One of the more unfortunate parts of aging is the effect gravity has on seemingly all of our tissues. Women’s breasts don’t get a reprieve. Unfortunately, sagging in the breasts is also accentuated by pregnancy, breastfeeding, and changes in weight. What were once firm breasts that sat high on the chest are now drooping and in some cases the nipples can even be pointed downward.

When this happens, a woman wonders what happened to her former, higher breasts. The answer is that they are not gone for good, as a breast lift with Dr. Frank can return the breasts to a higher, younger profile.

Three ways for younger-looking breasts

There are three ways to surgically return the breasts to their younger-looking profile. If a woman wants only a modest elevation of her breasts and wants larger breasts, breast augmentation may be the answer. The nipples will appear higher, and the upper part of the breasts will be fuller. Plus, in augmentation, scars are virtually invisible if they are placed around the areolae.

But when a woman likes the size of her breasts, yet wants to eliminate sagging, the excess skin needs to be removed. This is a breast lift. This procedure creates more extensive scarring. Dr. Frank uses two incision methods, depending on the amount of lift needed.

• In a lollipop method, the incision circles the areola and extends downward to the breast crease. This type of lift will elevate the breasts about 2 inches or less.
• If a greater amount of elevation is needed, the incision will follow the lollipop method, plus will extend horizontally along the breast crease in both directions. This is called an anchor incision and it allows the largest amount of skin removal.

Combining the two

Sometimes, a woman wants to have a lift, but would also like to replace volume that has been lost due to breastfeeding and aging. Doing implants and a lift at the same time is risky, it’s something we don’t do here. It can often result in over-correction. The best plan is usually to do the implant first, let that settle for at least 6 months to a year, and then assess the need for a lift.

Recovery

Recovery from augmentation and/or a lift, will require 1-2 weeks before the person returns to work or regular activities. With augmentation, where the implants were placed beneath the chest muscle, the patient will feel as if their muscle is straining for about one week. Light exercise such as walking can resume in 1 week, but strenuous activity and lifting need to wait at least 4-6 weeks. Wearing your surgical bra and then transitioning to a support bra 24 hours a day is critical during your recovery to keep stress off of your incisions.

Interested in returning your breasts to their former, higher position? Or do you want to eliminate some sagging by adding volume through augmentation? Or do you want both? Sounds like a consultation with Dr. Frank is in order. Call us at our Calgary office, (403) 245-1228, to set up your appointment.

Breast lifts are not fully understood by most patients. Most people understand the goal is to lift the breasts, hence the name of the procedure, but details can get a little sketchy. Do they make the breasts larger? Do they make the breasts smaller? Where are the scars? Will I lose sensation?

Since Dr. Frank performs breast lifts to address flattening and sagging breasts for many Calgary patients, he’s very experienced with these procedures. Let’s get you a little more expertise by answering some questions in this first blog of the New Year.

Breast lift or breast augmentation?

The goals of these two surgeries with Dr. Frank are different. Some women assume you can simply place breast implants to overcome sagging and loose skin. While implants can reverse mild sagging, and return volume to the upper breast area that is more prone to flattening, they cannot reverse extensive sagging. That’s the job of a breast lift.

There is also some misunderstanding about breast lifts. The goal of a breast lift is to return the breasts to their former, higher position on the chest. To do this, Dr. Frank removes excess sagging skin, reshapes the breast tissue, and usually moves the areolae to compensate for the removed sagging tissue. Breast lifts do not add volume to the breasts. Because the breasts are brought back up on the chest, there is less mass at the bottom of the breasts, which can even dictate a smaller cup size in the bra.

So, lift or augmentation, which is the way to go? If you have minimal sagging and would like to add volume and shape to your breasts, augmentation is the answer. If you have flattened breasts and a fair amount of sagging, a breast lift is the answer.

Is it possible to breastfeed after a breast lift?

Here’s the thing. Patients opting to have a breast lift should have made the decision that they are not interested in having additional children. That’s because the size gain and loss of pregnancy, along with the volume loss due to breastfeeding, will negate all of the benefits you received from the breast lift in the first place. Plus, there is a good chance your weight gain will distort your incision scars.

OK, but things happen, even if they weren’t planned for. In those cases, there will likely be some disruption of your milk glands with a breast lift. This is because the nipple/areola complex is usually moved.

Do you have more questions about breast lifts? Would you like to schedule a consultation with Dr. Frank? Call us at (403) 245-1228.

The human form changes over time. For a woman, this can mean that her midsection expands as she carries her children. It can also mean that her breasts enlarge, and remain that way, for several months or years as she nurses and nurtures her growing family. From hormonal fluctuations to weight gain with or without pregnancy to the simple aspects of aging, a woman’s body goes through a lot. At some point, what is seen in the mirror feels somewhat unrecognizable to what she had enjoyed in her youth. If this resonates with you, there is immense value in implementing healthy habits to nourish your body – and in consulting with your trusted plastic surgeon to correct concerns such as drooping breasts.

Like any cosmetic procedure, it is necessary to ask many questions. One that we often hear from women considering breast lift surgery is whether or not they can obtain their desired result without breast implants. Mastopexy is focused on lifting alone, not on adding volume. So, the answer to this question is yes, it is possible to get the desired result without implants. The caveat is that it depends on the results you want to achieve.

A Closer Look at Expectations
Breast lift surgery is performed to reinstate a more youthful projection of the breasts through repositioning. If the nipples and areolas have also taken a downward turn, they can be repositioned, as well. After the mastopexy procedure, breasts sit higher on the chest. This may give the illusion of greater fullness. However, no volume is added, so the upper pole of the breasts may have a minor slope where deflation has occurred.

If the end-goal is to recover the position and “perkiness” of the breasts, then a patient may be completely satisfied with her breast lift. If the desired outcome is to add volume in order to restore or create fullness and shape, we would discuss how breast augmentation with implants may be the best way to achieve this.

Patients of Dr. Frank are provided with the personal attention they need to explore their options through in-depth discussion of expectations and recommended procedures. If you would like to know more about breast lift or breast augmentation surgery, call our Calgary office at (403) 245-1228.