Explain the Difference Between Mastopexy and a Benelli Lift Please?

Question

I was told I was going to get a maxtopasy but the incision would be like a donut now are the incisions for a Benelli lift the same?

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD · Answer

A mastopexy is a term that describes a group of operations. The Benelli or periareolar doughnut mastopexy is one variety. There are limited indications for it.

Gary M. Horndeski, MD · Answer

The Benelli lift uses a circumareola incision to elevate the areola on the breast mound.  This technique does not elevate the breast on the chest wall.  Other mastopexy techniques elevate the breast mound but require ugly vertical scars.  The alternate technique I prefer is called The Mini Ultimate Breast Lift.  Using only a circumareola incision it is possible to reshape your breast tissue creating upper pole fullness, elevate them higher on the chest wall and more medial to increase your cleavage.  Aligning the areola and breast tissue over the bony prominence of the chest wall maximizes anterior projection without the need of an implant.  This technique avoids the ugly vertical scars of the lollipop or boat anchor shaped incisions.

	 

	Best Wishes,

	 

	Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

The Benelli lift is a doughnut lift with scars that go all the way around the areola. It is okay in some small lifts, but in many cases it does not provide enough lift and can cause the areola to stretch out over time. For these reasons I favor the vertical lollipop lift instead.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

One type of breast lift or mastopexy is a donut lift also called circumareolar lift also called Benelli lift.  Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of breast lift procedures each year.  Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results.

	Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

C. Bob Basu, MD, MPH, FACS · Answer

You have a number of options which will depend on your current anatomy.  Breast lift plastic surgery can improve the profile of sagging breasts, making breasts look more youthful and perky.Breast lift surgery is done to improve the profile of sagging breasts, changing their position on the body to appear more youthful.  I've posted a video for my preferred breast lift technique for you.  Please visit with a board certified plastic surgeon to learn more about your options.

	Dr. Basu

	Houston, TX

Patti A. Flint, MD · Answer

There are several popular techniques used to perform breast lifts, called mastopexies. The Binelli lift relies on a circular incision around the areoal. The Lejour lift commonly uses a lollipop incision around the areola and vertically on the undersurface of the breast in the midline of the breast. An anchor mastopexy includes the above and adds an incision underneath the breast across the crease.

	While each of these lifts works wonderfully in certain patients, it is wise to allow your plastic surgeon to suggest which lift will work best for you. While I use all three types of lifts described, one type will definitely work better in certain breast types.

Lewis Ladocsi, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi Lomi6767. A mastopexy is the formal name for a breast lift, an operation which will not change the size of the breast (at least not very much), but will change the breast shape, and reposition the nipple and areola in a more youthful and aesthetically pleasing position, at the apex of the breast mound. One technique for performing a mastopexy was introduced by Benelli, who hid the scar around the areola. This technique improves the breast shape, while hiding the scars very nicely. However, it is not appropriate for everyone. In general, if I need to move the nipple up more that about 2 cm, then a Benelli (or periareolar) lift is not appropriate, because it may leave wide scars and a flat breast. I hope this helps. I suggest you discuss your concerns with your plastic surgeon.

Scott L. Replogle, MD (retired) · Answer

Technically, a mastopexy is a repositioning of the breast and its attached nipple-areola to a higher level without adding or subtracting any significant volume. In a breast that is truly drooping enough to benefit from a mastopexy, there is an excess of skin in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions below the nipple-areola and the original solution to this was an "anchor" incision in order remove both the vertical and horizontal skin excesses. The incision around the areola is required in all true mastopexies because the nipple-areola has to be isolated and moved up. This is why so-called crescent lifts are not actually a mastopexy. 

	Mastopexies attempted without removing any excess skin from either the vertical or horizontal dimensions often do not actually lift the breast up and merely rearrange the nipple-areola position on the breast mound while often flattening it. Their advantage is limiting the incisional scars, but in my opinion and experience, they are only reasonable when the patient doesn't really need a mastopexy and the illusion of one can be achieved with a breast implant which solves the forward projection and upper pole fill that a mastopexy can't achieve. 

	The modern approach to true mastopexy requires a vertical incision from the lower end of the areola down to the inframammary crease and removes horizontal excess skin after the gland of the breast is actually elevated by a number of internal (below the skin) techniques. The vertical excess skin is taken up around the closure of the skin around the areola and in the vertical contraction of the incision. If the degree of elevation of the breast is too much for this or there has been a sizeable reduction of breast volume, then some degree of horizontal incision in the inframammary crease is needed to remove excess vertical skin. 

	The surgeon has to use experience and judgment to use the appropriate approach and minimize the incisions but actually lift the breast higher on the chest. In general, if the nipple-areola is more than two cm below the inframammary crease when the patient is upright with arms down, a true mastopexy is needed but can be done with a vertical (lollipop) incision. If the nipple-areola is more than 5 cm below the inframammary crease level, then some sort of horizontal incision may be needed to remove vertical excess skin.

Robert M. Grenley, MD (retired) · Answer

A mastopexy is the technical name for a breast lift. There are different types of breast lifts according to the amount of breast sagging (and overhang past the crease beneath the breast), the amount of elevation that the nipple needs, the overall breast anatomy, etc. The Benelli lift leaves only a circular scar around the areola but is very limited in terms of how much lift can be achieved, and it does not shape the breast very well without the use of an implant for projection. The "lollipop" lift adds a vertical scar and is better able to lift and shape the breast, and an "anchor" or "inverted T" lift adds a scar in the crease beneath the breast for more reduction in the overhang of the breast. The surgeon has to use his or her judgement in order to assess which lift the patient needs in order to get a good result.

Explain the Difference Between Mastopexy and a Benelli Lift Please?

Answers (9)

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