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Can Horizontal Incision After Anchor Mastopexy Be Minimized?

Is there any way to minimize the horizontal incision after an anchor style Mastopexy? I'm very unhappy with this scar and I wasn't expecting such a long scar. My surgeon stated it would be a small horizontal incision. The incision on the opposite breast is smaller in length, but I am still unhappy.

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15 Doctor Answers | Asked by bluebird2 in New York

Doctor Answers (15)
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Shortening a Mastopexy Scar

Unfortunately, there is no way to shorten the scar in the breast crease. Discuss with your surgeon how the scar may look better over time, and what can be done to help make it look better.

Scar from mastopexy

The horizontal scar from your mastopexy will fade. This may take upwards of a year. SOmetimes IPL treatments to improved the redness can be performed.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Assisting with scar maturation

Once you have a scar, you will always have a scar. There is no way to make it disappear. This is not to say you can't have a good looking thin scar - this is our goal. For the first 2 months after surgery, it is normal for scars to become red and more noticeable. Over the next 6 - 12 months, the scar will mature and fade. (Under the microscope, this process takes up to 2 years!) The most important ingredient in scar maturation is time - you do have to wait for it to happen. That... more

Mastopexy Incisions

Since the incisions have been made from your breast lift the length can not be altered. The only characteristic that can be altered is the width or scar quality. Dr.ES

Trading scars for shape in mastopexy

Mastopexy is a great operation that is designed to provide a perkier breast mound. Many women have extremely saggy breast tissue to begin with and very often require removal of a significant amount of excess breast skin. Unfortunately, the only means to remove skin involves making incisions. Once you have a scar from an incision, it is permanent. Fortunately, most scars will fade and mature over time.

Shortening the length of the scar is not possible but other improvements are

If you are asking whether the length of this scar can be reduced to a shorter version the answer is no. There aren't any techniques that can erase all or portions of any scar. However, if the scar is thick and raised above the surrounding skin surface it can be minimized or flattened. Silicon sheeting or Silicon containing solutions applied to the scar can accomplish this. Injections of a steroid directly into a raised scar is very effective in flattening it .Perhaps your scar is... more

Fixing a horizontal incision after an anchor mastopexy

The anchor mastopexy was one of the first breast lift surgeries that were described. Although it does allow the surgeon to remove tissue it does leave very significant scars and can create an unattractive and boxy shape of the breast. For this reason, less than 5% of my patients receive the surgery. If you have received the surgery and are unhappy with the horizontal incision, there may be some treatments that can help, such as injection of the scar with a small amount of corticosteroid... more

Undesireable breast lift scars

Seek consultations with other physicians to evaluate the options for maanagement. IF it is wide it can be narrowed. If it is high it may be lowered. Discuss the choices available to you. see video

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

32 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Can horizontal incision after anchor Mastopexy be minimized?

Dear Bluebird 2 The scar from surgery may be improved with 1 time- as it takes up to a year and a half for a scar to mature 2 laser therapy or IPL/BBL to reduce the colour 3 revision- if a scar is spread/thick - it can be revised on occasion with good results 4 careful steroid injection It is best to follow up with your surgeon to discuss you results and options. With Warm Regards, TMB

There is often a tradeoff between scars and shape

There is often a tradeoff between scars and shape. For moderately sized breasts, it is possible to minimize scar length and still achieve a nicely shaped breast. However, as breast size and ptosis increases, it may be necessary to make longer incisions in order to produce the desired breast shape. If your surgeon kept the scar short it may have compromised breast shape and you would now be asking about why your breast was square shaped or bottomed out instead of asking about the size... more

Sorry that you are unhappy

One the cut is made, the scar will form. The great news is that the scar will fade over time, and there is a great chance that it will be very light and cosmetically acceptable. It is not at all unusual that the scars are different, as the breasts are usually asymmetrical.

It sounds like the results are good, but the scar is longer than you thought.

Hello Shaping a breast that has fallen with age or pregnancy is an imperfect science. We get the best shape with the longest scars and lots of work has been done trying to shorten the mastopexy scars. The short scar mastopexy is not for every breast, as the individual's anatomy may not be suitable. In most cases, making the scar longer to achieve the best result is justified. It sounds like you like the shape, but don't like the length of the scar. The reverse question would be: Would you... more

Talk to your surgeon

Your scar should improve with time as far as the quality of the scar, but the length of the incision will not change. Sometimes, a larger breast requires a longer incision to get the shape of the breast symmetric. Either way, I would recommend talking to your surgeon and relaying your concerns. He will best be able to advise you on your course. Good Luck!

You can't shorten a scar you already have

Once a scar has been performed, it can't be removed. Hopefully, it will fade with time and become less of an issue. Generally, the longest scars in the crease are in patients who have the most skin to remove.

Probably not, unless...

Once you have an anchor scar-type mastopexy, it is very unlikely you can shorten the horizontal component unless that scar can possibly be incorporated into a vertical mastopexy pattern. There are situations where this could conceivably occur, but it would be very rare so soon after the original mastopexy since presumably most, if not all, of the excess skin has already been excised. If this is a fresh scar, give it time since it will usually improve in quality. In any case, a mastopexy is... more