Breast Augmentation with Lift
Breast Augmentation with Lift in San Francisco, CA
Women often experience drooping breasts and a lack of volume simultaneously, which cannot always be addressed with one breast enhancement procedure alone. When this is the case, combining multiple techniques is often the best way to reach your desired result.
Dr. Leonard Gray is a master plastic surgeon who maintains expertise in many aesthetic breast procedures, such as breast augmentation, breast lift, and breast reduction. When patients want to combine the benefits of breast augmentation and a breast lift, Dr. Gray often recommends a procedure called a breast augmentation with lift.
To learn more about breast augmentation with lift in San Francisco, CA, we invite you to continue reading or contact Bay Area Plastic Surgery today!
What is a Breast Augmentation and Lift?
As the name implies, breast augmentation and lift is the combination of two procedures: breast augmentation and breast lift.
Combining a breast lift with implants is a good way to get the most from your surgery. With this procedure, your breasts will increase in cup size but also look better than with just one procedure.
Why Would I Consider a Bay Area Breast Augmentation with Lift?
Breast augmentation with a lift is often desired by women who want to receive the benefits of a breast lift while adding more fullness to the upper breast.
There are two general ways to provide fullness to this area:
- Breast implant- Adding a breast implant to your breast lift can add sufficient volume to the upper portion of the breast. As with a standard breast augmentation, you can choose your breast implant size when you meet with Dr. Gray in a consultation. This method is recommended for women who do not mind adding some volume to the breasts.
- Tissue transposition- In this method, Dr. Gray relocates sections of tissue from the lower section of the breast into the upper portion. While this method will suffice for a specific set of patients, it provides a modest fullness that is often not enough for those looking to go bigger. This operation is typically better suited for those who want some fullness without adding significant volume.
How is a Breast Lift with Augmentation Performed?
Breast augmentation with lift is an outpatient procedure performed under general anesthesia in Bay Area Plastic Surgery’s AAAASF accredited surgical center. Prior to your surgery, Dr. Gray will administer a nerve block. Patients can choose from a nerve block that lasts six to eight hours or Exparel®, a numbing solution that will last for up to four days. Exparel is ideal for patients who wish to work from home during recovery, do not wish to be sore, have responsibilities like looking after small children, want to avoid narcotic medications, or have other similar concerns.
For the majority of breast augmentation with lift operations, Dr. Gray uses a vertical breast lift technique. The vertical lift begins with relaxing the muscles within the chest, which allows the implant to settle when inserted. Dr. Gray then carefully removes skin from around the areola to resize it and lift it to a higher position. A small incision is then made in the bottom portion of the breast, between the breast fold and the lower edge of the areola, to create the breast implant pocket and insert the implants beneath the muscle. The implant incision is then closed at a deeper layer.
Following this, a section of breast tissue in the lower pole of the breast is excised. In many vertical breast lifts, this tissue would be added to the upper breast, but this is not needed when an implant is inserted. The breast tissue called “pillars” are then sewn to one another. This gives internal support that is long-lasting, like an internal bra.
What are the Advantages of the Vertical Lift?
Several techniques for breast augmentation with lift are popular, including the inferior pedicle and vertical lifts. The vertical lift allows for the longest lasting results with the least amount of visible scarring, which is why it is most often the method of choice for Dr. Gray.
Furthermore, this lift:
- Provides internal support of the breast with less risk of drooping or “bottoming out” in the postoperative period.
- Produces a more conical-shaped breast. Other lift techniques can make the breast appear flat and have more of a “pancake” look. Vertical lifts look more like an ideal breast in terms of shape.
- Prevents significant scarring beneath the breast. The vertical lift has only a fine line scar around the areola and down the breast in a vertical direction. Your scar should be even flatter and smaller by using Biocorneum™, a silicone scar reducing ointment from Sientra®. Using this for a year can drastically reduce the appearance of scarring.
Dr. Gray can also perform other breast lift techniques that he may recommend for you, which you can learn more about by visiting our breast lift page.
What Can I Expect in a Breast Augmentation with Lift Recovery?
Each patient’s recovery timeline will differ based on the methods employed in their surgery and their ability to heal. Many patients are ready to return to non-strenuous work after a week, but they should refrain from their full daily activities for 2 or 3 weeks. Furthermore, Dr. Gray advises that patients use caution for the first 6-8 weeks after a breast lift with augmentation because of the many suture lines that need to heal. Keeping your activity levels low during this period is crucial to healing safely and correctly. Dr. Gray’s standard recommendation is to exercise only by flat walking and holding no more than a Starbucks cup until the 6-8-week mark is reached.
You will be given two bras: one for the first week after surgery, and then a French bra that you wear day and night for the next two months. You can switch back to your regular bra routine after this period.
Stunning natural results
Dr. Gray’s training, precision, and personalized treatment plans provide genuinely outstanding results. Want to see for yourself? Follow the link below to view before and after pictures of Dr. Gray’s actual patients.
Ready to Learn More?
If you want to learn more about this procedure, our team invites you to meet with Dr. Leonard Gray in a one-on-one consultation. Here, you can ask questions and learn more about each of the procedures you are interested in. Dr. Gray believes in educating his patients to make informed decisions of their own accord.
To get started, contact Bay Area Plastic Surgery by filling out our online form or calling (415) 434-8858 today.
Breast Augmentation with Lift FAQS
Most women who choose breast augmentation with lift opt for moderate or low profile implants, which are smaller, flatter, and more conservative. The patients are looking for fullness, but they don’t want breasts to be too big.
Breast lifts can last for years, especially when patients adhere to a healthy lifestyle. Any significant weight gain or additional pregnancies could compromise the results of the surgery. This is why it is recommended to have this type of surgery when the patient is at or near their goal weight, and does not plan to become pregnant in the future. As for breast implants, while they may not last a lifetime, they are manufactured to last up to 15 years or longer.
Due to the nature of the procedure, scarring is unavoidable. The incisions made during a breast lift are patterned to best meet the aesthetic goals of the patient. Although these incisions can be concealed under clothing, they will still exist. The good news, is that over time and with proper scar care, they do fade and become barely noticeable. Most women find that their new shape and beautiful figure outweigh the scarring.
There are many implants to choose from. Dr. Gray offers implants from three different manufacturers with four different projections and a number of widths. You can learn more about the different breast implant types by visiting our breast augmentation page or scheduling a consultation with Dr. Gray.
If you are receiving a vertical lift, your scar will be around your nipple in a circle, and from the bottom of the areola towards the bottom of the breast. Dr. Gray will explain your other options when you meet with him in a consultation.
When you add an implant via a vertical lift, your size will be slightly smaller (about a cup size) than it appears when sizing in the office. This is to account for tissue being removed during the surgery. Dr. Grey has performed countless procedures and will help you find the perfect size.