Is it true that they remove tissue and fat during a breast lift?

A breast lift usually removes extra skin and reshapes/repositions the existing breast tissue higher on the chest. Some breast tissue may be rearranged internally to improve shape, and the nipple-areola complex is moved to a better position while keeping its blood supply intact.

Fat or glandular tissue is not always removed. If the breasts are too large, heavy, or asymmetric, the operation may include a small reduction, which does remove breast tissue and sometimes fat. If volume is already limited and the goal is only lifting, surgeons try to preserve as much tissue as possible. Your surgeon can tell you whether your planned operation is a true lift alone or a lift with reduction based on your exam and goals.

A breast lift (mastopexy) is primarily a shape-and-position operation that mostly removes skin and reshapes internal tissue. Little to no breast tissue is removed unless excess tissue needs to be reduced for better shape or symmetry.

If your main goal is "same volume, just higher," that's usually achievable with a breast lift alone. If you want to be smaller, then the discussion would include tissue and fat removal as part of a larger breast lift and reduction plan.

Thanks for your question. Tissue and excess skin is removed during a breast lift. Hope this helps. I recommend scheduling a consult for a proper evaluation. Please always consult with a board certified plastic surgeon. Take care, Dr. Moises Salama, board certified plastic surgeon

Yes it is true. We send the tissues that we remove to the pathology lab to make sure everything is clear free the surgery

A breast lift involves skin removal at a minimum. Most of the time skin and some nearby associated tissue is removed to make room for the lift and reshaping. The goal with a lift is to elevate the nipple and areola as well as tighten and reshape the breast while minimizing a decrease in size as much as possible. If there is excess tissue (breast and / or fat) that needs to be removed to improve the reshaping and lift, then it is removed. The most common area to remove tissue is the lower part of the breast. In our office, when appropriate, we rearrange the excess breast tissue instead of discarding it. This technique is called an auto-augmentation. Also, in our office, we perform a full breast lift under local anesthesia with the option of oral sedation and pain management.

Thank you for your inquiry! Yes, a little bit of natural breast tissue is removed during a Mastopexy (breast lift) in order to lift the breasts. I recommend consulting with a board certified plastic surgeon to create a surgical plan targeted towards your specific goals.

Typically, a breast lift only has some skin removed, and all of the breast tissue is retained, as the goal of a breast lift is to keep all the volume, but reposition the breast to a higher position on the chest. A breast reduction has both skin and breast tissue removed because the goal is to reduce the size of the breast. Occasionally, depending upon the persons individual anatomy, small areas of breast tissue are removed with a breast lift in order to maximize the aesthetic breast shape. Best wishes.

Dear Cheerful141788,
in case of breast lift your surgeon will remove excess skin but will not reduce breast tissue. If you are considering surgery, I would suggest you consult a board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination, you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MDCertified, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Yes, during a breast lift, a certain amount of skin and breast tissue is removed. It is best to discuss with your plastic surgeon your postoperative expectations. Discussing this with your surgeon would give you an idea of how much smaller you could expect to be. If you do not wish to be smaller post op, you could discuss breast implant options to restore upper pole fullness.

I have had this question asked many times in my office in preparation for a breast lift (aka Mastopexy) and the answer is the following: "you have to nip/ tuck something to go from one position to another." It is however rare to be removing anything that is critical to breast function and that would be able to be saved if you want a different shape of your breasts. Best Wishes!!