Breast sagging, also known as ptosis, occurs in some women over the years. It is therefore a natural phenomenon inherent to the passage of time, which goes hand in hand with the natural aging process.
However, ptosis or sagging of the breasts can also occur in some young women, after pregnancy or after breastfeeding. In fact, it can occur very quickly, which can cause a significant loss of self-esteem in women. When this occurs, it is common to request a surgical solution from a plastic surgery specialist.
When should I undergo a mastopexy?
The patient affected by the loss of self-esteem requests an appointment with a professional to recover the harmony and beauty in her breast.
The diagnosis of breast ptosis is made when the areola is below the inframammary fold. When the nipple is at the level of the inframammary fold, we can speak of grade 0/1 ptosis or minimal ptosis.
Along the same lines, it is necessary to diagnose whether it is an areola ptosis or a glandular ptosis. In the case of glandular ptosis, it implies that there is a sagging or a kind of tilting of the breast tissue just below the inframammary fold with the areolas above the fold. Mixed ptosis occurs when the tissue and areola are descended.
This is a very complex assessment. However, depending on the type and degree of ptosis, one or the other treatment will be evaluated and chosen.
Mastopexy treatment: ptosis with normal volume
When assessing ptosis, it is possible to classify between types or groups of women according to the diagnosis of ptosis of their breasts. On the one hand there is ptosis with normal or sufficient volume and ptosis with little volume or absence of breast tissue.
In the case of ptosis with normal volume, the treatment will be pure mastopexy, that is, the remodeling of the existing tissue without the need for implants.
Three clinical cases of mastopexy or pure remodeling will be discussed below.
It can be seen that all three cases involve a descent of the areolas (grade I, II and III) and a tissue of the breast descent. In fact, it can be seen that asymmetries are quite frequent.
Thus, mastopexy procedures have been performed in all examples. This process involves the following steps:
- Elevation of the areola to its correct position and reduction of its diameter by four to four and a half centimeters.
- Remodeling of the breast tissue, i.e. rounding the tissue by applying stitches.
- Fixation of the mammary tissue to the pectoral muscle.
- Skin excision, although in the right measure, to adjust the content and the continent.
Mastopexy: the postoperative period
Thus, mastopexy leaves scars similar to those of a breast reduction operation. The resulting scars tend to fade and ‘fade’ over the months.
In short, it is an operation with a simple and painless postoperative period that can be performed on an outpatient basis.
For more information, consult a specialist in Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery.