A plastic surgeon at New Dimensions Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery in Belleville, Illinois, Dr. David Reid has been specializing in cosmetic and reconstructive surgical techniques for more than 15 years. He is a board certified plastic surgeon, as well as a member of both the American Medical Association and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Here, he discusses the main issues a plastic surgeon must take into consideration before performing a breast lift operation.
Just as important as the breast lift itself is understanding the health issues and underlying concerns of each individual patient seeking to have the operation done. So before I agree to perform a breast lift on a patient, I first back up and really get to know that patient’s concerns, along with whether she has any underlying health issues I should know about.
It is important that physicians find out why their patients are concerned about their breasts in the first place, since that will impact which treatment option is going to give them the best results. So as a surgeon, you start with a diagnosis and make sure that nothing is going on with the breast that is going to be a health problem before moving on to anything else.
Of course, plastic surgeons need to ask the right questions and make sure that the patient in question isn’t pregnant at the present time, and that she isn’t planning on getting pregnant in the next several months. Because if that is the case, then undergoing a breast lift at the present time is not a good idea.
In general, the breast lift option is something that is done for women who have drooping breasts. Most commonly, women who come in for this have issues with the placement of their breasts, firmness, and placement of areolas, which can impact a woman’s ability to breastfeed and cause extreme discomfort.
There are two broad categories for folks who I consider good candidates. One category is for women who have congenital problems such as misshapen breasts. Oftentimes, things like this are not even noticed until puberty, but we can do a lot to fix these problems for women.
Another category is women who have Poland’s Syndrome. This is a condition that can include several other problems along with issues with a woman’s shoulder girdle, such as when a woman is missing the pectoralis muscle below the breast. Patients with Poland’s Syndrome can have many problems. But the most common feature that we see as plastic surgeons are breasts that developed into two sizes. However, other issues may persist as well, such as shortened arms or forearm problems. All sorts of issues that can surround a syndrome like this.
Meanwhile, another broad category of development or congenital problems that might cause a patient to come into my office seeking a breast lift is something called a tuberous breast. That is where the breast projects more out from the body than it is wide. So some women who have this condition will seek to have a breast lift done as a way to even out the appearance of their breasts, and that is a procedure I can definitely perform.
Much more common than any of these rare varieties, however, is a garden variety breast lift. That is, a patient who comes in seeking to have her breasts lifted as way to improve how she feels about her appearance. We tackle more of these patients, by far, than anyone else.
For the most part, I perform breast lifts on an outpatient basis. We can do the procedure safely on women are pretty much all ages, as long as they are in good overall health and their breasts are fully developed.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
The specific technique that I use on an individual will depend largely on the reason she is looking to have her breasts lifted—whether it is purely cosmetic or due to a congenital problem—as well as other factors related to the patient’s health and desired outcome.
The breast lift is such a popular technique that can be used to help such a wide variety of patients. It is definitely something that I would recommend that anyone who is concerned about their breasts come in and find out more about.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
