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Breast Lift & Breast Reduction Surgery Steps

Breast lift and reduction plastic surgeries are two of the most common surgeries performed throughout the World for breast rejuvenation. The breast lift and breast reductions are very similiar surgeries but they are different plastic surgeries. A breast reduction will lift a sagging breast and will also make the breast smaller by cutting away excess breast gland and fat. This reduction of breast gland and fat along with raising the breast are the two most important aspects of a breast reduction. A breast lift will also raise the breast to a higher position but does not necessarily have to make the breast smaller.

So a breast lift and breast reduction will raise a breast, but only a breast reduction will make the breast significantly smaller. To complicate things just a bit, during a breast lift some breast tissue can also be removed to improve shape or breast symmetry. So technically speaking a breast lift can also reduce a breast but it is not to the same degree of reduction compared to a breast reduction. It is the degree of volume reduction via significant breast gland removal that distiguishes a breast lift from a breast reduction.

There are many different techniques used throughout the World today to perform breast lift and breast reduction plastic surgeries. There is no one way to perform these two complex surgeries. The techniques described below are the ones used by Dr. Michael J. Brown for the majority of his breast lift and reduction surgeries. These 3-D illustrations have been created for Dr. Brown to serve as an aide for people to understand the steps involved in the breast lift and breast reduction surgeries. These simplified steps attempt to provide a better level of understanding for people about breast lift and reduction surgery.

This image is showing the marks for the breast lift. The circular marking around the areola is showing the new areolar diameter. The outer markings are guide lines for the planned skin removal. The highest point of the markings above the nipple and areola is the amount of areola and nipple will be raised or lifted.

The 3-D image above is attempting to illustrate what the breast looks like after the outermost layer of the extra breast skin has been removed. The extra areolar skin has also been cut away. The remaining tissue kind of looks like an ice cream cone. The cone part or whiteish part is the deeper layer of the skin that remains. This deeper layer of the skin is called the dermis and is the strength layer of the skin. The dermis is preserved in the breast lift as a strength layer to sew to.

The breast gland in this illustration has been separated from the overlying skin and the underlying chest muscle. The metal instruments that are seen are called retractors. These aide in exposing the areas to be operated on. In this image, the breast has been undermined along its lower half from the skin and the chest wall.

In this image, a stitch has been placed near the bottom aspect of the breast (tip of the ice cream cone) and the retractor is lifting the breast up. The stitch will be sewn onto the chest muscle area in an effort to raise the breast gland and breast mound. This will tuck the lower breast up under the upper pole of the breast and add to a higher, fuller looking breast.

This illustration depicts the higher positioned breast. The two sides (pillars) of the breast that are now essentially hanging over the elevated lower central area of the breast will also be raised. They are rotated towards the middle of the breast and raised as well. The stitch that remains for this illustration is to depict the approximate midline of the breast.

At this point, the breast gland has been lifted and reshaped. The sutures have allowed the breast to be narrowed and provide a nice aesthetically shaped breast. With this breast lift, there is also an elevation of the breast crease or inframammary fold to a higher position.

In this illustration and at this point of the breast lift or reduction surgery, any extra skin will have been cut away and the wounds closed. These are NOT the stitches that are used during this surgery. These graphical stitches are for illustration purposes. There are no external stitches along the vertical line of the wound (stick of the lollipop), and the circular areolar wound is closed with internal stitches and a rapidly dissolving stitch on the skin. There are no stitches that are required to be removed from a breast lift or breast reduction performed by Dr. Brown.

In a breast reduction, all of these steps are very similiar. The main difference is that the lower aspects of the breast are cut away after they are dissected away from the chest and breast skin. The removal of the breast gland and results in the breast reduction. This removing of the breast tissue actually occurs after the second step of these illustrations. It has been placed here to avoid confusion.

This web site has been designed and created to assist in providing information about breast implants, and breast enhancement surgeries including breast augmentation. It is not meant to replace an informed consent document, or a visit with your plastic surgeon. This web site is for informational purposes only and not intended to provide medical advice.