Mini-Breast Lift in Scottsdale, AZ

Serving Scottsdale, Phoenix, Gilbert, Mesa, Chandler And Arizona

What is a Mini-Breast Lift?

Dr. John Corey brings 30 years of experience to his role as one of Scottsdale's leading breast surgery specialists. Dr. Corey helps women achieve a refreshed, youthful breast shape—a look that refines their natural beauty.
There are many varieties of mini- breast lift and they are all designed to give some amount of lift to the nipples and areola while at the same time minimizing the number of incisions made on the breast, avoiding the classic "Anchor" scar that goes around the areola, down the middle of the breast and then underneath in the lower crease. Over his 30-plus year career, Dr. John J. Corey has tried and used almost all of them and has definite thoughts and experiences as shared below. Certainly, other surgeons have different opinions and approaches to Mini-Breast lifts so please keep in mind that Dr. Corey's views are just one of many and there are many other "Mini" techniques than just those listed here.

Mini-Breast Lift Options

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Candidates typically have cases of mild breast sagging (ptosis) or more of a bottom fullness to the breast. Technically, these can be referred to as Grade 1 ptosis of the breast where the nipple and some breast tissue drop to the level of that crease underneath the breast where your underwire bra would rest, or Pseudoptosis where the nipple is above the underneath crease but some breast tissue does hang below the crease giving kind of a "up-tilted" breast.

Some of the more common "Mini" techniques are :

  • Crescent Lift: This is where one half-moon incision is made at the top of the areola, and another half-moon incision is made above that. A crescent wedge of skin is then removed in an effort to slightly raise the nipple. In Doctor Corey's experience it seems to stretch the areola out more than actually raise the nipple. Most patients reported no change in the nipple position at all.
  • Peri-areola or "Donut" lift: An incision is made 360 degrees around the areola and then another oval incision is made outside of that first incision and the skin in between is removed. The outside circle is then gathered into the inside circle with a purse string suture, oftentimes made of a non-absorbable material like Gortex. Dr. Corey did use this technique for decades but has since abandoned it. Dr. Corey found too many stretched out scars due to the circular forces and occasionally a problem with the suture breaking or becoming infected. Around thirty percent of donut lift patients required some type of scar revision afterwards.
  • Vertical, Lejour, "Keyhole" or "Lollipop" Lift: An incision is made 360 degrees around the areola followed by two divergent incisions going from the areola down the middle of the breast towards the crease. The tissue in between the two downward incisions is then removed and the two vertical incisions are then closed together, giving a circular incision around the areola and one straight down the middle of the breast, like a "lollipop". No incision is made horizontally in the crease underneath the breast. The limitation Dr. Corey found with this variation is that in most cases the patient had droopy tissue along the entire bottom of the breast and just removing the mid-portion left bulging tissue on either side of the lollipop stem. He found that very few patients were actually good candidates for this technique.

Considering Your Mini-Breast Lift

The techniques described above are all well-known and recognized and their use by surgeons should not be considered wrong or outside of the standard of care. For patients in this "slightly droopy" category, the options can be very overwhelming and frustrating. In many cases, just an implant may help fill out the breast, but remember.... Implants do not raise the nipple and areola. They push out the tissue and when properly placed can give the appearance that the nipple is now more centered on the breast, but the actual location is not raised in relation to the chest. Over the years Dr. Corey has seen much better and longer lasting results with the full anchor lift and with very minimal scarring as well. In other cases, Dr. John Corey may recommend avoiding surgery altogether if the patient is not ready for traditional scarring. A Mini-Breast Lift is very much a "Gray Area" operation with its own list of pro's and con's.

If you're in the Scottsdale, Phoenix, Glendale, Mesa, or Gilbert areas, your breast lift consultation is just a short drive away. During your one-on-one consultation, Dr. Corey discusses breast lifts and your goals for the procedure so he can make a personalized recommendation for you. Call our office at 480-767-7700 to book your consultation.

Read what our patients are saying!

"Thank you for doing such a wonderful job. You made me feel so comfortable by listening to my concerns. I am very happy with the results and highly recommend Dr. Corey. Dr Corey and his staff are very knowledgeable, friendly, caring professional and patient."

- Tatiyana – Scottsdale, AZ

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To find out if you are a good candidate for plastic surgery in Scottsdale, AZ at our practice call 480-767-7700. We proudly provide cosmetic surgery and other services for Arizonans from across the Metro Area and the entire state, including Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler and Gilbert.

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