Would I need a Breast Lift along with my Breast Augmentation? (photos)

Thank you for your question. A large portion of my practice is dedicated to revisionary breast surgery. After reading some of the surgeons answers below, I am very disappointed. Your anatomy dictates the surgery that you will need - period. I have revised way too many patients who were told that if they go larger, then they do not need a lift-mastopexy. This is the ultimate in short sided surgical planning. It only works if we were to live on Mars. If you look at it this way; you are already drooping, then you place a large heavy implant in your breasts. What you think will happen? I have seen this so many times that I wrote an editorial called "Poor Practice". @My website. The other complication that I fix to often is someone who needs a lift/mastopexy and is told that they can get away with a doughnut mastopexy. Ultimately this results in an enlarged areola and a poor-shaped droopy breast. The good news is that with a skilled plastic surgeon with a properly performed breast augmentation with a lollipop mastopexy, you should be held to have an excellent result. Remember that breast lifting is an art form and not all plastic surgeons perform this equally. Critically evaluate your perspective surgeon's online galleries. Best wishes to you.

Hi & thanks for your question!
Based on your photos, you may need a lift with placement of implants to give you fullness. Schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your options. Best wishes!

I would defiantly recommend a breast augmentation. This will also lift your breast to some degree. The amount of lift achieved depends on the size of the implant chosen. The larger the implant, the greater the lift. Meeting in consultation would allow a better assessment of your breast and the desired look you would like to achieve.

Thank you for your question regarding whether you'll need a breast lift (mastopexy) during your breast augmentation or augmentation mammoplasty. In your specific case, since you want to be a DD, I do not think you will need a breast lift. With that size augmentation. the augmentation should provide the lift. In cases like yours, breast augmentation will auto-rotate the nipple-areola complex, resulting in a fuller breast that does not need to be lifted. Therefore, in my opinion, I do not think you will need a breast lift during your breast augmentation. If you decided to go smaller, say a small C or even a full C, I would imagine you would need either a 360 periareolar lift or a lollipop or vertical mastopexy. Therefore, in your case, the larger your implant, the less likely you will need a lift. Thank you for your great question regarding whether you'll need a breast lift (mastopexy) during your breast augmentation.

Sincerely, Dr. Katzen.
(“Verified” Plastic Surgeon, President of the American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons, certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Fellow of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American College of Surgery, International College of Surgery, and American Board of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and ​member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and RealSelf Hall of Fame.)

It’s difficult to give you an opinion without the side view, however it does look like your nipples may be located below your breast fold. For this reason, you may need a breast lift. The lift can also improve symmetry.

I recommend an in person evaluation with a plastic surgeon to be measured and discuss your goals. After I measure and discuss goals with my patients, we then look at pictures of women (my patients) with similar measurements with different size and style breast implants. They also get to see what they would look like when the breasts have fully dropped and fluffed and in clothes. You get to see actual results and the surgeon's experience and not a virtual idea of what can be achieved. Women tell me that this process is very helpful in determining what size and style breast implant is right for them. Mildly Sagging Breasts: If your breasts are mildly droopy, a saline or silicone gel implant placed behind the pectoral muscle might help create the illusion of perkiness. That’s because as the implant fills out the top of the breast, it also fills out the bottom, making it look as if the nipple has moved higher. It hasn’t. You can always get a lift later if you feel you are not perky enough when fully settled and healed. Dr. Ted Eisenberg, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and Author. RealSelf Distinguished Hall of Fame Inductee. Philadelphia, Pa., USA

Breast implants add volume and augment the overall breast tissue. At times implants alone restore the nipple and breast position.
Breast lifts reposition the breast tissue and nipple areolar complex . Lift techniques often are vertical lollipop or periareolar around the areolar. It's a trade off of scars and overall desired look. This is best determined during in person consultation.

Thank you for sharing your question and photographs.  Unfortunately based on the limited views supplied it is difficult to offer definite advice, but it appears that you would most benefit from implant placement and a lift.  The implant will help restore lost breast tissue after pregnancy and weight loss, while the lift will remove excess skin and allow for resizing and repositioning of your nipple into a higher, more youthful, position.  Hope this helps

Your breasts are very low on the chest wall. The technique I recommend is a lift using The Bellesoma Method. This will reshape your breast tissue creating upper pole fullness without implants, elevate them higher on the chest wall and more medial to increase your cleavage. Vertical scars are avoided, nipple sensation (in 95%) and the ability to breast feed are maintained. Later, fat transfers or small implants can be placed if additional volume is desired.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

“To lift or not to lift? That is the question!” Filing out the breasts with the proper implants can help avoid a breast lift in some cases. But, I believe you have too much ptosis, meaning, a good portion of your breasts sits bellow your breast fold. Plus, your areola position is a little low. Implants alone will not give you the best results. These issues can be better corrected with a Breast lift with Implants, rather then having just adding volume without lifting the tissue.
If you are afraid of scars, please understand that scars are not a problem. They will heal nicely with time. Cars are actually a solution to the “problem”!
Hope this helps,
Dr. Miguel Mota