Breast lift (mastopexy) with implants

Can I get implants with my breast lift?

Yes,a Breast Lift can be performed with or without an implant. A full discussion of breast lift without an implant may be seen by reading the breast lift section.

Who are the candidates for a breast lift with implants?

If you have sagging breasts and loss of fullness in the top portion of your breasts you are likely a candidate for the procedure.

The breasts are like the rest of the body in that they sag with age. The sagging can be exacerbated by childbirth, genetics, stretch marks on the breast skin, weight gain and weight loss. It is normal for the breasts to sag with age. Many women seeking a breast lift in our Baltimore office wish to regain the full, pert, projecting breast that they had in their teens.

Many women say that they dislike the scooped out appearance of the breasts and the loss of fullness in the upper part of the breast. As we age the structures that support the breast become stretched and weaker. These structures are the breast skin and the ligaments that hold the breast to the muscle beneath.

Breast Lift with Implants: Treatment of sagging breasts with a lift and implants

Breasts sag when the skin gets looser and when the amount of breast tissue decreases. There are two ways to tackle the problem. Dr. Rodriguez and Dr. Robertson are both experienced breast surgeons who will explain your options fully after your examination in our Baltimore office. The problem of loose skin is covered in the mastopexy section.

To address the issue of loss of volume or fullness in the breast, a breast implant is often recommended at the same time as the lift. The breast implant fills up the extra skin of the breast. The round shaped implants manufactured by Inamed Corporation and Mentor Corporation work well to restore the fullness that was in the upper aspect of the breasts.

In some cases with just slight sagging of the breasts an implant alone without any additional mastopexy (breastlift) may lift the breast. In most cases the implant is placed beneath the pectoral muscle and the breast lift is then performed. The shape of the breast mound is usually better when both breast augmentation and breast lift are performed together. Although breast lift surgery will raise the gland and the nipple the overall effect on the shape of the breast is a slight flattening.

The placement of an implant (even a small one) will fill out the breast and improve the projection. Note: The average breast implant weighs about 12oz (350g). This additional weight on the chest may accelerate the rate of ongoing breast ptosis if the implant is placed above the muscle.

Is that too much surgery to do on the breast all at one time?

No. We perform the combination breast lift with breast augmentation on a frequent basis. The down time is no more than if only one procedure was performed.

We find that when mastopexy (breast lift) and augmentation are done at the same time, less skin has to be removed, therefore resulting in less scarring. Most of our mastopexy-augmentations are done using the crescent or partial circumareolar incision. Only in very droopy breasts do we use the 'lollipop' incision.

Can I get more cleavage with my implants?

Yes, increased cleavage is easily attained with this procedure. However, there are two types of cleavage: medial cleavage and upper pole fullness. In his CosmeticSurg Blog Dr. Rodriguez has a full discussion on what the difference is between the two types of breast cleavage.

Plastic Surgery Interactive Quiz from Dr. Rodriguez