The Operation is Tailored to the Patient

Rejuvenation of a woman's breasts after having children is a very common scenario for plastic surgeons. While most women who are seeking cosmetic breast surgery would like their breasts to be full and sitting nicely on the chest, this goal will require different approaches based on the individual's inherent anatomy. There are usually 3 key issues that need to be addressed by your surgeon, and your input in this process is really important:

1) volume or size of the breast: the surgeon needs to know what your goal size is, and based on your input, he or she can tell you whether or not this is a reasonable goal given your breast anatomy and your overall body frame

2) amount and quality of your breast skin: this will help determine if the skin will tolerate a particular sized implant or if some skin needs to be removed

3) position of the nipple: in some women, even after children and breast feeding, the nipple position is still ok; but in other women, the nipple may need to be elevated (lifted)

With these principles in mind, the surgeon will be able to offer you either an augmentation alone, a breast lift, or a combination of the two. He will be able to review with you the pluses and minuses of each option, and put together a plan that meets your goals. Needless to say, this takes a fair amount of skill and experience, so it is very important that you seek out a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in your area if you are considering breast rejuvenation.

Best of luck,

Dr. S

The issues you describe are common in plastic surgery practices. There are basically 3 types of patients that come in for breast restoration after childbirth.

1. The first variety have well shaped breasts with the nipple areola well above the crease below the breast. These people have usually always been small and gravity and looseness have not affected them much. They can have a simple breast augmentation to get to their desired end point working with their surgeon to achieve the look they want.

2. The second type of patient has enough size in their bra when it gathers up the loose tissue. They are not looking to be larger. They can often be served by a breast lift without an implant.

3. The third and most common group are those who want an increase in size or volume (therefore needing an implant) and also need an elevation of the nipple areola to place them on the front of the breast mound (therefore needing a lift). There are several kinds of lifts that can be done and the amount of scarring required depends on how far up one needs to move the nipple to get to a youthful position.

Remember that implants DON'T lift the breast. I have yet to meet the patient who would be happy with their result if they had implants alone but needed a lift and didn't get one. I have pictures of patients who had that done by other doctors and not once have I met a patient who looked at those pictures and said they would be happy with that look just to avoid the scars.