Breast Lift Or Implants?
Posted: Friday 29 April 2011 11:26am
QUESTION: After having two children my breasts are quite droopy. I don’t intend to add to my family so want to have something done, as I’m only in my late 30s. But I’m not sure whether I need a lift or implants.
ANSWER: Breast augmentation is one of the most commonly performed cosmetic surgery procedures. It takes around 90 minutes to complete and you are able to return home the same day as surgery. During the procedure silicone gel implants are inserted inside the breast to increase size.
If you are unhappy with the size of your breasts and want a larger fuller breast, then augmentation may be a good option for you. It only makes your breast larger by adding volume with the insertion of implants.
Breast mastopexy – or breast lift as it is more commonly known – is another type of breast enhancement surgery which reshapes and lifts your sagging breasts to achieve a rejuvenated shape and contour.
If you don’t have enough breast tissue or volume to fill the skin of your breasts, sagging and droop of the breasts occurs.
This most commonly follows decrease in size of the breast for any reason – eg. weight loss, or the changes that are associated with pregnancy and breast feeding. In this situation, adding volume alone with an implant will not work. Undergoing a lift whereby a tightening of the skin envelope is achieved, usually with the insertion of an implant, that your desired size, shape and projection will result.
Women who have sagging breasts as a result of pregnancy or simply gravity alone are often good candidates for breast lift surgery. Patients of mine who undergo breast lift form the happiest group of patients in my practice as they regain the figure they used to have, a more youthful, perkier breast shape.
Breast lift surgery with implants takes around 3 hours to complete and usually involves one nights stay in hospital. There are a few different options as far as incisions and types of lifts and I spend time with my patients discussing these things options.
One of my speciality areas is breast lift surgery using the Lejour technique which results in minimal scarring and a superior shape compared to older methods.
Determining if you need a breast lift or are suitable for breast implants alone is based on a few things such as where your nipples are on your breast, volume differences, whether you have sagging breast tissue and the look you are seeking to achieve.
In some cases using a larger implant can give the illusion of a better shape or better nipple position however I usually discourage this strategy as it can often result in short term gain and in 5 years or so needing even more of a lift than was probably warranted in the first place.
While there is no hard and fast rule, if you simply want to achieve a fuller breast, then breast augmentation may be suitable for you. If you have sagging breast tissue or breasts and nipples that have dropped due to gravity or pregnancy then you are likely to be more suited to breast lift surgery.
Your best first step is a consultation to determine your best options for surgery. We also welcome prospective clients to send an email of their breasts so that we can provide some preliminary advice as to which type of breast surgery they may require – although it goes without saying that there is no substitution for a consultation.
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