John J. Seaberg, MD, FACS - Type Button Name Here

Breast Droop

Breast Lift Surgical Options
After pregnancy, nursing, major weight loss, or just after years of exposure to gravity, the skin covering of the breast may become overly large for the amount of breast tissue left inside it. The breast then sags, producing skin contact between the lower breast skin and the chest wall. The medical term that describes this situation is breast ptosis.

Ptosis (Pronounced "toe\' - sis")(The "P" is silent) is the medical word for sag or droop.

Ptosis is the noun. The adjective form is ptotic.(Pronounced "taw\' - tic")
Breast ptosis is classified by comparing the nipple location on the breast mound to the location of the lower breast skin fold on the chest wall. The degree of ptosis varies from one patient to the next, and is subdivided into 4 grades of severity: pseudoptosis, grade 1 ptosis, grade 2 ptosis, and grade 3 ptosis.

Grade I Ptosis

Grade I ptosis occurs when the nipple is at the same level as the skin fold or up to 1 cm below it. To correct this grade of ptosis, I recommend a circle nipple lift. Click on the View Photos button to see photos of people with this grade ptosis and how their procedure turned out.

Reccomended Treatment for Grade 1 Ptosis:

Before surgery, with the patient standing at the bedside, an ideal location is selected for the postoperative position of the nipple. This is usually midway between the inner and outer edges of the breast, at the level of the lower breast skin fold. A line is marked 2 centimeters above the new location for the nipple.
A second line is marked on the lower breast, 7 centimeters above the lower breast skin fold. If the distance from the nipple to the lower breast skin fold is less than 7 centimeters, the second line is marked 1 centimeter below the lower edge of the areola.
A circle is drawn around the nipple and areola, including the upper and lower marks in the circle.
After the patient is asleep in surgery, the skin between the outer edge of the areola and the inner edge of the previously drawn circle is removed.
A pursestring suture is placed around the edge of the outer circle
The pursestring suture is drawn tight and tied. This reduces the outer circle to the same diameter as the areola, and produces an empty hole centered around the ideal new location for the nipple.
Suturing the outer edge of the areola to the inner edge of the empty hole completes the procedure. The skin around the pursestring suture is often puckered for a few months after the procedure.
After 6 to 12 weeks of healing time, the skin puckering around the edge of the areola flattens out, leaving a smooth breast surface contour. The thin scar is well camouflaged by the color contrast between the darker areola skin and the lighter-colored skin of the surrounding breast.

Below are four spreadsheets listing the measurements of patient's with Grade I Ptosis. Each spreadsheet lists patients who were treated with one of the four methods available for treating Grade I Ptosis. Within each treatment category, the patients are arranged from smallest to largest ribcage and shortest to tallest within the same ribcage circumference groups. To find photos to fit your starting situation, measure the circumference above your breasts and find that number on this chart under the ribcage size column, under circ. above. If there are several listed with that circumference, refer to the height section and find your height and then follow that line all the way over to the right and click on see photos to bring you to that patient's photos. Be sure to keep breast shape in mind when considering if those photos are ideal to your starting situation. You can also look at other photos of people with the same circumference but taller or shorter if available.

Grade I Ptosis Treated with Augment Alone

PATIENT DATA				RIBCAGE SIZE			BREAST SIZE				PTOSIS				AROUND BREASTS		BRA SIZE		OP	SIZE		COMMENTS
Age	Preg	Ht	Wt	Circ.	N to MLN		Width		N to IMF		SN to IMF -SN to N		Ct Pt - IMF		Before	After	Before	After		CC
Age	Preg	Ht	Wt	Above	R	L	R	L	R	L	R	L	R	L	Before	After	Before	After		R	L
32	3	66.5	127	35	9.7	9.1	14	14	5	4.5	-0.3	-1.7	0.9	0.4	33.75	37.25	36A	36C	PASP	480	480	See Photos
46	1	66	150	35.25	12	11	15	15	7.8	6.8	-0.7	0.3	1.5	1	37.5	38.75	34C	36CD	IMSG	390	420	See Photos
39	2	65.5	146	37	9.7	9.7	15	15	5.4	5.7	-0.9	0.5	0.2	0.2	37.25	39.75	36B	36C	PASP	420	420	See Photos
26	2	68	205	47	14	14	18	17.6	10	9	-0.3	-1.8	2.5	2.1	47	48.75	38C	40DD	IMSG	850	850	See Photos

Grade I Ptosis Treated with Eyebrow/Crescent Nipple Lift

PATIENT DATA				RIBCAGE SIZE			BREAST SIZE				PTOSIS				AROUND BREASTS		BRA SIZE		OP	SIZE		COMMENTS
Age	Preg	Ht	Wt	Circ.	N to MLN		Width		N to IMF		SN to IMF -SN to N		Ct Pt - IMF		Before	After	Before	After		CC
Age	Preg	Ht	Wt	Above	R	L	R	L	R	L	R	L	R	L	Before	After	Before	After		R	L
40	3	63	115	32.5	9.6	9.6	13.7	13.7	6.8	7.0	-0.4	-0.1	1.5	1.6	33	35	34B	34D	EXSP	375	375	See Photos
36	3	66	125	33.25	9.8	9.8	14	13.4	6.6	6	1	1	0.6	0.6	34.5	37.25	34B	34D	EXSP	375	375	See Photos
22	2	66	180	40	12	12	18	18.6	6.5	7	-1	-1	2	2	41	41.75	34D	38C	EXSG	425	400	See Photos

Grade I Ptosis Treated with Circle Nipple Lift

PATIENT DATA				RIBCAGE SIZE			BREAST SIZE				PTOSIS				AROUND BREASTS		BRA SIZE		OP	SIZE		COMMENTS
Age	Preg	Ht	Wt	Circ.	N to MLN		Width		N to IMF		SN to IMF -SN to N		Ct Pt - IMF		Before	After	Before	After		CC
Age	Preg	Ht	Wt	Above	R	L	R	L	R	L	R	L	R	L	Before	After	Before	After		R	L
35	3	64	132	33.5	9.5	9.5	14.8	15.1	8.5	8.8	-1	-2.5	3.4	3.7	34.25	37.5	34B	36C	CXSP	350	350	See Photos
41	5	67	135	33.75	10.3	10.3	14.2	14.2	9	9.8	-0.3	-0.6	26.0	25.1	34.25	37.5	34B	34DD	CXSP	450	450	See Photos
37	0	64.5	150	34.1	11.3	9.3	13.5	13.9	8	7.5	1.3	-0.3	0.6	1	36	38.5	34B	36D	CXSP	390	390	See Photos
33	2	62	126	34.5	10	11	16	16.2	7	7.5	-0.5	-1.8	1.5	2.8	36	40.25	36B	38C-D	CXSG	390	390	See Photos

Grade I Ptosis Treated with V-Lift

PATIENT DATA

RIBCAGE SIZE

BREAST SIZE

PTOSIS

AROUND BREASTS

BRA SIZE

SIZE

COMMENTS

Age

Preg

Circ.

N to MLN

Width

N to IMF

SN to IMF -SN to N

Ct Pt - IMF

Before

After

Before

After

Above

108

9.8

9.4

13.8

7.4

7.2

1.4

-0.3

2.2

32A

36D

VXSP

390

See Photos