Breast Lift in Milwaukee

A personal consultation with one of our board-certified plastic surgeons is the first step for anyone considering a breast lift. During this meeting, one of our surgeons will assess your physical and emotional health and discuss your specific goals for surgery and answer any questions you may have.

Your breast lift will be performed at one of our in-house surgical suites. Our medical staff will monitor your physical status throughout the surgery and during your recovery. The procedure generally takes around two hours and then we care for you in the recovery room for at least one hour before you are discharged. 

Techniques vary, but the most common procedure involves an anchor-shaped incision following the natural contour of the breast. The incision outlines the area from which breast skin will be removed and defines the new location for the nipple. When the excess skin has been removed, the nipple and areola are moved to a higher position. The skin surrounding the areola is then brought down and together to reshape the breast. Stitches are usually located around the areola, in a vertical line extending downwards from the nipple area, and along the lower crease of the breast.

Some patients, especially those with relatively small breasts and minimal sagging, may be candidates for modified procedures requiring less extensive incisions. One such procedure is the “doughnut (or concentric) mastopexy,” in which circular incisions are made around the areola, and a doughnut-shaped area of skin is removed.

If you’re having an implant inserted along with your breast lift, it will be placed in a pocket directly under the breast tissue, or deeper, under the muscle of the chest wall.

After surgery, you’ll wear an elastic bandage or a surgical bra over gauze dressings. Your breasts will be bruised, swollen, and uncomfortable for a day or two, but the pain shouldn’t be severe. Within a few days, the bandages or surgical bra will be replaced by a soft support bra. You’ll need to wear this bra around the clock for three to four weeks, over a layer of gauze. The stitches will be removed after a week or two.

If your breast skin is very dry following surgery, you can apply a moisturizer several times a day. Be careful not to tug at your skin in the process, and keep the moisturizer away from the suture areas.

You can expect some loss of feeling in your nipples and breast skin, caused by the swelling after surgery. This numbness usually fades as the swelling subsides over the next six weeks or so. In some patients, however, it may last a year or more, and occasionally it may be permanent.

A breast lift is relatively straightforward. But as with any operation, there are risks associated with surgery, there is always a possibility of complications, including bleeding, infection, or reaction to the anesthesia. Slow or poor wound healing along the suture line as well as fat necrosis is a possibility, especially in association with obesity, diabetes and smoking. We recommend that our patients stop smoking for at least 6 weeks before and after surgery. You can reduce your risks by closely following our medical team’s advice both before and after surgery.

Our goal is to make plastic surgery available to any patient who is qualified. We accept all major credit cards and offer several patient financing options to make the process as easy and affordable as possible. Our plastic surgery financing partners include CareCredit, Alphaeon, Prosper, and CosmetAssure. Learn more about your patient financing options here or contact us for more information.