Possible to Have Breast Lift Through Armpit or Transaxillary Incision?

Question

I have really full breast and the nipples face a little down, not much. I am a Chocolate African American. I want a breast lift through the armpit by lifting the muscles - is that possible?

Armando Soto, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi there-
Please be very careful.
It is important to realize that if you wave a bit of money in the air, you will probably be able to find someone to do anything you wish...
As an aside- there is even an eye doctor here in Orlando calling himself a liposuction expert, and an ER doctor who lost his license after he did a "breast lift" by placing a screw used for fixing tendons and bones into a woman's clavicle and pulling the nipple up using a suture tied to the screw (!).
There is no safe and effective way to do what you are suggesting.
The ONLY way to be sure you are always safe and have a high likelihood of achieving your goals is to be sure you are dealing with a surgeon certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery.
For more advice on how to find a surgeon you like and can trust, please read this:

Otto Joseph Placik, MD · Answer

Lifting the muscles though the armpit will not lift the nipples. Even if this could be done, all it would accomplish is to lift the breast on your chest but do nothing to change the shape.

Richard Baxter, MD · Answer

The goal of a breast lift is to elevate the nipple-areola so that it is centered on the breast mound. Since the muscles are not connected to the skin, tightening the muscles is not part of a breast lift. There is just no way to avoid removing some skin around the areola in order to do a lift. However, in some cases adding an implant provides a degree of lift without skin removal. This is particularly true if there has been some loss of breast volume after breastfeeding. The question is whether a scar in the armpit will be better than a scar along the edge of the areola, where it is often better in people with darker skin because of the darker pigment of the areola.

Tom J. Pousti, MD · Answer

No, it is not possible to achieve breast lifting through transaction very incisions.

	Breast lifting involves some degree of tightening and lifting the breast skin envelope.  In order to tighten the skin envelope, skin excision is necessary;  this results in the presence of scars. 

	Sometimes, the presence of scars is a &ldquo;dealbreaker&rdquo;;  patients would prefer to leave their breasts unchanged than to have scars. At other times, patients  prefer to have the improvement in breast position, shape, and (possibly) size  and are willing to accept the trade-off of scars.

	I hope this helps.

Barry Stuart Handler, MD · Answer

The question is whether a woman with sagging breasts can get an adequate lift by operating through the armpit and lifting the muscles.  The short answer is not likely.  One can lift the breast slightly by placing implants but if the nipples are pointing down implants alone aren't likely to help.  The situation is one of inadequate breast tissue and/or too much skin.
The first thing to decide is how big you want to be.  If you want to be larger then you'll need some sort of implant.  If you are OK with your size then perhaps one of the many different surgical lifts may be sufficient.  In order to remove excess breast skin, incisions will have to be places on the breast itself.  There really is no way to lift the breast by lifting the muscle.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

Performing a breast lift through the armpit is impossible. A lift requires elevation of the nipple areola complex, often tightening of the skin envelope, and molding of the breast tissue. This must be done on the breast itself.

C. Bob Basu, MD, MPH, FACS · Answer

A breast lift is a contouring procedure for the breast. The basic principle applies in any breast lift - there is a need for some scar to achieve better form. Different lift techniques are available depending on your anatomy. There is a periareolar lift, and circumvertical lift ("lollipop" scar), and the periareolar and inverted-T scar on the breast. Depending on your anatomy and degree of sagging and whether you are opting for an implant, your surgeon will recommend the best/safest option.

David Shuter, MD · Answer

If the problem is truly droopiness, then the answer is no. Some patients can mistake a deflated breast with appropriate nipple position with droopiness. If the nipple is high enough and you want to increase volume, an implant may be the answer. However, if you have true ptosis or droopiness, only a skin tightening technique- a mastopexy or breast lift- will work.

Darryl J. Blinski, MD · Answer

I'm going to answer not in medical terms but in everyday slang. Are you kidding??? A lift is to elevate the tissue via excision of skin. So yes there is a scar. 
Regards from MIAMI

Peter E. Johnson, MD · Answer

Breast lift to shape the breast and elevate the nipple position requires an incision on the breast. Under the arm breast lift is unknown to me. It is a reasonable option in placing a breast implant in breast augmentation, however it won't work for a lift.Best of luck,peterejohnsonmd

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