Why aren't donut/Benelli lifts, breast reduction & lipo combined?

Thank-you for your query. The two are sometimes combined, in my practice, when a minor reduction and lift are desired. The problem, however, is that only a small amount of skin is removed with “Donut” breast lift and if volume is significantly reduced with liposuction, the skin envelope becomes more loose and donut mastopexy may not suffice. The biggest problem, if too much skin is removed in donut lift, is that the areola becomes wide with time , which can be eventually corrected only by adding a vertical component to the lift, which defeats the purpose of keeping the scar only around the areola. Please find an experienced Board certified Plastic surgeon and discuss all your concerns with him/her. All the best.

A mainstay of breast reduction is the lift to reshape the breast mound. Taking a donut shaped ring of skin from around the areola will give most women with large and ptotic breasts an array of cosmetically unacceptable problems: severe pleating of the skin around the areola, thickened periareolar scars, wide and irregularly shaped areola, a flattened breast mound, and persistently low nipple-areolar complexes, and persistent ptosis. Basically an ugly, unnaturally appearing breast. Get the right procedure or don't do it at all.

Dear luls777,
I understand your concern. It is best however that you consult with a board certified plastic surgeon to determine whether you can have several aesthetic surgeries in one session, as this would depend on various factors including but not limited to your general health condition, the type of anesthesia that will be used, and the type of surgeries that will be performed among others.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Some surgeons will liposuction and a lift at the same time. The point of doing liposuction is to avoid the scars associated with traditional breast lift and reduction

Liposuction done on the area of reduction may interfere with blood supply to the areolar are and usually is not done for safety reasons. It can be done prior to the reduction or on the lateral sides to not interfere with blood supply. Most doughnut lifts are not adequate for the excess skin for a reduction.

Combining different cosmetic procedures, such as donut or Benelli lifts, breast reduction, and liposuction, depends on individual patient needs and the surgeon’s recommendations. Surgeons may perform multiple procedures in one session if it’s safe and appropriate for the patient’s overall health. However, each case is unique, and factors like recovery, potential complications, and desired outcomes influence whether procedures are combined. It’s crucial to consult with a skilled plastic surgeon to determine the best approach for your specific goals and health considerations.

Each surgeon evaluates the patient's surgical goals and determines the best possible approach to achieve them. Often times with breast reductions the weight of the breast and the shaping that is needed makes the donut lift a poor choice.

Hi and welcome to our forum!While a periareolar breast reduction may be satisfactory in treating a large tubular shaped breast if the distance from the top of the breast bone is a normal distance to the areola, It will not work well with a normal sagging breast as it will cause pancaking of breast shape, unfavorable scarring, incision pleating (due to tension caused by suturing a larger circle to a smaller circle), and areolar enlargement, sometimes occurring suddenly years later due to purse string suture disruption. Breast tissue is somewhat resistant to liposuction as the tissue is quite dense and fibrous. If not a fatty breast, liposuction will not have much effect.Traditional breast reduction is still the "gold standard".Best wishes...