How Much Cup Size Do You Lose with a Breast Lift?

Congratulations on your weight loss.

It is hard to promise or predict  final cup size after breast surgery. With breast lifting, even though no breast tissue is removed, the breast shape and position are changed. This change in position and shape may result in a different cup size or a different level of filling  the cup of a bra.  For example, a breast that sits lower on the chest wall may require a larger cup size bra than the same volume breast sitting higher on the chest wall.

Therefore you should not  base your goals or the success of your operation  based on a cup  size which may vary depending on who makes the bra.

I do not think you will reliably restore “upper volume” without the use of implants.

It is very important to communicate your size goals with your surgeon.  In my practice, the use of photographs of “goal” pictures (and breasts that are too big or too small) is very helpful. I have found that the use of words such as “natural” or “C cup” or "fake looking" means different things to different people and therefore prove unhelpful.

By the way, the most common regret after this operation, is “I wish I was bigger”.

 

Also you should consider the question of whether to do the  breast augmentation/ mastopexy in a one stage or two  stage  fashion. This is not a question agreed-upon by all plastic surgeons. There are good plastic surgeons who will insist on doing the procedures separately and there are good plastic surgeons who can produce excellent outcomes in a single stage.

The combination breast augmentation / mastopexy surgery differs from breast augmentation surgery alone in that it carries increased risk compared to either breast augmentation or mastopexy surgery performed separately. Furthermore, the potential need for revisionary surgery is increase with breast augmentation / mastopexy surgery done at the same time.
In my opinion, the decision  to do the operation in a single or two  staged fashion becomes a judgment call made by a surgeon after direct examination of the patient.  For me, if I see a patient who needs a great degree of lifting, who has lost a lot of skin elasticity, or  whose goal is a very large augmentation then I think it is best to do the procedures in 2 stages (in order to avoid serious complications). However, doing the procedure one stage does increase the risks of complications in general and the potential need for further surgery. This increased risk must be weighed against the practical benefits of a single stage procedure (which most patients would prefer).
Conversely, if I see a patient who requires minimal to moderate lifting along with a small to moderate size augmentation (and has good skin quality), then doing the procedure one stage is much safer. Nevertheless, the potential risks  are greater with a 1 stage  procedure and the patient does have a higher  likelihood of needing revisionary surgery.
I hope this helps.

Though a breast lift is not designed to alter the size of your breasts, many patients find that their breasts look and feel a bit smaller after the surgery. You can expect to lose an insignificant amount because of the tightening and lifting involved in the lift, but this depends on how your surgeon approaches the procedure and the specific composition of your skin/breast. You will not lose a significant amount of your size.

One of the most important
decisions facing patients who undergo breast lift surgery is the ultimate size
of their breasts.Most patients are
striving for harmony, balance, and proportion with the surrounding anatomic
structures.Typically they want a
natural look with some fullness in the upper breast area.Most patients tend to speak in terms of cup size.Unfortunately, cup size isn’t always helpful
because cup size means different things to different people.This has the potential to create communication
problems.In theory, breast size doesn’t decrease following breast
lift surgery.Despite this, many
patients request breast implants to increase upper breast fullness following
this procedure.If you’re considering breast lift surgery and are
concerned about the ultimate size and aesthetics of your breast, it’s important
to consult a board certified plastic surgeon with experience in this area.This surgeon should be able to formulate a
treatment plan that not only addresses your anatomic findings but achieves your
aesthetic goals as well.