Is a breast lift followed by implants 6 months plus the best approach in my situation? (Photos)

Yes, I recommend a full breast lift with an implant.  The implant selection should be based on a combination of your desired size, soft tissue dynamics, breast base diameter and skin elasticity.  I recommend an in-office examination as well as a detailed discussion with a surgeon who you are comfortable with.   Finally, make sure your surgeon is a Double-Board Certified Plastic Surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS), a member of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS).Best,Dr. DesaiBeverly Hills Institute for Aesthetic Plastic SurgeryHarvard Educated, Beverly Hills & Miami Beach TrainedDouble Board-Certified, Double Fellowship-Trained Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Thanks for your question, & including your photos, they really help! In my experience of doing thousands of breast augmentation and lift surgeries, I’d say that with your degree of ptosis (breast droop), staging the lift and then doing the implants later is a safe approach, & will really probably give you a better result in the end. Best of luck to you!

Staging lift and augmentation is common although it is growing less so with time. Traditionally, these procedures were performed separately with a lift preceding an augmentation so as to minimize risks. It is important to remember that these are competing procedures: the lift/reduction is constricting the envelope and the augmentation is expanding it. While today, they are very commonly performed together, there is nothing wrong with a staged approach and some would argue it remains the safer approach.As always, discuss your concerns with a board certified plastic surgeon (ABPS).

This is possible but not recommended.  It would not be logical to remove perfectly good breast tissue and replace it with artificial implants.  Instead, I recommend The Bellesoma Method.  This will reduce and reshape your breast tissue creating upper pole fullness without implants, elevate them higher on the chest wall and more medial to increase your cleavage.  The weight of breast is transferred to the underlying pectoralis major muscle resulting in pain relief without excessive reduction.  Vertical scars are avoided, nipple sensation and the ability to breast feed are maintained.       Best Wishes,Gary Horndeski, M.D.

hello thank you for your question and provided information as well.. based in your question and the picture you showed you are a good candidate for breast lift  with implant in your case for best result you can apply for position sub glandular , its recommended if you get a consultation in person with a plastic surgeon to determinate how many cc do you need to the better results.

Hi Happy,I like your plan.  One question would be if you should go through two procedures, two expenses, two anesthetics and two recoveries.  Many PS would do you in a single stage.  However, there is no quarrel with doing you in two.  See the web link below.  We do all of ours in a single stage, and this has been studied in our literature and found to be a valid way to go. You have to arrive at a solution that both you and your PS are comfortable with. All the best,Dr. Joe

This sounds like a reasonable plan, and can offer great results. Separating the procedures allows your surgeon optimal control of each step, meaning more predictable results. If the surgeon is doing a lift and augmentation at the same time, you have opposing forces at play. On one hand you are tightening and lifting skin, and on the other hand you are simultaneously adding stress while it is trying to heal by placing an implant underneath. Sure this can be done in one step and can be done well, but if given the option, doing it in 2 steps is better.

Dear HappyMamaSJWKA,it is hard to tell for sure without an examination but based on your description, it sounds like a good plan. If you are concerned, I would suggest you to consult another board-certified plastic surgeon. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.Daniel Barrett, MD

Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

This is a great question, and an issue I see every week in my practice.  The principle is quite simple but doing the right thing can be hard.The bottom line is your lift (raising the nipple and shortening the breast fold) is going to have extra stress placed on it by an implant, which may cause bottoming out too early.  You should NOT have an implant if1) You have thin, inelastic, or damaged skin2) You have poor consistency of your internal  breast tissues (parenchyma)3) You have a very long breast fold4) You are desiring a very large, heavy implant Deciding the above issues takes experience and good judgement, and deciding every case is a very individualized process.

A breast reduction is both a breast lift and an excision of tissue.  Depending upon what tissue is excised and what tissue remains will determine the safety of doing this procedure at once. The skin envelope can be tightened by the right surgeon to give the roundest look possible for your breasts. An implant placed at the time of a reduction may result in compromised vascularity. Waiting six months to place the implants is a wise decision.