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Breast Lift Without Breast Reduction?

I am 18 years old and I am a size 34G (or a DDD). Honestly, I don’t want a reduction. It’s not for "attention", I just feel like they are a part of me.

I want a breast lift, without using implants because obviously I’m big enough. I was wondering how much this would cost, what would happen? Just give me as much details as possible. My breasts sag probably at least 4 inches below my crease line. My nipples don’t point down yet, but they are definitely close. They bother me because they are so saggy. Please help.

Doctor Answers 19

March 25th, 2009

A breast lift is fine but consider a breast reduction

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A breast lift or mastopexy is basically a skin operation. You will have an incision around the areola then a vertical incision down to the inframmamary fold (crease) then transversely along this. The nipple is elevated to the correct position, excess skin is removed and the incisions are closed. A fine operation.

For you a breast reduction would have the same scars. But in addition some of the breast tissue is removed. The tissue can be a little or a lot. That's a decision you'll make with your surgeon.

I agree with Dr. Beraka that breasts as large as yours will not age well. There's no doubt that if you just get a lift now you will need another surgery due to bottoming out or other conditions due to size and aging.

Give it a thought.

Christopher L. Hess, MD
October 16th, 2010

Breast Lift Without Reduction

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The short answer: breast lift without reduction is entirely possible and is doe routinely.

More importantly is whether what you seek can be achieved.

Becausee of your young age, loss of elasticity or internal support is probably not correctable with surgery.

The shaping and position of your breasts may be determiined by the large size of your breasts and your tissues may not be able to support that weight any other way.

During consultation, demonstrate to your surgeon what you are trying to achieve. Your plastic surgeon can tell you if that result is achievable and lasting.

Paul C. Zwiebel, MD
September 5th, 2010

Breast lift just to "lift", not "reduce"

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Yes, this is possible.  However, DDD/F breasts are quite large and you might find that your lifted results hold up better if you remove some size.  You don't have to go too small, but at least removing some weight from the breasts will give your skin a fighting chance to help maintain your shape. 

Carmen Kavali, MD
March 23rd, 2009

A lift with or without a reduction is possible

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I think a lift is very possible in your case, with or without a reduction. However, given how young you are, there are a couple of very important aspects of breast surgery that you need to be aware of:

First of all, if you are a smoker, you need to be off of all nicotine products (gum, patch, and of course cigarettes) for at least 1-2 months before surgery and 1-2 months after to give yourself the best chance at normal healing.

Once you have the procedure, it's important to realize that if you don't wear good support bras, over time, the droop of the breasts will come back-- this usually happens over several years, but I always tell my patients to continue to wear good support bras to maintain the results that they have invested so much into already.

While the chances are low, it is possible to lose some sensation to one or both nipples after a lift or reduction. This may or may not be important to you, and some women with heavy, ptotic (drooping) breasts have developed some loss of sensation already over time. Be prepared for this, and if you absolutely do not want to lose the sensation to the nipples, you may want to reconsider surgery. Again, the risk of this happening is low, but it exists.

There is also a chance of a decreased ability to breast feed after surgery as well. For many women, having the opportunity to breast feed once they have children is very important, and some women simply cannot breast feed, even if they have not had any breast surgery. But if any breast tissue needs to be removed as a result of the procedure, the risk exists that you may have less of a chance of breast feeding after the procedure. So if this is important to you, you may want to think it over as well.

There are many well-qualified surgeons in the Arlington/Dallas area, and they will be able to review their prices with you in detail, as there is great variety in the prices based on surgeon and region.

I wish you all the best of luck! Talk to one or two Board-Certified Plastic Surgeons before choosing the one you're most comfortable with,

Dr. Salemy

Shahram Salemy, MD, FACS
May 1st, 2015

Breast lift without breast reduction?

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Hello! Thank you for your question! The mastopexy, breast lift, procedure raises the breast, which ultimately provides a more youthful and perky breasts. This is done by removing the extra loose skin and rearranging the surrounding breast tissue in order to reshape and support the newly formed breast. At the same time, the nipple-areolar complex (NAC) is raised to the ideal position above the fold beneath your breast (the inframammary fold) as well as being placed at the most projecting portion. Oftentimes with age or following pregnancy, the NAC becomes widened and enlarged. This may be reduced in size during the breast lift procedure.

