Breast Augmentation: Q&A

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Do I Need Implants with my Breast Lift? My Breasts Are Saggy and Empty Looking.

My breasts used to be double Ds when I weighed 215lbs. I lost 90lbs in one year and now weigh 125lbs. I wear a C cup but my breasts are small, saggy and empty. My surgeon said if I get just a lift that I will end up with an A cup and flat. I want to be a full B cup but no bigger as I am a small girl. I do not have much breast tissue to work with and am completely flat on top. It all sags to the bottom. I am 28 and have one child. Do I need implants or is there another way?

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22 Doctor Answers | Asked by Malli Aventura in Aventura, Florida

Doctor Answers (22)
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Do I Need Implants with my Breast Lift

You are to be congratulated on the accomplishments so far! With a lift, the amount of tissue removed should be quite small. If you are currently a C cup, I am not sure why a lift would decrease your size to an A. It is hard to advise without an in person evaluation or at least photos, but from your posting I would be inclined to offer a lift alone. Thanks and best wishes.

Implants

The loss of volume that you describe with the ptosis is very common after weight loss. The best method for correction is with implants and a lift.

Implants and lift or mastopexy or augmentation mastopexy

Implants and lift or mastopexy or augmentation mastopexy you will most likely need volumn an implant is most common fat transfer is an option when in doubt do this in two stages

Implants with lift

This is a tough call.I dont think you will go from a C to an A with a lift but it is very easy to put in a small impolant at the time of the lift say a 150-200 cc implant or you could wait a few months.

Do I need implants with a breast lift?

Congratulations on your stunning weight loss. 90 pounds in one year is outstanding. Regarding your breast, I think implants will give you the fullness you seem to want, and an uplift will simply lift and tighten the skin you already have along with elevating the nipple/areolar complex. With weight loss like your have experienced, there is too much deflation to achieve any appreciable volume without a implants. You can opt for small implants if you like. See your PS and have him place... more

Breast lift with Strat

Dear Malli, Thank you for the question and congratulations on the weight loss. If you're happy with the size of your breasts at the present time, then lifting them will likely make you a little bit smaller. If you're contemplating having implants, you need to be evaluated in person to assess your idea of what the final size and outcome should be. In selected patient I like using Strattice as an internal bra which also provides a small amount of volume. Best of luck. more

Best Breast Surgery for Me?

Congratulations on your significant weight loss; you should be very proud of this accomplishment. Unfortunately, one of the downsides that patients report with weight loss is the change in size and position of their breasts. Most patients who undergo this significant amount of weight loss, benefit from breast lifting as well as breast augmentation surgery. Without breast implants is unlikely that you will be pleased with the resulting breast size or fullness. I would... more

Are breast implants needed

If you are unhappy with your current volume, then an implant may be needed with your lift procedure. Depending on the severity of your sagging, your surgeon will recommend either a one-stage augmentation and lift or a two-staged augmentation and lift. Please visit w/ a board certified PS in your area to learn more about your options. Dr. Basu Houston, TX

Question about breast implants in addition to a breast lift

Without photos, it is impossible to at least partially assess your situation and make an appropriate recommendation. Furthermore, it is unclear what you think a "B" really is and if this is truly what you want. Realize that when a breast lift is performed, you will have a smaller and more compact volume. Add to this your "deflated: assessment of your breasts and this all edges to support of the usage of implants but ... You should see at least 2 reputable board certified plastic... more

Natural Breast Augmentation

If you are truely against breast implants, you should look into natural breast augmentation with fat grafting. You can use those stobborn areas that are around your abdomen and have the fat transferred to an more desirable area, the breasts. You do have to be at your ideal weight a little more and not looking to lose any additional weight. You can go up about one cup size this way. A lot of women have their implants removed and fill the empty space with natiral fat... more

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

32 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Implants or Not With Breast Lift After Massive Weight Loss

If you truly fill a C cup bra, then the size after surgery to lift your breasts should be roughly the same. Only skin is removed during a lift, and the skin weighs only a few grams. However, the look after will not give you a full upper pole as mentioned by others.

Implants with lift

Congratulations on losing the 90 lbs. Patients such as yourself who have lost significant amount of weight are quite common these days. The question on whether you should have implants in addition to the lift boils down to how much fullness you wish to have in the upper part of your breasts. Without implants it is essentially impossible to produce that fullness. You could still achieve a B cup even if implants are used. There are small implants that could... more

Breast augmentation after weight loss: what to do?

On my site there are pictures of women who sound like you who lost weight and then wanted to have pretty breasts restored. I encourage you to look at the those pictures. If you have lost most all the volume, you will need an implant. As for the lift, that really depends on what happened to the skin. If you are not sure about the lift, wait, and see if you still feel you need it after the implants.

Implant needed with lift?

Hi Malli, Thanks for the question. In general, a lift does not give you fullness in the upper part of the breast, and you have a lifted but somewhat 'scooped' appearance to the breasts. It sounds like you have very little breast tissue, and mostly excess skin from your description and from what your plastic surgeon has told you. Once all of the excesses skin is removed, you will go down in volume, but I do not think you will go down from a C to an A, unless he is doing... more

Implants or no implants for saggy breast

How to answer this question without images I dont know. I can only suggest that go by the opinion of the PS who has examined you and not by the one who knows nothing about you accept for your text on this site. In general if the volume of the existing breast is small I don't know any method which can add to the volume to make a C cup breast other then adding a volume into your breast which is an implant or a fat graft.Wishing you good luck

Breast lift and implants

Hard to tell without photos. Based on your description, you may be a good candidate for a lift only at first and add implants at a second stage if needed. Two staging is a good option that is safer and gets a nicer result, especially if you are really saggy and deflated, which sounds to be the case.

Implants can improve breast shape with a breast lift

Many times women who have substantial weight loss (over 100 lbs) require both a breast lift and implants to correct their problem. Here is the reason why: Women who lose a substantial amount of weight (over 100lbs) frequently have 2 problems: 1. A droopy, saggy breast 2. A deflated breast These patients often have to wear larger bras because their breasts must be folded into the bra even though they have a deflated breast that lacks volume. If just a breast lift... more

Implants and a lift

Without seeing you in person it is difficult to say what would be best. If you are all skin and no breast tissue, you may need an implant to fill you out a bit.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Implants might be best for an empty breast after weight loss

Even with a lift to shape the skin envelope, most will look better with an implant, even a small one to give the breast shape and upper fill after significant weight loss. Give it some thought as there are no other easy fixes.

Breast implants often improve a breast lift result for massive weight loss patients

Without photos to review, its impossible to say for sure - but based on my experience - a breast lift result is often enhanced with the use of a small submuscular implant in the massive-weight loss patient. The implant imparts some upper pole volume that a breast lift is not capable of creating.

Unfortunately patients who loose a lot of weight usually will need implants as well as a lift

It seems that most people who have had large breasts and loose a lot of weight develop drooping (ptosis) of their breast but also it seems that they loose a lot of breast tissue and that which is left is usually quite soft with out much shape. In these cases it is usually necessary to do a lift (mastopexy) of the breast and also place a breast implant, preferably a gel implant. This combination of implant and lift will most often give the best results. Make an appointment to meet with a... more

Implants with a lift?

HI there, Without photos it's always hard to give the most reliable advice, but from your story I'm very confident you'll need implants as part of restoring your breasts to the best possible shape. A lift alone won't provide the upper pole fullness required. Here's the important thing though: You don't need very big implants to give you the upper pole filling effect. A lot of my patients want a better upper pole, but not really larger breasts. A small (even... more