Breast lift with autoaugmentation uses ones own tissue to achieve a perkier appearance. Dr Bianca Knoll in Frankfurt Germany

Breast Lift in Frankfurt, Germany

Breast lifts are often requested by patients after weight loss, breast feeding, age-related progressing breast sagginess, or because of poor connective tissue strength. A breast lift, or also called mastopexy, corrects ptosis (sagging/drooping) of the breast. Most women seeking a breast lift are looking for natural, youthfully shaped, and appropriately sized breasts, which are similar in shape and appearance to what they used to have when they were younger, or before pregnancy. Although the cup size of your breast will not change (unless you request this) your breast shape, and its enhanced projection will make it appear more youthful. A breast lift can either be performed as a single procedure or in combination with a breast reduction or breast augmentation.

Am I a Candidate for a Breast Lift?

Patients requesting a mastopexy seek out the procedure to enhance the appearance of the breasts for the following reasons:

  • Breast volume loss after pregnancy or breastfeeding
  • Breast volume loss and sagginess from weight changes
  • Age related ptosis of breasts
  • Improvement of loss of elasticity
  • Improving elasticity loss and shape

Sometimes a lift might be required in addition to a breast augmentation to achieve
the shape a patient is looking for. Patients who are looking for an upper pole fullness of
their breast, might be unhappy with the result post-operatively since the breast lift could not achieve the fullness they desired. These patients may benefit from a combined procedure, a breast augmentation and a lift.

The “most beautiful” or “ideal” breast shape for you is UNIQUE to you and your own tastes, body, and current breast shape. It is important to put the plan for breast reshaping in context with your overall physiognomy (that is height, weight, abdomen and chest wall shape) in order to create the optimal body contour and image. The size, shape and position of the breast mound, and the relationship between the breast to the nipple-areola complex are important variables. The desirable breast size and shape, necessarily will be different from one individual to the next. No matter if a breast reduction, a breast augmentation, a breast lift is desired or a combination of the latter 2, there are different surgical techniques which address the differing surgical goals.

Breast lift procedures correct sagginess and can improve the shape of a woman's breast at any age. Board certified Plastic Surgeon in Frankfurt, Germany Dr Bianca Knoll

Combined Breast Augmentation and Breast Lift

Therefore it is essential to define your wishes and expectations pre-operatively in order to recommend and perform the right surgical procedure for you.
Some patients are undergoing a combined procedure, having a breast augmentation and a mastopexy performed at the same time. Depending if the breast implant is being placed above or below the breast muscle (pectoralis muscle), the recovery will be faster or lengthier. Performing a simultaneous breast lift and breast implant augmentation carries some specific risks related to wound healing, asymmetry, shape, biofilm, capsular contracture, and potential small revisions. A combined mastopexy and augmentation can be performed safely and successfully. If you would like to learn more about your  options contact the Frankfurt office of Dr Bianca Knoll to set up your consultation.

What Are the Different Mastopexy Techniques?

There are different breast lift techniques to surgically treat ptosis, or sagginess of the breast; popular  techniques include the inverted T shape techniques, the conventional vertical scar methods, and circumareolar techniques. A newer addition to the surgical techniques is a breast lift with autoaugmentation.There are many surgical mastopexy techniques that are used. They may be divided in to 3 groups:

  1. Techniques that rely on the skin envelope of the breast to form the new shape. These techniques are often associated with unpleasing wide scars from tension, or puckering of the tissue, with little projection of the central mound of the breast and a flat widened breast shape. In addition there is a less predicable change in breast shape over time.
  2. ”Internal support“ techniques (developed in the 1980’s). Here the breast skin is draped over a sculptured and reinforced mound with much less skin tension, yielding a much finer scar. In addition, the breast shape is improved with shorter scars.
  3. The breast lift with autoaugmentation technique builds on the previous breast lift techniques and has significantly enhanced breast projection and superior pole of the breast fullness (signs of a more youthful breast shape). This is accomplished by further rearrangement of the breast tissue without relying in placement of the breast tissue under the chest wall muscle (pectoralis major muscle) in order to achieve this projection. With this approach excellent results are achieved, without causing concerns related to the detection and treatment of breast cancer. As all women are at some risk of breast cancer, tissue placed below a natural barrier to cancer, spread (the pectoralis muscle) is more of a concern, as it may be more difficult to detect growth, and may be more difficult to treat effectively.
  4. Peri-arolear breast lift techniques that are usually performed to correct minor degree of ptosis or to adjust small height asymmetries between the 2 areola. It is the goal of Dr Bianca Knoll to give you the most effective and safe operative approache to achieve the desired improvements in breast shape, that you seek.

