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3 Things to Know About “Anchor” Mastopexy

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A breast lift removes a small amount of excess skin to reshape and reposition the breasts for a more youthful, natural breast appearance. There are 4 typical breast lift incision techniques and, while periareolar or lollipop incisions are shorter incisions, anchor mastopexy is often the ideal technique for achieving optimal improvement for some patients.

Female plastic surgeon Dr. Emily J. Kirby regularly performs breast lifts using the anchor technique to achieve optimal results for her patients, and she shares 3 things you should know about this procedure here.

This technique may provide optimal reshaping

An anchor breast lift is best if you have significant breast sagging or desire substantial reshaping. Whether you want to improve your breast appearance due to age, gravity, or the after-effects of pregnancy or weight loss, the anchor technique allows for comprehensive adjustments, and this may be necessary to achieve noteworthy improvements to the shape and position of your breasts and to restore youthful contours.

Female patient of Dr. Kirby's shown before and after breast lift
This 44-year-old patient underwent mastopexy after pregnancy and breastfeeding caused a deflated, droopy breast appearance. You can see how much lift the anchor technique achieves by comparing the breast position and degree of sagging. Her new breast shape and fullness appear youthful and natural. You may visit our gallery to view the uncensored breast lift before and after photos, demonstrating that the nipples point downward in the “before” photos (left) and rest below the inframammary fold at the base of her breasts. In the “after” photos (right), the nipples are placed in the center of the breast mound.

Many patients think we remove the nipple with the anchor technique to reshape the breast and put it back on once we create the desired shape and fullness. There is a technique to remove the nipple; however, it is not often used. We keep the nipple and areola attached and rotate it into position using carefully designed incisions.

Scar care is key 

Anchor mastopexy scars may seem intimidating at first, as there are 3 incisions on the breasts that form the “anchor” shape: 

  • 1 incision that encircles the areola, the colored circle surrounding the nipple
  • 1 vertical incision that extends from the areola to the natural crease under your breast (inframammary fold)
  • 1 horizontal incision along the inframammary fold 

Anchor incisions and their initial scar appearance are typically bright pink or a deeper brown; however, proper scar care helps these marks fade and blend to your natural skin color. 

At our Fort Worth plastic surgery practice, Dr. Kirby offers FDA-cleared Embrace® scar therapy to ensure breast lift scars fade as much as possible. The flexible, comfortable silicone strips cover the incisions to improve scar formation by reducing tension at the suture line while protecting and hydrating healing skin. Silagen® silicone scar gel with mineral-based SPF is another favorite post-operative scar treatment.

Patients who follow scar care protocols typically have thinner, less visible breast lift scars than patients who skip this critical step. 

You can get implants, too

An anchor breast lift may be combined with breast augmentation using saline or silicone breast implants for added lift and to enhance breast volume and fullness. This procedure combination is ideal for patients with deflated breasts who may not have enough natural breast tissue to achieve the volume they desire. Breast implants also help correct asymmetry and balance natural body proportions.

Female patient of Dr. Kirby's shown before and after breast lift with silicone breast implants
This 44-year-old patient underwent breast augmentation with mastopexy to correct a tubular breast shape and raise her breasts to a naturally higher position after weight loss of about 100lbs. Her “before” photos (left) show how her breasts rested far below her natural breast crease and appeared bottom-heavy. Dr. Kirby used the anchor breast lift technique to reposition her breasts and placed silicone implants to achieve a rounder breast shape, increase upper pole fullness, and create attractive cleavage. Dr. Kirby also resized her areolas for a more proportional overall appearance. See her uncensored photos here »

Anchor breast lift with Dr. Kirby

From your initial consultation to celebrating your final results, Fort Worth Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Emily Kirby considers every aspect of your breast enhancement so you enjoy safe, personalized results. Dr. Kirby and her expert medical team invite you to schedule your breast lift consultation at our Fort Worth plastic surgery practice to learn if anchor mastoplasty is right for you. Call or text us at (817) 292-4200 or contact us online today.

2 Comments Posted to "3 Things to Know About “Anchor” Mastopexy"

    • Yes, it certainly is! Dr. Kirby can perform a breast reduction with a lift, which does not involve implants. The reduction removes excess breast tissue and skin to decrease the size of the breasts, while the lift repositions the remaining tissue and nipples to a higher, more youthful position. You can learn about breast reduction here, and male breast reduction here.

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