Once a patient decides that breast lift surgery in Chicago, IL, medically known as mastopexy, is the right direction, the next decision is which incision pattern fits their anatomy. Dr. Amir Dorafshar, MD, FACS performs the procedure at Evolve Your Life’s Chicago, Peoria, and Oak Brook, IL locations, with the downtown Chicago office based in the Gold Coast near the Magnificent Mile.
How Incision Patterns Are Chosen
According to Cleveland Clinic, mastopexy involves removing excess skin and repositioning the nipple and areola to a more youthful height. How that’s accomplished varies. A crescent or peri-areolar incision, circling just the areola, suits patients with mild sagging. A vertical, or “lollipop,” incision extending from the areola to the breast crease addresses moderate sagging. An anchor incision, adding a horizontal line along the breast crease, is reserved for more significant sagging where more skin needs to be removed. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons notes that incision pattern depends heavily on the degree of sagging and the patient’s skin elasticity, not personal preference alone.
Dr. Dorafshar evaluates skin quality, breast volume, and nipple position during consultation to recommend the least invasive incision pattern that still achieves a lasting result, since a more extensive incision isn’t automatically the better choice for every patient.
Combining a Lift With Other Procedures
A breast lift alone reshapes and repositions existing tissue rather than adding or removing significant volume. Patients who also want a size change often combine mastopexy with implants or fat transfer in the same operation, while patients addressing multiple areas at once, abdomen and breasts together, for example, may fold the lift into a broader combination surgery rather than scheduling it separately. Combining procedures means a single recovery period instead of several, though it also means a longer single operative time, a tradeoff Dr. Dorafshar discusses individually with each patient.
Recovery generally involves a supportive surgical bra for several weeks and avoiding heavy lifting or strenuous exercise for roughly a month. Incision lines are permanent but typically fade significantly and are positioned within the breast’s natural contours to minimize visibility. For patients deciding between a lift, augmentation, or both, our articles Breast Lift vs. Augmentation and Understanding the Benefits of Breast Lift address that question directly, and patients whose sagging developed after pregnancy or breastfeeding may find Breast Lift or Breast Implant After Pregnancy? useful as well.
Because a breast lift isn’t typically covered by insurance, the ASPS breast lift consultation guide outlines questions worth asking a surgeon before scheduling, including cost, and discussing financing transparently is part of how Dr. Dorafshar’s team sets expectations before surgery.
Patients throughout the Chicago area, including those traveling from Peoria and Oak Brook, can schedule a consultation to review incision options and whether combining a breast lift with another procedure makes sense for their goals.
