Why is it hard to find doctors who perform good breast lifts on African American women?

Question

I would like to see more pictures of African American woman who’ve had a breast augmentation with a lift. If anyone could recommend a doctor who has pictures please let me know. I’m getting tired or researching.

Gary M. Horndeski, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question.You are welcome to visit my gallery where most of my patients are AA women. However, please note that I do not use breast implants to achieve upper pole fullness. Breast implants often do not stay where they are placed, they stretch breasts down again, and are associated with higher risks and complications. A breast lift with implants has a 30% chance of re operation. That is simply too high for my liking. So, I developed an improved way to reshape and re-position breasts without implants and without the ugly vertical scar. I have attached a short video that shows a woman that has undergone my procedure. Her own tissue was used to create upper pole fullness without implants or fat transfer. I hope this helps. Best wishes and kind regards,

Anita Patel, MD, FACS · Answer

I understand your frustration. Most women want to find before and after photos that resemble themselves before making a decision, and that is a good idea. I have a lot of African American women patients, and you can see some examples of results in various categories (breast lift with fat transfer to breasts, breast reduction, tummy tuck, etc). To look at what incisions may look like, there are more photos of African American women under breast reduction than under breast lift, but it will give you an idea. You will see varying shades of skin and these images have not had any editing to the scars, so what you see is how they appeared when taken. Keep in mind the earlier the photo, the more likely the scars are more visible since it takes many months to fade in most patients. I have had African American patients whose scars fade super early, but that is not the norm. Aside from special attention to the skin healing concerns of any "ethnic" (aka non-white) patient, the internal technique of how the breast is lifted and the method of choosing the appropriate sized implant, etc, does not vary based on skin tone. In terms of closing the skin, I prefer to use the least reactive sutures (least likely to cause inflammation which can result in hyperpigmentation), minimize tension on incision, and also use scar management therapies postoperatively. I avoid using common dressings like steri-strips in many patients, since this can also trigger hyper-pigmentation for certain patients. In the photos online, most of the patients did not opt for the scar management therapies (optional), but more and more patients now see the value in it and are interested in minimizing their scars to an even greater degree. Meticulous surgical planning and technique is what a surgeon can do to optimize your healing, and being compliant with postop instructions (wearing a bra for support, for example) is what you can do, and your body's own intrinsic wound healing properties is the lone X factor (one that can be managed as needed with close followup). If you have a history of poor scarring, be sure to notify your surgeon and discuss the measures you can take for best results.

Urmen Desai, MD, MPH, FACS · Answer

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 Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Gerald Minniti, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello,
You can find many right here in Beverly Hills. Check out website and social media to find plenty of photos. By the way, AA women produce some of the most invisible scars, contrary to their belief that everything 'keloids'. Best of luck!

Richard G. Reish, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question. With the right research, you will be able to find a good surgeon for your breast lift with implants.  It is very
important that you thoroughly research your surgeon before committing to
surgery. It is a good idea to research your surgeon's educational background,
online reviews, before & after pictures, and speak with anyone who you may
know who has had surgery with that surgeon. During your consultation, make sure
that you don't feel rushed and make sure that you have adequate time with your
surgeon and not just their patient coordinator or nurses. If the majority of
your consultation is spent with someone other than the surgeon, this is usually
not a good sign. The most important aspect is to find a surgeon you are
comfortable with. I recommend that you seek consultation with a qualified
board-certified expert surgeon who can evaluate you in person.
Best wishes and good luck.
Richard G. Reish, M.D.
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

Daniel Barrett, MD · Answer

Dear msnaijaluv,Finding the right Dr. is extremely challenging especially with the number of online platforms and resources available. There a lot of great Dr's available. Definitely check to make sure your choice specializes in the procedure you want and spend the time to read through patient testimonials. You can always pick up the phone and call around also, find an office you feel comfortable with and set up a few consultations. Daniel Barrett, MD, MHA, MS 
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery  
Member, Am. Society of Plastic Surgery

Curtis Wong, MD · Answer

and have the potential for scarring... which you must accept.  Risks are greater in patients with pigment in their skin.  Posting a photo of another African American female is only an example and not what you can expect since everyone heals differently.  So just because someone has a great result, doesn't guarantee that you will get the same result.  Choose your surgeon by their reputation, on-line reviews (bad ones mean something is not right), and how they treat their patients post-op as some seem to forget them once the procedure is over and hope for the best with your outcome in terms of scarring.

Milind K. Ambe, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question and photo. You should be able to find some photos on my website below.  Best of luck to you.

Tim Sayed, MD, MBA, FACS · Answer

You should explore many plastic surgeon websites in San Diego, Newport Beach, and Beverly Hills and you will find plenty with enough published results in African American patients to help you in your search. Obviously many of us answering questions here would be happy to be among the surgeons you see in consultation to help you narrow your choice. African American patients often heal very well with scars that can be fairly inconspicuous (especially at the areolar border portion of a lift), but this obviously depends in part on the shade of complexion and also the patient's inherent scarring genetics. While African-American patients are statistically at a higher risk of keloids, most will already know by the time they are old enough to seek surgery whether they are a typical keloid-former or not. From a technical standpoint, though, please understand that the actual process of performing a breast augmentation and lift is not particular to ethnic differences in the way, say, a rhinoplasty might be, since there are more genetic traits that tend to be commonplace in facial aesthetics to particular ethnic groups vs. body aesthetics. In that sense, just because a plastic surgeon does not have numerous darker-skinned patients, that does not mean the surgeon is not capable of producing excellent results in your particular case. The surgeon may simply be practicing in a  market that skews heavily to certain ethnic groups based on population demographics; for example, you may see more Hispanic-American patients in a practice in Miami vs. more Asian-American patients in a practice in Seattle. I think if you visit enough websites in your local markets you should find enough representative examples to give you confidence in visiting a few plastic surgeon offices for in-person consultations.

Jean Paul Giudicelli Saba, MD · Answer

Hi, thanks for sharing your concern with us! 
Im sure that you will find the right one, just make sure that is a board certified plastic surgeon, remember that your safety, always, is going to be first.
Have a great day! 
  
Dr. JPG

Why is it hard to find doctors who perform good breast lifts on African American women?

Answers (12)

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