Scars and your Breast Lift

The visibility of your scars does not only depend of the incision made, but also on the individual genetically determined healing and scarring, and surgical technique reducing tension. Most of Dr Knoll’s breast lift procedures are performed using a „lollipop“ incision.

  • The „anchor“ incision is made around the areola, vertically down, and horizontally along the breast crease.
  • The „lollipop“ or „keyhole“ incision is made around the areola and vertical down.
  • A periareolar incision or „donut lift“ is made just around the areola.

Dr Knoll offers a variety of different mastopexy methods to limit the visibility of scars resulting from your surgery as much as possible, and also offers advice for your post-operative care. Although many steps can be undertaken to decrease the visibility of a scar, it is important to understand, that in most patients, the scars of a breast lift will be noticeable.

If you would like to learn more about your  options contact the Frankfurt office of Dr Bianca Knoll to set up your consultation.

What To Expect Undergoing a Mastopexy

A breast lift is usually performed under general anesthesia as an outpatient surgery and takes about 3-4 hours. Depending on your general health and your personal comfort you may prefer an overnight stay in the clinic. After your surgery you will have some swelling and bruising, which gradually subsides within the following weeks. During that time Dr Knoll and her team will see regularly in her Frankfurt office to accompany you during the wound healing process. Although most patients do not describe their post-operative course as very painful, you will be limited in your physical activities during your immediate post-operative period to ensure adequate wound healing. The success of the procedure is clearly dependent on the meticulous planning, a patient’s realistic expectations, aesthetic sense of your surgeon, and skilled surgical performance of your surgery. Patients are often concerned about visible scarring. Incision length and therefor scarring is always kept to the minimum necessary . Although the incisions will be closed tediously and precise, the incisions still might be noticeable depending on the individual healing and scar formation.

Breast Lift Recovery

A mastopexy is not described as very painful by our patients. Most describe a burning or pulling sensation after their  procedure. During your post-operative recovery you will wear a support bra for about 6 weeks, and you will see Dr Knoll in her Frankfurt office regularly for dressing changes and check ups. Nearly all patients will undergo their surgery without the need of drains. Initially the breasts will be swollen and bruised. The amount of bruising and swelling can vary from patient to patient, but Dr Knoll’s office will provide you with helpful pre and post-operative care information to allow you an optimal recovery. Dr Bianca Knoll and her staff will have your best interest at heart, and will do everything they can to have your surgery go well, and your recovery proceed smoothly, safely and with the least amount of discomfort possible.
We are happy to provide you with further information about the breast lift and answer your questions during your consultation in Dr Bianca Knoll’s office.

Breast Lift Cost

The costs of a mastopexy may vary depending on the complexity, surgical technique used, length of the procedure and the details involved. Usually there are 3 different costs associated with surgery: the surgeon’s fee, hospital fee, and anesthesia fee. Dr Bianca Knoll’s office in Frankfurt will provide you with a detailed cost proposal including all these 3 different costs after your consultation. The best thing to do is to come in to see Dr Knoll for a consultation. You will be thoroughly examined and provided with all the information you will need to make an informed decision. You will also receive further information about any type of preoperative testing required and additional information about your procedure. If you wish to have additional information or would like to schedule a consultation please contact the office of Dr Bianca Knoll, we will be happy to assist you.

We understand that it can be impartial for some of our out of town/ international patients to travel to Frankfurt for an initial consultation. For this reason, Dr. Knoll offers online consultations. By submitting a series of photographs, information about your desired outcome, and a little about yourself, we can start to determine if you are a good candidate. Though a virtual consultation starts the conversation, it does have it’s limitations and does not replace the need to be seen in person for a traditional consultation to finalize plans for a procedure.