New procedure to correct sagging breasts

CHICAGO, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- U.S. plastic surgeons say they have developed a procedure for women who want to restore sagging breasts by lifting them to a more natural shape.

Dr. Dennis Hurwitz says an innovative procedure corrects severely deflated, sagging breasts left looking like "pancakes."

Hurwitz says the procedure uses unwanted tissue and fat from the patient's tummy, along the bra line, or beneath the upper arm, shapes it into a breast mound and secures it with absorbable sutures into a tissue sheet that acts like a sling to hold the flap into position.

This "spiral flap" is mobile enough to permit shaping, positioning and enlarging the breast. Hurwitz says the breasts are not only enlarged and better-shaped; they are soft and shift naturally with changes in body position and patients also get the dual benefit of body contouring.

"In the past several years I've seen more women in their 50s who are unhappy with their breasts," Hurwitz said in a statement. "These women have had numerous pregnancies, waited later in life to have children, lost a lot of weight, or simply want to restore their figure."

The findings are scheduled to be presented at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons conference Oct. 31 to Nov. 5, in Chicago.