Breast Lift: Q&A

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Lollipop Vs Benelli Lift for Sagging Breasts?

I have been advised that I have substantial breast sagging, (26 cm). 3 doctors I saw only recommended Lollipop whereas one surgeon told me I can have 5.5 cm lift with the Benelli Lift and no puckering or implant.

Is this realistic? I don't want the vertical scar but don't want a dodgy job. Is puckering permanent and is it better than a vertical scar?

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breasts sagging

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24 Doctor Answers | Asked by Bel in London

Doctor Answers (24)
Community Comments (0)

Vertical lift or benelli

I have to agree with with most comments on this post. Ironically your scar will probably look much better with a vertical lift than with the benelli. A lift of 5.5 cm is asking a lot for a benelli. It will not only flatten the breast but most likely stretch the areola back to or larger than it's original size because of the tension around it. Furthermore, I find it difficult to shape the breast using that technique. There is more control with the vertical lift in... more

3 to 1 odds

Bel, I'll take three to one odds anyday. You already know the answer to your question. A periareolar lift procedure is generally reserved for lifts of around 2cm. It sounds like you will need the lollipop. Good luck!

Both procedures are good for sagging breasts

Both procedures are good, and no one can tell you what to do in your particular situation without actually examining you themselves. You understand the core issue of the debate: the Benelli lift has less scar, but it may not lift/tighten as much and the scar can be thicker or pucker. Without seeing you, it is impossible to know whether it would work for you. I'd say this: 5.5 in general sounds like a lot to expect out of a Benelli. And, in general, if your SN:N is 26 as you say, 5.5 is... more

The Best Lift for Breast Sagginess

It’s not unusual for patients with breast sag to request procedures that limit the extent of scarring. Unfortunately, these efforts often result in significant compromises regarding the quality of scars and ultimately the shape of the breasts. Limited incisions can create tension on wound closures that result in spread of the scars and actual distortion of the breast shape. It’s important to remember that breast sag is usually accompanied by excess skin and failure to... more

Lollipop Breast Lift Best for Sagging Breasts over 2 Centimeters

Thank you for your question. I agree with most that a Lollipo Breast Lift is your best option since your sagging breasts have a Nipple Areola that requires 5.5 Centimeters of lift. Trying to lift the breast this amount using a Peri Areolar Breast Lift will result in puckering and deformity that will be very visible and much worse that a well healed Lollipop Lift Scar. Good luck.

Circumareolar Lift Vs. Lollipop Lift for Breast Sagging

You raise an excellent concern regarding breast lift options. Most patients would prefer to have minimal scarring (as would most plastic surgeons) with a breast lift. However, with a significant amount of lift necessary as in your case, there are limitations to the Benelli (Circumareolar) approach. While the Benelli approach can lift the nipple-areola, the larger the lift, the more likely that the circular scar wiill pucker, widen, stretch and flatten the breast (imagine... more

I find a lollipop lift or a anchor lift gives a better shaped breast with out puckering

In the end you want the best shaped breast with out puckering. In my hands this is best accomplished with a lollipop or anchor lift with or with out a sub mammary gel implant. Benelli Lifts are some what variable in most surgeons hands.

Benelli Breast Lift

A word of caution: many surgeons perform what they call a 'circumareolar' (or 'donut' or 'Benelli' ) mastopexy. In my opinion there is absolutely no such thing as a 'circumareolar mastopexy'. Removing skin around the areola may enable a surgeon to elevate the position of the nipple/areola complex perhaps 1-2 cm on the breast mound, but it DOES NOT lift the breast itself. In most cases, unfortunately, it serves to distort the shape of the breasts, making them appear flattened at the top. If... more

Michael Law, MD

17 reviews

Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon

michaellawmd.com

Lollipop Vs Benelli Lift for Sagging Breasts

The Benelli Lift is reserved for breast lifts in which the distance to move the nipple/areolar complex is small (around 2.0 cm). The Lollipop lift is used for breasts that need a more substantial lift with excision of redundant skin. The decision for breast lift type should be made with your plastic surgeon in accordance with what he or she thinks can be accomplished without risking nipple/areolar viability.

A lollipop vs. A Binelli

I have to agree with others in this form that 5 1/2 cm of lift from a Binelli mastopexy is asking a lot for this operation. It igenerally does best with smaller lifts and some degree of purse string puckering is the nature of this type of lift. A lollipop lift allows greater elevation of the nipple and removes more skin. It also allows the skin to be inset more smoothly. If you performed the Binelli lift and you are unhappy with it it could indeed be... more

Understanding the different breast lift techniques

Realistically - the further the breast has fallen, the more extensive the surgery will be. We generally perform the breast lift by one of three ways: crescent mastopexy benelli mastopexy vertical lollipop mastopexy crescent mastopexy When the nipple has fallen only slightly, you may be a candidate for a crescent mastopexy. This procedure involves removing a small crescent of breast skin and breast tissue directly above the areola (the colored area around the nipple). You are... more

Lollipop vs Benelli Breast lift

A Benelli breast lift is a circumferential incision around the nipple where excess skin is removed and the skin is then 'purse-stringed' to tighten the breast skin. The result is frequently associated with possible significant scarring around the nipple and flattening of the breast. The lollipop or vertical breast reduction moves the nipple up to a higher position while tightening the inferior breast skin. I prefer this incision because it allows for shaping of the breast... more

Benelli ( Circumareolar lift) vs vertical.

