Breast Lift With Implants

Proven Benefits of a Breast Lift with Implants

A breast lift alone may not provide the results you are looking for if your breasts have lost significant volume, which happens to many women during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The skin that stretches to provide nourishment for a baby can fail to bounce back to its pre-pregnancy position, leading to breasts that droop lower on the chest.

Though Dr. Eric Desman will remove excess skin during a breast lift and move your breasts and nipple-areola complex to a perkier position, this surgery may slightly decrease your breast volume. Many women find getting implants alongside their breast lift provides ideal results, as the combined procedure creates an increased chest volume and an enhanced breast shape and symmetry.

Getting implants at the same time as your breast lift surgery should not significantly add to your recovery time, and the results can provide a dramatic improvement in your breasts’ profile.

By combining a breast lift and implants into one procedure, you will realize two significant advantages. First, combining operations saves money on things like surgical and anesthesia fees.

Second, it will also eliminate the need for two separate recovery windows. Alexandria and Northern Virginia patients should remember these benefits when considering whether a breast lift with implants would be right for them.

 

What Are the Different Types of Breast Implants?

Dr. Desman and his team use many different types of breast implants from a variety of different manufacturers. Each comes in different widths, heights, and sizes – the right one for each person depends on an individual’s body size and the nature of their breast tissue.

Depending upon your exam and tissues, Dr. Desman may make a recommendation for a particular type of implant that would best suit you. However, for most patients, the choice of implant is more of a personal preference.

 

Saline Implants

For some patients, Dr. Desman might recommend saline breast implants. These consist of a silicone shell filled with saline. Each manufacturer tends to have a different name behind their saline implant, and the implants themselves can be low, moderate, or high-profile.

These implants are measured in volume, which means that saline inserts of the same 300cc volume can have different profiles depending on the width of the base.

For instance, an implant with a narrower diameter would have a taller profile, while a wider one would be shorter. Choosing the right volume and width typically requires measuring one’s chest dimensions and picking the right option.

 

Silicone Implants

Meanwhile, some patients might benefit from silicone implants, which are a silicone shell filled with silicone gel. These inserts have subcategories, including implants with different profiles, viscosities, or densities. Each option might have a different feel to the touch.

 

Structured Implants

Finally, the third major category of implants are structured saline implants (Ideal® Implants). Filled with saline, these implants are engineered to have a shell within a shell.

What makes this option unique is that while filled with saline, they feel more like silicone implants, which feel virtually identical to natural breast tissue. Structured implants can be an ideal alternative for many people because their durability is a bit longer, when compared to traditional saline implants.

When Northern Virginia or Alexandria patients come to Dr. Desman wondering about which implants are right for them, he can assess their physical situation, ask about their cosmetic goals, and help pinpoint the ideal option.

 

Am I a Good Candidate for a Breast Lift With Implants?

The same overall characteristics that make a woman an excellent candidate for a breast lift also qualify her for breast implants. Ideal traits include:

• Being 18 or older
• Overall good health
• Being a nonsmoker
• Having no masses in the breasts after an exam
• Realistic expectations for their surgical results
• Having the support of loved ones

If your nipples sit above your breast crease, also known as the inframammary fold, implants alone might be sufficient to provide your desired enhancements. If your nipples have fallen below the breast crease, you likely need a breast lift.

Another way to determine if you’re a suitable candidate for a breast lift surgery is through an exercise called the “pencil test.” If you can place a small object like a pencil under your breast and it stays, you have a sufficient degree of sagging to merit a breast lift.

However, the best way to see if you are a candidate for a Northern Virginia or Alexandria breast lift with implants is to schedule a consultation with Dr. Desman.

 

What to Expect During and After Your Breast Lift With Implants

A breast lift with implants is an outpatient procedure that takes place while you’re under anesthesia. While Dr. Desman will clear you to go home after you wake up, you will need to coordinate with a friend, neighbor, or family member to drive you home and ensure you are resting safely and comfortably. We recommend taking a two-hour nap when you get home, after which you will start taking your prescription antibiotic.

For the first few days after your breast lift with implants, you can expect some tenderness and mild discomfort. These side effects are typical. To promote swift healing, you will need to wear a supportive, comfortable garment like a sports bra.

The length of your recovery time will depend on several factors, including how large your breast implants are. Women who choose more substantial inserts can expect more tissue stretching. If your job is not physically demanding, you may be able to return to work within a week or two.

Patients in Northern Virginia and Alexandria with more strenuous jobs may need to take a longer break from work after their breast lift and implant operation. While we recommend light movement during your recovery period to stimulate circulation and restoration, you should refrain from high-impact exercises like running or plyometrics until Dr. Desman clears you to do so.

 

Call Our Office About a Breast Lift With Implants in Northern Virginia

If you’ve decided to take the next step toward improving your breast position, projection, shape, and size with surgery, please contact our office by filling out our online form. Dr. Desman is a board-certified plastic surgeon with expertise and experience in breast procedures.

He will be happy to meet with you in a no-obligation consultation to discuss all your questions and concerns about combining a breast lift with implants in Northern Virginia and Alexandria.