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I Don't Want a Lift, Will an Implant Alone Be Beneficial?

asked 1 year ago by Mom of 3 in Tx in Houston, TX
Latest answer by Robert L. Kraft, MD
Question viewed 1,250 times
Tags: 110-129 lbs, 5 ft 4 in to 5 ft 7 in, breast feeding, sagging, D cup

I am 5'7", 125 lbs, and a 34B (measured at ps consult). I have had 2 consults, with 2 different suggestions. I am not interested in a lift so I would like to know if it will benefit me to haves implants alone. I do have sagging due to breastfeeding. One surgeon recommended a lift now with implants in 6 months to a year, while another suggested 375-400cc implants only. I am afraid that implants of this size will make me larger than I want to be. I would not like to be bigger than a D.

23 answers to I Don't Want a Lift, Will an Implant Alone Be Beneficial?

Implants alone will suffice

I agree with my colleagues that augmentation alone would be appropriate to increase volume, restore projection of the upper poles of the breasts and provide a natural shape. The decision as to implant size is flexible but I would recommend 300-325 ccs.

Robert L. Kraft, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Mother of Three for Breast Implants

It appears from your photos that your nipples are above the level of your breast fold but you do have what is termed pseudo ptosis with fullness and falling of the lower pole of your breasts. I would not recommend a breast lift at this time with the understanding that this may be indicated in the future. Gel implants would be the best choice and the size that you mention would be appropriate for your expectations.

Richard Linderman, MD
Indianapolis Plastic Surgeon

Augmentation Without Lift

From your photos it appears as if you could obtain a nice result with an augmentation alone. Since you would like to avoid a lift, you should have the augmentation alone. You can always undergo a lift later if you desire. I cannot be certain with a sizing exam, but I doubt that you would be larger than a D cup with 375cc implants.

John Whitt, MD
Louisville Plastic Surgeon

Implants alone versus Lift with implants depends on the look you desire

Whether or not you need a lift with your breat implant placement depends on how much upper pole fullness you desire after the augmentation. If you desire a fair amount of cleavage, you may need a lift, or your nipple-areolar complex will not be centered. On the other hand, if you like a more natural result, a dual plane approach or even a subglandular implant may be a better choice, allowing you to avoid the lift.

W. Tracy Hankins, MD
Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon

Why not do both

Combining a small breast lift with implant insertion would provide you with your best outcome. Implants alone, of a size that you find comfortable, are a reasonable second choice. There would be a small amount of sagging that would persist with implants alone, but I'm not sure you would notice it. You can always have a lift in the future if you decide you need one. I would not advise that you start off with a breast lift alone.

Raymond A. Capone, Jr., MD
Pittsburgh Plastic Surgeon

To lift or not to lift

A breast augmentation with a dual plane technique will likely give you enough of a lift effect. If you have excess loose skin, then you may benefit from a periareolar mastopexy (where the scar is hidden around your areolar border). If you are not keen on a lift at this time, then I would suggest you go for a breast augmentation first. If you do experience residual sagging, you can always opt for a conservative lift later (if needed). A breast... more

C. Bob Basu, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

www.basuplasticsurgery.com

Are implants enough?

I see a lot of moms in my office with your type of breasts. The anatomic considerations are: 1. The nipples are at or very slightly above the inframammary folds. 2. You have more breast tissue below the areolas creating what's called pseudoptosis. It's not considered "real" ptosis because the nipples are still in the correct position. 3. There is significant loss of upper pole (upper breast) fullness. 4. Your left breast is very slightly... more

Christopher L. Hess, MD
Fairfax Plastic Surgeon

Implant alone excellent candidate

You are an excellent candidate for implants alone. A 300 to 400 cc would fill you out well. You might benefit some years in the future from a lift, but I would not do that now.

Ernest D. Cronin, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

Breast Implants - Do I Need A Lift, or Will I Be Happy With Implants Alone?

Hi Mom of 3 in Tx in Houston, TX, First of all, congrats on the 3 kids! Sometimes there is no correct answer, and this is one of those times. NOBODY wants the scars of a lift but there are times that you really need them in order to get an improvement. Often you can get by with implants alone so that it isn't even an issue. After three kids, though, you clearly have some extra skin on your breasts and the question is what to do with it. One choice is... more

Alan Engler, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Lift or implants

I agree with several colleagues above in that you would be fine with implants alone. However, I think it also depends on the look you are going for. I have many patients who want a better shape but do not necessarily want to go "bigger" and it sounds like you are leaning toward this. If you desire a higher, tighter and more athletic looking small breast then you should have a small vertical lift (lollipop scar) so that some of that skin excess is taken away and... more

Tiffany McCormack, MD
Reno Plastic Surgeon

www.plasticsurgeryrenotahoe.com

Breast Implant after Breast Feeding

Your nipple position is good and your breasts appear to be symmetric. You should do well with an implant alone. Given your height, weight and breast volume, an implant size of 300 should be fine. A gel implant may blend better with your breast tissue. You may want to consult a 3rd plastic surgeon!

