results in a slight to moderate reduction in breast size. For people who want a lift without losing volume, we offer an auto-augmentation breast lift.

Using an anchor incision, the surgeon uses tissue removed from the lower breast to reshape and enhance the upper breast area. Auto-augmentation creates a more rounded breast shape without the need for implants.

Breast Lift Consultations

We offer comprehensive consultations with our experienced plastic surgeons to help you understand your breast lift options. They can help you make an informed decision about the type of breast lift you want, considering factors such as:

Breast size and shape
Areola size and position
Extent of breast sagging (ptosis)
Skin quality

What to Expect

We perform breast lift surgery in an operating room as an outpatient procedure. You receive general anesthesia, so you are asleep during surgery. You can typically go home the same day. Before you leave the hospital, we provide:

Instructions on how to care for the surgical incisions
Medication prescriptions to help manage pain
Supplies, such as dressings and support garments

Follow-Up Care

Follow-up care after breast lift surgery includes a series of office appointments to monitor your healing. After you are fully healed, we recommend annual visits with your surgeon.

The most common side effects in the first days after surgery are soreness and swelling. Typically, we recommend waiting two weeks to resume light activity and six weeks to resume full activity.

Throughout your recovery, our team is available to assist you. Should any problems arise, we are by your side with expert care, guidance and support.

Breast Lift Scars

While scars at incision sites are typical, our skilled surgeons use special techniques to minimize their appearance. Scars may look red at first, but they will fade over time — often becoming barely noticeable. Your care team will provide instructions on how to care for your incisions to minimize scarring.