Ask Dr. Pane! Can I Have A Breast Lift Without Implants?

One of the most common questions we get at Atlantic Coast Aesthetics is about breast lift with and without implants. Some patients are concerned about making sure their breasts feel as natural as possible after the procedure. Some are more focused on the aesthetics but worry their breasts might be too low to accommodate implants in a natural-appearing manner. Some don’t necessarily want to go larger with their bust size, but they want some extra lift in the breasts. Our founder and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Thomas A. Pane, wanted to take on this question because there are several different facets it breaks down into and the ways in which a breast lift, with or without implants, might be approached.

Dr. Pane says, “The short answer is, in my practice, I individualize the plan for each person because no two people are exactly alike, even though they may fit into similar categories. So, just to start at one end of the spectrum: If somebody has very little breast drooping and they don’t need a lift, they can do an implant if that’s what they would like. For patients who want to be larger with no implants, they might fall into the ‘fat transfer into the breast’ category, which is a separate topic. So breast implant alone would be the simplest.

“Now, if somebody has tissue that is real tight, or real loose, that might allow them to get a bigger or smaller implant depending on how much drooping there is of the breast. If they need a breast lift, but they have enough tissue and they don’t want an implant, then that’s easy. They want to do a breast lift alone. The question there is, sometimes I may need to take tissue out, because I may not be able to preserve all the breast tissue without making things too tight and increasing the risk [of postoperative complications] there. So in these patients, what I’ll do is see how much we can save of the tissue, and do we need to take some out? They might feel a little smaller even if all the tissue is saved, because the breast is now lifted. So people will think they’re a little smaller, but they may not actually be because if no tissue was taken out, you’re not smaller.

“On the other side, there are people that want a breast lift and things are large, and they want them reduced. They want to be smaller. So then I have to put them in different categories. Are they having back pain, shoulder grooving, those kinds of things? Do we need to take a lot of tissue out, or do they just really want to be lifted and preserve as much of the tissue as possible? So again, now, this would put them back in that other category.

“For most people that are in the middle, they want to be lifted and they want to be bigger, but not TOO big. Usually those people would get a smaller implant to give them some upper fullness, but not so big that it’s going to add to the complication risk if you’re making the breast too tight or asking the breast to be lifted over an implant that’s too large for the [patient’s] anatomy. In those cases, usually a small to medium implant with some tissue removal is going to work best.

“Now, sometimes people don’t want an implant at all, because remember, an implant is not a lifetime device and someday something may need to be done with it. We’re going to do a different series of topics on breast implants themselves [covering topics like] what are the long-term issues [and] what are the studies showing, the outcomes of implants. We’re going to get into all of that at some future time. But right now, for the people that want a breast implant with lift, and don’t mind the implant, as long as they’ve got the right anatomy and not too much drooping, that can usually be done at the same time. For people who do not want an implant, that’s perfectly reasonable. If they have enough tissue, we will get the job done with what they have available. But if they want to be larger, we may have to think about maybe a second stage to do an implant or even a fat transfer to the breast if they want to be larger but don’t have the tissue and don’t want implants. So, that’s a general overview of the various types. As I said earlier, we’ll get more into specifics later, including with your very own case.”

Atlantic Coast Aesthetics is committed to informing and educating all our patients so they can make the best and most informed decisions concerning their cosmetic surgery care. If you have a question you’d like to submit for a future Ask Dr. Pane episode, we invite you to contact us through our website; call Atlantic Coast Aesthetics at (561) 422-4116; or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Remember, at Atlantic Coast Aesthetics, we believe the only bad question is the one you DON’T ask!