For many women, pregnancy, breastfeeding and fluctuation in weight can take a toll on their breasts. Sometimes the issue is loss of breast volume, but often this is accompanied by drooping or sagging. This prompts many of our patients in Mississauga and Toronto to inquire about breast implants.
For small-breasted women who want a modest increase in size and who have minor sagging, breast implant surgery alone may be sufficient. However, when there is considerable drooping, breast augmentation alone would be a mistake. Appropriate treatment in this cause usually includes a breast lift. During breast lift surgery, excess loose skin, especially above the areola, is removed, and the areola and nipple are repositioned. There is a lot of advertising for so called “scarless” breast lifts. In reality, there is no such thing. It is possible, in some cases where drooping is mild, to achieve lifting with a periareolar scar – also called a “donut lift.” In these cases, the incision is around the areola only. Therefore, the scar may be barely visible. However, it is important for Mississauga and Toronto breast lift patients to understand that only a couple of centimeters of lift can be achieved through such an incision. Attempts to achieve a larger lift can lead to complications.
In general, the degree of lift correlates with the size of the incision: The larger the scar, the greater the lift. Dr. Weinberg discourages his patients from compromising on the degree of lift and shape improvement by insisting on a small incision.
The classic breast lift incision was the “anchor,” which went around the areola, vertically downward and then horizontally in the fold beneath the breast. However, this technique has been modified, and most women can now get the lift they require with a “lollipop” incision, which goes around the areola and then vertically downward. Though the idea of scarring may initially put some patients off, Dr. Weinberg uses modern suturing techniques and post-procedure care that can minimize the appearance of the scars. Many patients eventually wind up with a thin, barely visible, white line.
With any of the incisions mentioned above, patients can also have breast implants put in at the time of breast lift surgery. In general, overly large breast implants are not advisable with breast lifts, as they can cause complications, including compromising the blood supply to the nipple. As always with an augmentation, decisions need to be made about the placement of the breast implants. Toronto and Mississauga patients will need to discuss their goals with Dr. Weinberg. He will take many factors into account when recommending which implant, which incision and which implant placement would be best.
If you would like more information on breast lifts, or if you would like to book a consultation, contact us at (905) 273-3045.
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