Avoiding Vertical Breast Lift Scar?

Be very careful!  You are a set up for a bad result.  50% of my revisional patients are people who were just like you and did not want what they NEEDED and ended up making compromises and ended up with terrible results.  The irony is they ended up getting what they NEEDED originally except with more cost and suffering.  You need what you need.  Do not just fill your breast to make up for excess skin. It will look good for a short period of time while it is swollen and then bottom out.  Spend more time looking for a surgeon who gets good results and closes incisions well.  The vertical scar can in many instances become invisible.Good luck

Based on your photographs, a vertical and horizontal scar would be required.  Despite the fact that the anchor scar would be necessary, you would have  great outcome with this technique.   Other minimal scar techniques might give you less scarring, but the shape outcome would be worse.  What would you have achieved then?  The scars fade over time, but the breast shape must be carefully crafted at surgery, and that requires scars.  An implant would give you a larger version of what you already have.

It all depends on the position of the nipple/areolar complex position. If there is significant loose skin, then the vertical incision is necessary to give you the ideal result. The length of the vertical scar is not long, only 4-5 cm from the bottom of the areola to the crease. This scar heals very well. If there is a lot of excess skin, then the anchor incision is necessary.
Don't make the mistake of using too big of an implant just to eliminate the vertical/horizontal scar. 

Hi Amerriott,

     I would be quite cautious in your search for a breast lift that does not involve a vertical scar.  Traditionally, three incisions are available to lift the breast.  These are the incisions around the areola, the vertical, and the horizontal.  If one was to compare the quality of these scars once healed, one would find, surprisingly, that it is the vertical scar that heals best.  Quite often these vertical incisions are extremely difficult to see once healed.  In breast lift surgery that required a vertical incision but none were done, such as in a dognut mastopexy or in an "ultimate" breast lift technique, one would find that these scars often healed quite poorly and remain problematic and noticeable.  To argue that it is not critical for the horizontal incision to heal well because it is not seen being located at the bottom of the breast is erroneous.  These horizontal incisions are quite long and extend to the area of cleavage.  These scars often heal poorly.  Women with poorly healed horizontal scars are forever unable to wear low cut dresses or revealing bathing suit tops. If one had the choice of picking a breast lift with either an  incision around the areola along with  a vertical incision or a breast lift with an incision around the areola along  with a horizontal incision, it should be the vertical lift that is chosen.  Not only will the scar be superior, but the shape  as well.  A lift that has no vertical incision, regardless of how much coning is produced will be flat in the region of the nipple/areola complex.  This could easily be seen on profile views. 

     In my opinion, you should undergo a vertical lift with no horizontal incision.  Any other lift will compromise the resultant shape of the breast as well as the quality of the scars.

Good luck,

Ary Krau MD FACS

 

If you don’t get a lift performed, then simply do nothing at all.   breast implants without a formal lift will look terrible. I agree that a full anchor scar will be required. In fact I would recommend performing the lift only and placing the implants at a second stage. It will be much safer and your ultimate result will be much better.

Hi. Yes you can definitely avoid the vertical scar with a breast lift technique that puts a scar in the groove underneath the breast and around the areola. If you want implants then this needs to be done at a second stage. CheersDamien

Hello and thank you for posting. Avoiding the vertical scar is not a real option in your case. Not if you want to have the best results possible. Not even if you want to have mediocre results actually. Unless doctors tell you want you want to here instead of what you need, all surgeons will basically say you need a vertical scar lift for optimal results. 
Your breasts are asymmetrical, they are sagging and sit low on your chest wall.... plus most of your breast tissue is bellow your breast folds with a very low areola position. This is called Breast Ptosis and you are at, Grade 3 Ptosis. This means that implants alone will not lift them. You are actually a great candidate for a breast lift with implants with an Anchor type scar. 
Please understand that a smaller scar translates into less of a lift while larger scars equals more lift. This is why I think an anchor lift is necessary if you want the most perky results possible.
So the real questions you should be asking yourself are the following...
1. Are you ready for scars? Because if the answer is no, your simply are not ready for a lift.
2. Will you be happy with larger breasts that are still be saggy? With nipples that still look down and still sit on the bottom half of your breasts? (Probable results from a Breast Augmentation, regardless of a Donut Lift, to try and fill out excess or loose skin) Or... 
3. Will you be happy with very large breasts that are completely filled with very large implants that might weigh down your breasts and might make them sag or fall, faster then they should? And with nipples that still look down and still sit on the bottom half of your breasts ? (Probable results from a Breast Augmentation, regardless of a Donut Lift, with very large implants to fill out all the excess or loose skin) Or...
4. Will you be happy with bigger breasts that do not weigh too much, that are firmer, perky and more symmetrical but, with a larger scar that should fade with time? (Probable results from a Breast lift with Implants with Vertical or Anchor Scar technique with the correct sized implants plus skin and tissue excision for lift and symmetry.)
I feel that the questions most patients should answer yes to are questions number 1 and 4. If you want the best results and the longest lasting results, a breast lift with implants with the vertical scar is your best option. If your are ok with "soso" results then a breast augmentation alone is ok for you. But Most patients that try to avoid these scars, normally end up getting a revision as soon as possible. 
Best of luck!!
Dr. Miguel Mota

Thank you for your question. Unfortunately, there aren't any scarless breast lifts. You need to understand that there will always be a trade off - you will have scars but you will have the breast shape you desire. You cannot get one without the other. Anchor scars tend to be more unsightly, but may yield the best results for some patients. Other patients may get great results with a vertical lift, leaving a thin vertical scar that tends to heal very well.However, there are great scar treatment options out there! Using Embrace silicone strips or Biocorneum to treat your scars will reduce their appearance and aid in healing. 

In my opinion- none. Based on the your photo- the best way to achieve perkier breasts- and move your measurement to 23 or so cm-- you would need the anchor type lift. 

Thank you for posting your pictures and questions.
As with any surgery, a breast lift involves incisions in the skin, it's more important that you focus your research in find a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who specializes in this kind of procedures than try to refuse what is suggested, not all breast lifts are the same your scar will depend of what kind of technique we can perform according to your body including sagging, size, and shape. keep in mind It’s also important to avoid behaviors that can make breast lift scars worse. 
 I hope I've helped