Breast Lifts
July 13th, 2010
Sagging of a woman’s breasts can occur following pregnancy or any dramatic weight gain/loss. True sagging refers to nipple position falling below the crease beneath your breast. The “pencil test” is the way to find out if surgery might be indicated. By placing a pencil beneath your breast where it attaches to you chest and your nipple hangs below the pencil when you sit or stand, then you may need a breast lift. I do not recommend breast lift surgery if nipples are above the crease or at the level of the crease. Breast enlargement is usually sufficient to correct a simple saggy breast shape in most cases. Breast lift surgery repositions the nipple and areola (pigmented skin around the nipple) upwards to a more natural position. This natural position is about one half to three quarters of an inch above the crease. Positioning them higher than this can result in an odd breast appearance. The size of the areola can also be reduced if desired.
Breast enlargement or breast reduction may be considered at the same time as breast lift surgery. Changing the breast size is accomplished through the same incisions made for the breast lift. As with all breast surgery, size is a personal choice. Some surgeons believe that combining breast enlargement with breast lift surgery enhances the final breast shape. This is an option for patients to consider.
Scars from a breast lift are the same as breast reduction surgery and are positioned around the nipple and beneath the breast as well. They are usually easily covered by most swimming suits. Many women can still breast feed following breast lift surgery, if they choose to do so.
Choosing Breast Implant Size
June 3rd, 2010
Breast enlargement or augmentation mammaplasty allows women to surgically increase their breast size.
“What implant size will be used?” This is a very personal choice, within the physical limitations of the patient’s own figure and stature. Some patients only want a modest increase in size. Many women choose breast restoration following a change in fullness that has diminished after nursing.
A wide range of implant “sizers” are provided during an office consultation. The sizers are used to approximate the patient’s range of choice for their new breast size. Breast implants are measured in milliliters or cubic centimeters and range from 100 ml to over 900ml (one measuring cup equals 238ml or one tablespoon equals 15ml) in approximately 25ml increments. The visual experience of seeing themselves in a mirror with the sizing implants positioned beneath their bra and/or clothing helps a patient to choose the appropriate implant. Patients often bring a spouse of friend to help them decide. Many return several times before finally deciding on size. Readers might remember that Melissa blogged that she wore her sizers for a few days before deciding. That being said, some patients express slight regret about not choosing a larger size implant following recovery. Several patients have decided later to increase their implant size and opt for a second surgery. In my experience, only a few patients choose to decrease the size of implants. At any rate, it is a matter of personal choice.
Not surprisingly, many women report that they experience an increase in their self-esteem and satisfaction of body image following breast augmentation surgery.
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