A breast reduction has basically the same principles, except that the goal is to make the breast smaller. Regardless, the overall result will be to remove excess skin and tissue while also raising the nipple-areolar complex to an appropriate, aesthetic position on the breast. Ultimately giving a fuller and more youthful, yet smaller, breasts.

It is common for the breast to lose its firmness and uplifted appearance over time, which is also accentuated with age, pregnancy/breast feeding, weight gain/loss, and gravity. This results in breast ptosis, or sagging of the breast, with a “deflated” appearance. Women seek the mastopexy procedure to regain the previous youthful appearance of her breasts and women report increased confidence, self-esteem, and femininity once achieving this desired shape and fullness. Breast lifts may or may not be performed with implants – the implant would add increased size but also greater fullness in the upper pole of the breasts which creates more cleavage.

Costs will vary with geographic region as well as complexity of your case.  Consult with plastic surgeons that you are comfortable with and like their results, and request quotes for your area.

Hope that this helps! Best wishes!
Lewis Albert Andres, MD
October 1st, 2014

Breast Lift Without Breast Reduction

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Breast Lift without reduction is possible. However, the size of the breasts will affect the duration of the results. Consult with 3 board certified plastic surgeons to understand your options.

South Florida tends to have lower fees then more expensive areas such as New York or Los Angeles. We charge starting at $3000 + MD Anesthesia related costs for a breast lift without breast implants. Since you can get quality work at lower costs, patients will travel from throughout the state, the country, and internationally to have surgery in South Florida.

To ensure that you are receiving quality work at the most cost effective prices, consult with board certified plastic surgeons that own their own nationally accredited facilities. The quality must be maintained at the highest level to maintain accreditation. The surgeons also have incentive to hire and train quality staff (to ensure that surgery is efficient and enjoyable), to ensure comfortable and private facilities (to encourage referral), and to eliminate waste (to ensure that these facilities can compete effectively).

Learn more: http://www.drkrisreddy.com/West_Palm_Beach_Breast_Lift_Mastopexy.html

Kris M. Reddy, MD, FACS
October 26th, 2010

You can have a breast lift without a reduction, but this might need to be redone over time.

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Your breast have sagged because of their weight.  A breast lift will restore them to a more youthful position and shape, but the mass or weight of the breast will remain.  That will create downward pressure on the breast and might lead to sagging over time.

Vincent N. Zubowicz, MD
September 3rd, 2010

Breast lift without breast reduction

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It is possible to perform a breast lift without removing any breast tissue. The mastopexy procedure would reposition the breast and elevate the nipple. Choosing the right plastic surgeon is an important process and cost should not be the most important consideration.

Olivia Hutchinson, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

May 13th, 2010

Breast lift without breast reduction

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It is possible to perform a breast lift without reducing the overall volume of the breast completely. Your best bet is to be evaluated by a board-certified plastic surgeon who is a great deal of experience in breast lift surgery. Let him or her know exactly what your concerns are and specifically what you're aesthetic goals are. If you want to change the shape or contour of the breast, it may be necessary to perform internal framework or suturing to the breast tissue. If you only want to change the position of the nipple, you may be a candidate for a limited breast lift that only treats the central portion of the breast. Make sure you review your many options with your surgeon to help decide which one will best meet your goals.

Pat Pazmino, MD, FACS
April 13th, 2010

Breast lift with some reduction will last longer

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Since your skin represents part of the volume of your breasts, even if you only remove skin, the size of your breasts will be reduced slightly. In my experience, most women readily accept this as it usually doesn't reduce size but by about one-half to one-third of a cup size. Overall, as the other doctors have mentioned, your large size will still cause quicker sagging even after a lift and, for longevity's sake, a lift with a small reduction of breast size might be best. Your doctor will be able to help you figure out what should be done in order to meet your goals and get the best results for your body.

Deason Dunagan, MD
Huntsville Plastic Surgeon

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.