Should I Receive Implants with My Breast Lift?
Are you considering mastopexy but don’t know whether or not you should receive implants in combination with your lift? You may benefit from a breast lift with implants – also known as an augmentation-mastopexy – if one or more of the following apply:
- You wish to increase the size of your breasts in addition to elevating their position on the chest wall.
- You need a breast lift but also want more “upper pole” fullness in the breasts than a mastopexy can provide on its own.
- You desire to receive a breast augmentation but have more breast drooping than can be corrected with implants alone.
- You have moderate to significant volume loss and excess skin present in the breasts as a result of pregnancy, breastfeeding, and/or massive weight loss.
Should you decide to proceed with an augmentation-mastopexy, the procedure can be performed simultaneously or in two separate stages, depending on your specific needs, the size of your desired implants, and time you have available for recovery. For patients who desire a big implant in addition to their lift, I generally advise that the procedure be staged. As a revision specialist, I spend a lot of my time revising bad augmentation-mastopexies, many of which involved the placement of too large of an implant at the time of the lift. The reason this doesn’t often work out is because the lift and the implant go in different directions – the lift tightens and removes loose skin while the implant is essentially a “skin expander” that stretches existing skin and also creates new skin. As with anything, if you push this conflicting principles too far, the results can be disastrous.
Ultimately, my advice is to consult with a board certified plastic surgeon who has considerable experience with breast enhancement surgery. Following a thorough evaluation of your unique concerns and aesthetic desires, he or she should be able to help you determine whether a breast lift with or without implants would be best for you, as well as perform the operation in the safest, most effective manner.