Elizabeth S. Harris, MD
San Antonio Plastic Surgeon

www.eharrismd.com

Doesn't want a breast lift

It is sometimes hard to tell from a photo where the nipple is in relation to the inframammary crease (since we don't clearly see the crease in the photo), and how much breast is overhanging the crease. If the nipple is below the crease, patients will usually need a lift for a good result with a good contour. If the nipple is at or above the crease, they usually will not need a lift. HOWEVER, if patients have excessive overhang, even with a nipple above the crease, it is still... more

Robert M. Grenley, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Lift or implant alone?

My opinion is that you would do well with an implant alone. Remember, you can always do a lift at a later time if it becomes necessary. It is also my opinion that a 400 cc implant would be more than you need and can potentially lead to further surgery down the road--probably a lift. A 300cc implant, or thereabout , should give you an excellent result.

Jeffrey E. Kyllo, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

A lift is NOT needed, and implants alone will yield a very nice result!

Since your nipples are above your breast creases, point forward, and you have attractive (though deflated) breasts, restoration of breast volume alone will give a very natural and nice result. You can always have a lift sometime in the future if you develop more sagging than you like. Certainly a lift is not incorrect at this time, as you have what appears to be a longer clavicle to nipple length ("normal" lifted position would place your nipples at about 21cm from your collar... more

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

www.mpsmn.com

Breast Improvement with Implants Alone

Because your nipples are not at or below the inframammary crease, you should do very well with Implants alone. Though it is hard to say with pictures and measurements alone, with your desire not to be too large, I would not put larger than about a 300 cc implant. This will fill you and give good shape naturally without making you too large.

Robert T. Buchanan, MD
Highlands Plastic Surgeon

Breast augmentation with or without mastopexy

Dear Texas mom, Looking at your pictures, I think that if you are satisfied with the small amount of ptosis (drooping) that you have, I think you could avoid a lift. You could always go back and have the lift later if you want to.

Jack Peterson, MD
Topeka Plastic Surgeon

To lift the breast or not?

In your case, because the nipples are well above the crease you do not technically need a lift, implants below the muscle will be fine and don't go any bigger than you want. You are bottom heavy and that shape will not change from the augmentation alone but it is probably better than having the scars. You are lucky that the nipples are still up like they are otherwise, a lift would be the best plan.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

To pexy or not to pexy that is the question

Dear fellow Texan, Thanks for the photos. I would be more impressed that you will get a pleasing results with an implant alone. Sometimes sizing bras and trying various volume implants will help you and your surgeon decide on a good volume. My habit is to use sizers during your surgery in order to see how your soft tissues respond to any give volume. I am guided by my patients preop stated desires and fine tune our choice of final volume with... more

Craig Harrison, MD
Tyler Plastic Surgeon

Breast Augmentation without Breast Lift

Dear Mom in Tx in North Richland Hills, TX: Thanks for the pictures (breast augmentation video included below). Your nipples appear to be above the inframammary fold, so if you are happy with the shape of your breast and where they are on the chest, breast augmentation alone would be a good alternative. If you desire a D cup, the weight of the breasts and implants will tend to stretch the skin further as you age. If this becomes a problem, a breast lift may be beneficial at that... more

Joseph Mele, MD
Walnut Creek Plastic Surgeon

Implant alone if you are comfortable with doing breast lift later

Both your surgeons are correct. You could do lift now and implant later or implant now with the understanding that may need lift later. Your nipple position is above the inframmamry fold, but you have fair amount of excess skin. You need large implant to fill the extra skin or lift to remove the extra skin. I would suggest 375 cc high profile for now and possible(40%) lift later.

Kamran Khoobehi, MD
New Orleans Plastic Surgeon

You are the perfect candidate for a breast implant alone

With pregnancy having stretched out your breast envelope and having lost some of the volume of your breast, you are the ideal candidate for breast implants. Since your nipple areolar complex has not dropped below your inframamary fold you definitely do not need a breast lift. You should choose the size of your breast implants your self. Here we put gel implants in a very stretchy bra and ask the patient to choose the size she likes. We then add an additional 50 cc in size to get the look the... more

Carl W. "Rick" Lentz III, MD
Daytona Beach Plastic Surgeon

Breast lift only if you want one

Your nipple is well above the breast fold and a lift is not essential for a good result after breast feeding. We feel the implant alone is your best option. Be careful of size and give your surgeon photos and examples of how full you wish to be. You can pull ideas form the Internet as well, though be certain that the size is how you feel inside. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

www.peterejohnsonmd.com

Implants alone

It appears that you have a relatively good nipple position in relation to the inframammary fold. I would try implants alone. The volume that should be placed should be large enough to tighten the skin and give you better fill on the top. At 5'7", 375 should be a good volume. However, larger implants will eventually give some sagging and could necessitate a lift in the future. Good Luck!