Ask a Surgeon - Breast Lift - My breasts are very saggy and I am considering getting a breast lift...

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My breasts are very saggy and I am considering getting a breast lift with...

Q:

My breasts are very saggy and I am considering getting a breast lift with augmentation. My doctor told me that he would need to perform two different procedures (due to my having too much skin) - first the breast lift and then go back four months later for the implants. Couldn’t an experienced plastic surgeon do everything at once?

A:

Whether or not a patient can have a combined procedure, i.e. breast augmentation with a breast lift or mastopexy, depends upon a variety of factors. If your nipple and areola need to be moved up quite a distance, it may potentially compromise the blood supply to the nipple if the procedures are combined. It also depends on the surgeon as well. Too much excess skin may also make it difficult. Some plastic surgeons are more comfortable performing the combined procedure than others. If you have developed a relationship with your board-certified plastic surgeon, you might consider visiting him again to review your options. You may also consider getting a second opinion of another board-certified plastic surgeon. It is not unreasonable to undergo a staged procedure if all factors point to it being the safest path for you.

Michael C. Edwards, M.D., FACS - View Other Answers by this Doctor

Las Vegas, NV

Practice Website

A:

Many surgeons have traditionally performed breast augmentation and mastopexy (breast lift) surgery in stages, usually mastopexy first followed by augmentation at a later date. In the recent past more and more surgeons have adopted a non-staged, single surgery approach to augmentation and mastopexy, and that is what I propose for the vast majority of patients who I see in consultation that need both procedures. I believe that the results of simultaneous augmentation mastopexy are as good or better than a staged approach in most cases, and of course patients quite naturally prefer a single trip to the operating room if at all possible.