If you have too much ptosis. The periareolar lift will flatten your breasts and give you a pancake look. You are better off with vertical lift. Remember, unfortunately there is always a direct relationship between the better shape of the breast and the amout of scars.

Benelli lift is not very effective for moderate to severe breast sagging

Without the benefit of a photo, the degree of sagging you have would probably not be effectively treated with a Benelli lift. A vertical mastoexy will achieve a much better breast shape (less flattening) and a better looking areola over the long term. I'm a fan of the Benelli lift, but only use it for patients with mild breast sagging or patients that want an areolar reduction in conjunction with a breast augmentation.

Mastopexy surgery

When considering Breast lift (mastopexy) surgery, you have to know what the best and safest possible option is for your specific case. Depending on the severity and complexity of your case, you may be a better candidate for a "lollipop" incision which gives you a longer lasting result or the "donut" incision, also known as the benelli lift which gives you a lift but a limited one. I would recommend consulting with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss which... more

Candidates for a lollipop or Benelli Lift surgery

There are many different options for breast lift surgery in patients. In our practice, our first priority is to reestablish a useful and beautiful shape of the breast. Our next priority is to minimize the amount of scars on the breast and improve their overall quality. This may be performed in breast that require a small lift with an incision that only goes around the areola. If the patient requires a larger list or has excess skin or sagging, this scar may be accompanied by a... more

Breast lift options

There are many different options for breast lift surgery. This can run the gamut from just a benellis lift or circumareola to a lollipop lift (vertical) or an inverted "T approach. The technique chosen really depends upon the laxity of the tissues and the extent of skin excess, and the nipple position. It also can depend upon whether or not you are having an implant. It would be difficult to tell you which technique you would need without examining you.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Best type of Breast Lift - Lollipop vs Benelli scars

Dear Bel, Before answering your question, let us sort our terms and understand them. A LOLLIPOP Breast Lift (Mastopexy) describes 2 different types of lifts which are done through this scar pattern. Just as having the same identical door on a house does NOT mean the interiors are the same - neither does branding a lifted breast with the same pattern scar mean that the same lift technique was used. A Lollipop scar can be left when ONLY THE SKIN was shaped and tailored (associated with a... more

Donut versus Lollipop Lift

Certainly you can undergo a breast lift with either technique. The Benelli lift tends to flatten the breast whereas the vertical or "lillipop" lift tends to cone the breast. Permanent puckering is possible but in most cases will resolve. The vertical scar tneds to be a fine line. I would review more photographs to be aware the of the benefits and disadvantages of each approach. see video

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

32 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Do not do the periareolar lift!

It might work for a small lift, but even then sometimes the areola becomes misshaped. For 5.5 cm, don't even consider the Benelli. It will flatten your breast, and may end up with a widened areola. Consider what you really want to achieve - a breast lift with a natural perky shape. The Benelli flattens the breast, while the lollipop removes excess lower pole skin, thus really lifting the breast.

Benelli is not a powerful enough lift, especially without implants

If the 26cm you are referring to is the measurement down to your nipple, I would personally not recommend a benelli, probably even if you were having an implant. The benelli or peri-areolar lift relies on tightening the breast skin by pulling the purse-string suture tight around a smaller diameter areola. This invariabbly, if not just temporariliy, causes pleating or wrinkling. I would ask to see photos of patients who look like you now and what they look like after that procedure. If... more

Look at the surgeons before and after pictures

My best advice is to look at your surgeon's (all of them) before and after pictures and try to find women who had breast like yours where they performed the procedures they are recommending. This will give you a reasonable idea of what to expect form the procedure.

It's all a trade-off of shape for scar

If you need a lift and don't need the extra volume of an implant, a Benelli mastopexy will be a totally inappropriate choice. All patients without implants who need a lift will need a true lift with a vertical scar and maybe also one in the crease depending on how much extra skin they have. A Benelli mastopexy, even with implants, in a patient who needs significant lifting will wind up with a flat baggy breast and a poor shape. It works for a minimal lift, but certainly not one of 5.5 cm!! more

You need the lollipop!

Hi! In Manhattan, we use both the Vertical (lollipop) breast lift and the Benelli Mastopexy, depending on the anatomy , the degree of sagging, and whether we are also using implants. But you need the lollipop approach. This is what will give you the right shape, and when women love the shape of their breasts, they accept the vertical scar very well. And the scars do fade. It's all about the shape. The lollipop gives you LONG TERM perky shape. The Benelli will give someone like you a flat... more