BREAST SHAPE AFTER MASTOPEXY OR BREAST REDUCTION

Breast shape is important to many women after breast augmentation, breast lift or breast reduction.

For many women who desire an augmentation, it is an increase in size, and size matters more than shape. However, many young and middle aged women want their breasts to be “perky” after a lift or reduction.

This has been, in my experience as a Fort Myers plastic surgeon, a futile goal.

When we do ANY breast reshaping we are not changing the patients old skin for new skin. The skin is still 30, 40 or 50 years old; thinner; less elastic; with stretch marks. Hence, when we re-shape it, yes, it is better than before, but it is not perky.

I recently read an article entitled “A retrospective photometric study of 82 Published Reprints of Mastopexy and Breast Reduction” The author was Dr. Eric Swanson from Kansas.

The results after this extensive study showed that our existing mastopexy/reduction techniques do NOT significantly alter breast projection or fullness in the upper pole, just what many women want.

I guess what we need to take away from this study is that expectations on the part of the patient and reality many times are two different animals. This is sometimes difficult to convey to patients.