Doctor Q&A

Do I need a breast lift? You might not need one. 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...

Most surgeons will be able to tell by your medical history and physical exam if a muscle repair will be beneficial for the outcome of a tummy tuck. The abdominal wall looses some of its elasticity once it has been overextended, like in pregnancies or after a large weight loss. One can also palpate the midline and the edges of the "sixpack" muscles. A rectus diastasis can be identified by physical exam. Some use radiographic imaging, like ultrasound or even CT. If a patient is physically fit,...

We don’t “move fat.” Migration often means the fat was placed in the wrong plane or in unstable tissue. The correction plan might include lipo in those areas and proper grafting to stable gluteal layers. It’s fixable — but safely, strategically, and with imaging.

You might really like having the tip of your nose elevated. The tip is a bit wide, too, which makes sense -- the two cartilages that form the tip are also responsible for holding the tip *down*, making the nose appear longer. If the width is strong, often the length is strong, too.

But work on the tip of the nose is independent from the forces that control where the upper lip sits on the upper teeth during a smile. It might make sense mechanically -- if you push up on your tip, it may pull...

Congratulations on losing so much weight! You may benefit more from a circumferential tummy tuck as this would target both the front and sides. Liposuction may be performed at the same time to contour your sides.

I understand you’d like to go as large as possible and prefer to avoid a lift if possible. In some cases, it’s reasonable to start with an augmentation only to see how the breasts settle and whether you’re satisfied with the results.

After about 6 months, once swelling has resolved and the implants have fully settled, you can then decide if a lift (mastopexy) is needed to further improve nipple position or address any residual sagging.

It’s important to note that while larger implant...

Liposuction reshapes fat but does not correct cellulite, which is a skin and connective-tissue issue. In some cases it can even make dimpling more visible. If cellulite is a concern, I combine lipo with treatments like subcision or radiofrequency tightening when appropriate. Learn more on our liposuction page.

It is difficult to tell from the photos, but you may still have residual medial (inner most) fat pad prolapse that makes it appear that you are hollow adjacent to it. If that is the case, additional removal of the medial fat pad may correct the issue. If too much fat has been removed, a good corrective procedure is autologous (your own tissue) fat grafting to that area. You could do hyaluronic acid filler to correct the contour issues, however it is not permanent and can lead to additional...

You should wait for the final result from fat grafting to determine what if anything should be done next. Just don’t crush into more surgery right away

It's best to wait 3 to 6 months after cessation of breastfeeding before having breast reduction surgery. Even if your milk production has stopped it takes time for your breasts to return to a stable state after breastfeeding. Visit with a board certified plastic surgeon near you to learn more. I've included a video on the procedure that I hope you find helpful.