Breast enhancement surgery offers a number of options for women looking to sculpt their body contour. Breast implants and a breast lift are two choices for creating a fuller, more youthful breast profile. To make the right choice, it is important to understand what each procedure will – and won’t – do for you.
Breast Implants – Creating Size, Fullness
Breast augmentation is most commonly performed with implants that are placed under the breast tissue (usually behind the pectoralis muscle) to add fullness to the bustline. Both saline and silicone implants come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, allowing us to customize your augmentation procedure to your specific body size and desired results. This procedure will increase your cup size and give you the cleavage you are looking for. Some patients with small amounts of droopiness can achieve satisfactory results with breast implants alone, while other patients will need a breast lift. The incisions used in most breast augmentation surgeries are designed to be well camouflaged. This reduces the visibility of scarring, and helps achieve a more natural looking result.
Breast Lift – Restoring a Youthful Bustline
A breast lift, or mastopexy, is a surgical procedure designed to restore drooping breasts to a more youthful shape. The nipple and areola are repositioned during the procedure to create better nipple position. A breast lift will provide more fullness in the upper portion of the breasts. However, it will not significantly increase cup size. It is important for patients to understand that the incisions used for a breast lift do leave visible scars.
Making a Choice
If your concern is primarily with the size of your breasts, implants may be the right choice. However, if you have experienced moderate to severe drooping of your breasts, implants alone are not likely to give you the uplifted look you seek. And while a lift procedure will lift the breasts, women who have loss of breast fullness may not get the results they want from a breast lift without implants.
Combining a Breast Lift with Breast Implants
In situations where there is concern about size and position, a combination of implants and a breast lift may be recommended. The procedures can be performed during the same surgery, allowing patients to get the results they want with only one round of anesthesia and a single recovery process. The incisions used for a breast lift leave scars, so we only perform a breast lift when it is absolutely necessary to achieve the patient’s aesthetic goals. Post-operative topical scar treatments can improve the appearance of scars.
Choosing to have breast surgery is a highly personal decision that a woman should make with her plastic surgeon. At Umansky Plastic Surgery, Dr. William and Jeffrey Umansky, MD both have extensive experience performing all types of breast enhancement. They will work with you to determine which procedure or procedures will meet your needs best. To learn more about your options in breast surgery, contact us at Umansky Plastic Surgery at 858-281-4560.