Breast Lift on One Breast then Silicone Implant for the Other?

Dear Hellokitty!
Correction of breast asymmetry with different prcedures on each breast does introduce variables that are more difficult to control. This however is a good approach and you should be very satisfied with the results. The key is that you may need an adjustment with another surgery at some point in the future to achieve the best results.
With Warm Regards,
Trevor M Born MD

You have a difficult problem and there are many ways to address it. Sometimes it does require placing an implant on one side and not the other. This is not ideal but at times it is the best and only way to go about getting the breast looking similar. The key word I use here is similar. They will by no means be identical, but rather close.
Other methods include reducing the larger side and placing the same size implant on both sides. But this depends on how big the difference is between the two breasts.
For breast asymmetry I commonly recommend seeing a couple of board certified plastic surgeons to go over your options.

Please keep in mind that what you do today to make yourself less uneven will not last long. Depending on the degree of asymmetry present and the amount of breast tissue on the larger side as well as interval changes such as weight gain/loss, pregnancy, menopause, etc, your breasts WILL CHANGE with time. Even if you achieve perfect symmetry (impossible) in the short term, it is not permanent. Changes will occur over time. It is very important to have realistic expectations.
I have a four part video on Breast Asymmetry on Youtube and I am attaching a link to these if you are interested. These review some of the many options available to manage breast asymmetry

Breast asymmetry is very common. I often tell my patients that breasts can be more like "cousins" than "sisters". It sounds as if you have signifcant differences between your two breasts in terms of size and shape. This is a challenging problem that can be corrected and often requires two different operations on each breast. You can have a breast reduction on your larger breast so that it is smaller and matches your other breast. If you want the size of your breasts to be the same as the larger one than you must place an implant in your smaller breast. When you do this, the size will be the same, but your larger breast will be slightly more "droopy" - this means that you will need a breast lift on the larger breast. It sounds like the plan your surgeon has made with you is a reasonable one - assumming that you want your breasts to be the size of the larger one, and not the size of the smaller one.

If your breasts are significantly different before surgery, they will remain somewhat different after surgery. This is normal. Do not expect perfect symmetry. The decision to have implants on one side or both is simple. Do you want your larger side to be even larger? If you do, then you should have implants on both sides with the smaller side having a bigger implant obviously. If you don't want your larger side to be even larger, then do not put an implant on this side.
Either way, the only way to make the smaller side larger is to put an implant on that side. Once you have decided about the implants, then your surgeon should evaluate the shape difference in your breasts. Here is where the various lift procedures may be used. Good luck.

Yes, when putting an implant in one breast and not in the other, the breasts will definitely feel a bit differently and then may even look differently.

Truth be told, no one has perfectly symmetrical breasts. You have a common situation, but it is a bit tricky technically. I would predict that you can get a significant improvement, and the breasts should look similiar, but they will not be perfect.
What you need to get clear on is how much asymmetry you will accept and be happy with. A thorough discussion with your surgeon is in order so that you can get a realistic expectation of your final result.
sek

it sounds like you are afraid of your very asymmetric breasts remaining asymmetric after corrective surgery. As you may have already heard from one of your surgeons or read here on realself.com, breast asymmetries are very common. Their correction can sometimes involve complex interventions, including the use of lifts, implants, or both. It would not be unusual to recommend an implant for one breast and a lift for the other. To expect perfect symmetry after any breast surgery is an unrealistic goal, even if you were starting out close to symmetric. Perhaps you should obtain a third opinion to tip the decision one way or another. Good luck!

As you can see from many of the answers, there is no real concensus on how to approach asymmetric breasts. It might be possible for you to have a lift on one side and a silicone implant on the other, but they will still look somewhat asymmetric. The goal of the surgery is to make them look more symmetric, but it is nearly impossible to get them symmetric... just closer. Without looking at pictures, it is hard to say exactly what you should do. Trust your surgeon and if you need a second opinion, have someone else look at you. Good luck.

We answered a very similar question about uneven breasts this month which you may find on my profile with RealSelf. Significant asymmetry of the breast will always require a compromise of some degree. Any of the techniques we have available to shape the breast may come into play, such as augmentation, breast lift, or breast reduction, depending on the unique differences in your breast. Augmentation of the smaller breast with a lift of the larger breast may be an acceptable solution to you. You will find that you have even volume in a bra, however the lifted side is very likely to lack fullness in the upper portion of the breast out of a bra, as will be seen in the augmented breast with the silicone implant. The texture the breast will also be firmer in the side with the implant. As mentioned, a compromise may be necessary to have the best in similar shape and feel left to right. If you can accept fuller volume you may do well with an implant on both sides, or perhaps a 'reduction-augmentation' on the fuller side to help maintain a symmetrical feel and texture. You may also forgo the augmentation altogether and accept just a reduction and lift on the larger side. Solutions abound and each is unique to situation and preference. I caution you about an implant on one side as over time you may tire of the dissimilarity.
Best of Luck,
peterejohnsonmd