The Push-up Lift: Preservation breast lift with circummamary ligament reconstruction
Objectives: To introduce and evaluate a novel central‑pedicle breast lift technique—the Push‑Up lift—that preserves breast tissue and reconstructs the circummammary ligament. The aim is to maintain blood supply, sensibility and lactation capability in the nipple–areola complex, control the nipple–fold distance and prevent bottoming‑out deformity, while providing stable, long‑term upper‑pole fullness and improved breast contour, particularly in patients with significant sagging or massive weight loss.
Introduction: Mastopexy procedures are performed by reshaping the breast tissue and moving the nipple‑areola complex (NAC) into a favourable position. The central pedicle‑based lift techniques preserve the blood supply to the breast tissue, resulting in safe and effective results. Circummammary ligaments form a hem in axillary and abdominal regions and stabilize the breast tissue on the chest wall. This concept of fusion of superficial fascia with deep structures is not new to other anatomical regions; SMAS in face and neck, thighs and buttocks. In this study we presented a new pedicle with breast tissue
Materials / method: Wise pattern markings define dissection limits along the circummammary ligament. After desepithelialisation, dissection starts from the lower rectus fascia and proceeds laterally and superiorly through a 1.5 cm‑thick subcutaneous flap. A 7 cm nipple‑to‑pedicle distance helps prevent bottoming out. The lower pedicle is fashioned into an “octopus” flap with vertical and oblique cuts; four dermoadipose segments are anchored around the breast base and the remaining pedicle is fixed at 2–3 points to form a semicircular ligament. The skin is closed in layers and the nipple–areola complex is repo
Results: We operated 86 patients with this technique without major complications including hematoma, seroma, nipple‑areola loss and sensation loss. Early wound dehiscence in T scars occurred in eight patients treated with local wound care.
Conclusion: Central pedicle methods keep projection, shape and scar quality but give poor décolleté and sag with time. Push‑Up lift controls nipple–fold distance on the skin and pedicle to prevent bottoming out and maintain upper pole fullness. Reconstructing the circummammary ligament stabilizes breast anatomy, key for massive weight‑loss patients. Flap size and breast footprint are adjustable. The technique relies on deep fascia and dermis as load‑bearers; skin provides tension‑free cover, leaving no scars in breast tissue, so cancer screening is unaffected.