Women with droopy or ptotic breasts may want to improve their shape and increase their breast size through breast augmentation. No one wants a breast lift due to the additional scarring and cost. Unfortunately, avoiding a lift can create two new problems. In one case if the nipple is too low, an augmentation can actually make the breast look worse by pushing the nipple down to the bottom of the breast. In the second case, the surgeon may seek to avoid a lift by moving the implant lower on the chest than normal. This means the woman will now have to wear her bra lower and will create more emptiness in the upper part of the breast. Not only does this look bad, it is very difficult to fix. Done properly, the combination of implant surgery and a lift may be the best choice in some of our Dallas that undergo breast augmentation surgery with a lift.
Featured Cases
Breast Augmentation with periareolar Lift After Pregnancy with Silicone Implants
This 35 year old was 5'7", weighed 135, and her breasts had diminshed in size and shape after the birth of her two children.
+ See Full CaseBreast Augmentation with Lift
This 32 year old was 5'7", weighed 130 pounds, but had previously weighed 170 pounds. Her breasts had become ptotic or "droopy" due to weight loss.
+ See Full CaseBreast Augmentation with Lift - Silicone Implants
This 34 year old was 5'6", weighed 138 pounds and no longer filled a C cup bra. She also had breast ptosis (droopy) and her left breast was slightly larger than her right.
+ See Full CaseWho Is a Good Candidate for a Breast Lift?
While not every patient will opt to have a lift even if the nipple is low, it is relatively easy to decide who needs a lift if they want their nipple position to be located over the center of their implant. If the nipple is at or below the level of the fold under the breast, some type of lift is needed. The farther down the nipple is, the more involved the lift needs to be. When the nipple needs to be moved less than an inch, a lift can frequently be done where the incision is only around the areola. This scar usually is very difficult to see when it is completely healed. Using this operation for nipple movement over one inch usually results in flattening of the breast and can cause gathering around the areola. When the nipple needs to move up more than one inch, some type of vertical incision is necessary.
Can the Breast Augmentation and Lift be Performed in Combination?
There is a lot of controversy in plastic surgery about whether an augmentation can even be done at the same time as a lift. There are numerous reasons for this, but suffice it to say that the combined operation involves settling of the implant and the breast. If they do not settle the same amount, then the nipple will not be located properly over the implant and further surgery will be required.
There are three basic conditions when it is safest to do the lift prior to the augmentation as a separate procedure. They are:
- Movement of the nipple is greater than two inches:
- Considerable droopy breast tissue must be removed at the same time;
- The patient desires to have a large implant.
When any or all of these conditions exist, it can be difficult to preserve the blood supply to the nipple and it can die! That is really the ultimate cause for caution when performing an augmentation and a lift at the same time. These considerations must be balanced against the potential lower cost and less recovery involved with a combined operation.
Breasts that are both droopy and small are more challenging to improve than breasts that are simply too small. It takes more time and effort on the part of the surgeon to make sure the patient gets the best possible result with the least risk, scarring, and cost.
Dallas Breast Augmentation/Lift Consults
If you are considering undergoing cosmetic breast procedures in Dallas, schedule your breast augmentation and breast lift consult. Contact the practice of Paul Pin, MD, today.