A breast lift (mastopexy) raises and reshapes a sagging breast and repositions the nipple. Dr Thomas Colson uses all three scar patterns matched to the degree of sagging, and performs lift-plus-implant (augmentation-mastopexy) in a single stage when volume is also needed.
A breast lift (mastopexy) raises and reshapes a breast that has descended, repositioning the nipple and tightening the skin envelope — without necessarily changing volume. Dr Colson uses all three scar patterns, matched to the degree of ptosis: periareolar, vertical (lollipop) and inverted-T.
The principle is simple: the more the breast has dropped, the more lifting — and therefore scar — is required. The right pattern for your case is decided together during the examination and a Crisalix 3D simulation.
When both position and volume need restoring, Dr Colson performs augmentation-mastopexy in a single stage — lift and implant together — to avoid a second operation.
In line with UAE Department of Health guidelines on modesty and medical advertising, breast surgical results are not published online. Outcomes relevant to your own anatomy are reviewed privately during your consultation, alongside a Crisalix 3D simulation of your planned result.
A mastopexy repositions the breast and the nipple-areola complex on the chest wall. It trades skin for shape, so scarring is intrinsic to the operation rather than a complication of it. Dr Colson reviews the following with every patient before consent.
| Risk | What it means | How it is managed |
|---|---|---|
| Scarring | Every lift leaves permanent scars, and their extent depends on the pattern used — periareolar, vertical, or inverted-T for larger lifts. | The pattern is matched to the degree of ptosis and agreed before surgery; scars mature over 12–18 months with a scar-care protocol. |
| Change or loss of nipple sensation | Altered nipple feeling is common in the early months and usually improves. It can be permanent in a minority of patients. | The pedicle is designed to preserve the nerve supply; risk rises with the size of the lift. |
| Reduced blood supply to the nipple-areola complex | Rare, but the most serious specific risk of the operation. In its most severe form it can cause partial or complete loss of the nipple-areola complex. | Risk is higher with very large lifts, previous breast surgery, smoking and diabetes. Stopping smoking around surgery is a condition, not a suggestion. |
| Delayed wound healing | Most often at the T-junction of an inverted-T pattern, where three suture lines meet. | Managed with dressings and time; markedly more common in smokers and in poorly controlled diabetes. |
| Recurrence of sagging | A lift does not stop ageing, gravity, weight change or the effect of a future pregnancy. The breast will continue to change. | Discussed at planning; timing relative to planned pregnancies and weight stability is part of the decision. |
| Asymmetry, areolar widening, dog-ears | The two breasts are never identical, the areola can stretch over time, and small skin excesses can persist at the ends of the scar. | Minor revision under local anaesthesia is sometimes proposed after the scars have matured. |
| Breastfeeding | Breastfeeding is often preserved after a lift but cannot be guaranteed. | Pedicle design keeps the nipple attached to underlying tissue wherever possible; discussed if pregnancy is planned. |
| Bleeding, infection, anaesthetic and thromboembolic risk | As for any surgery, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. | Pre-operative assessment, sterile technique and early mobilisation. Calf pain or breathlessness needs emergency care. |
Nicotine constricts the small vessels that supply the skin and the nipple-areola complex. In a mastopexy — where that blood supply is deliberately preserved through a narrow pedicle — smoking is the single modifiable factor most strongly associated with wound breakdown and with nipple loss. Dr Colson requires that patients stop smoking, including vaping and nicotine replacement, for a defined period around surgery. This is a safety requirement rather than a preference.
Under UAE Department of Health rules on health media and advertising, patient information must be balanced. None of the above is a reason to avoid surgery — it is the material on which an informed decision is made, and each point is discussed again, applied to your own anatomy, before you consent.
Consultations and surgery with Dr Thomas Colson are performed exclusively at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) in Abu Dhabi, within the SEHA network. A pre-operative Crisalix 3D simulation lets patients preview the planned breast shape before deciding.