Lift vs. implant

It can be very tricky for the patient to judge beforehand if a lift is necessary.

There are some women whose breasts appear terribly saggy, but an implant alone can help them.  This is especially the case for patients who are thin and have had loss of breast tissue after breast feeding.  There are many types of breast lifts with differing abilities to correct drooping vs. the amount of scarring produced vs. the ultimate shape of the breast.  There is also the artistic style of the surgeon to be considered.

An examination with careful measurements by an experienced plastic surgeon will give you the best estimate.

For many patients, there is in fact no right answer, but choices, each with their pluses and minuses.

If you are seeing several board certified plastic surgeons and they are all recommending you have a lift with an implant, it is likely that will be your very best choice, all factors considered.

This response is taken from my website:

There are many reasons why women seek a consultation regarding their breasts with a plastic surgeon. Some simply want a larger bust line while others are only looking for more fullness or a perkier shape. Not everyone is a candidate for breast implants nor does everyone want them. Some women can achieve these goals without a breast lift (mastopexy), while others need a mastopexy alone or combined with an implant. How does your surgeon determine what is right for you? There are three important factors that should be assessed at your consultation: What is the relative position of your nipples on your breast mound and are the two breasts symmetrical? What is the quality of the skin enveloping your breast as well as the density (or lack), of breast tissue itself? What are your expectations? If a woman complains to her surgeon that her breasts have lost fullness in the upper portion and the nipples are still situated well above the lower border of the breast or inframammary fold, then she would not be a candidate for a mastopexy and would be better served to use a small implant to regain some of the lost breast volume. Another woman with the same desire to return the lost fullness in her breast may have nipples that are well below the inframammary fold, (sometimes one nipple is lower than the other and needs to be lifted accordingly). This patients breast would most likely be classified as saggy or in medical terms ptotic, (pronounced with a silent p). In general the greater the degree of ptosis the more likely the patient would require a breast lift. Nipple position is very important to the surgeon in deciding what technique of mastopexy to perform, so is the condition of the skin. Loose hanging skin with poor elasticity may need more tightening and longer incisions then breasts with thicker skin and denser breast tissue. Perhaps the most important factor in determining what operation to perform is what the patient expects her breasts to look like. A breast lift will only go so far to recreate a higher, rounder, perkier breast mound. If one does not have the breast volume or density needed to reach her expected outcome then a small breast implant may be used along with the lift to help fill things in. No matter if you feel your breasts have dropped or you cannot pass the pencil test and feel like you must always wear a bra, there is an operation or combination of procedures that lift and fulfill your expectations.

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