Is Raising my Low IMF the Same As a Breast Lift? (photo)

Raising the IMF has been a great technique for tightening up the breast. It is unclear if you are showing before and after photos, and what the right photo represents. The photos on the left seem to indicate that lifting the IMF would be a very good way to go. The space around the breast implant is too large so it needs to be tightened up. It's possible that may require some internal tightening sutures as well at the time of surgery. More often than not, if you want more volume, then you need to change the implant entirely rather than fill up the one you have. Typically you cannot add enough to make much of a difference.

Your photographs show that the implants have descended inferiorly and are bottoming out.  The capsule for the implant needs to be plicated inferiorly to give you a lift or smaller implants placed.  A mastopexy is an operation that lifts the breast tissue NOT the capsule of an implant.  If you would like your shape and fullness improved, you will need a mastopexy through a peri-areola incision.  It would move your own breast tissue more medial and up as well as your nipple.  This can be done avoiding the vertical scars or the boat anchor incisions.

Best of Luck,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Thanks for your question.  I believe your revision with Stattice really improved your shape.  I am not sure what your final expectations are, but you are still early with changes to come.

It appears that your implants have bottomed out.  Horizontal excision along the IMF, and internal pocket plication can help to raise the IMF and improve your appearance.  In women with a long torso like yours, I prefer to use the moderate or moderate plus profile implants due to their larger base diameter which will place more implant above the level of the nipple.

 

No raising your inframammary folds is not the same thing as a lift.  Your pre-operative photos show a classic indication that your implants have "bottomed out".  Your early post operative results seem to show that the reconstruction to your inframammary folds was successful.