Dr. Jeffrey Lee is a Harvard-trained plastic surgeon serving patients in the greater Boston area. He specializes in cosmetic procedures of the face, breast, body, as well as nonsurgical treatments such as Botox and Juvederm. After medical school, he completed his training in surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, a Harvard Medical School hospital. During this time, he also completed a fellowship in the Plastic Surgery Research Lab where he published numerous book chapters and journal articles. He also traveled extensively giving presentations at the national and international level advancing the field of plastic surgery. Haute Beauty expert Dr. Jeffrey Lee explains the difference between breast augmentation and a breast lift while providing insight on both procedures being performed at once.
Photo Credit: ShutterstockHaute Beauty: What is breast augmentation?
Breast augmentation is the process of making your breasts larger. If you like the shape of your breasts without clothing, but just want more volume, you are probably a good candidate for breast augmentation alone. The most common way of doing this is by using an implant and there are various options when it comes to incision placement, implant type, implant position. This is great for patients who want a larger version of their own breasts.
HB: What is a breast lift?
Breast lift surgery is great for patients who don’t like the way their breasts look without clothing. Gravity, breastfeeding, pregnancy, weight loss, or aging alone can be causes of breast sagging. A breast lift does a great job at restoring a youthful contour and raising the nipple as it used to be. The downside of a breast lift is the additional scar that comes with the surgery. Most patients require a full mastopexy which involves an inverted T incision. Patients that are happy with their volume in a bra, but don’t like their breast shape are great candidates for breast lift surgery.
HB: What is breast augmentation combined with a lift?
Patients who want to improve their breast shape AND increase their volume need both procedures. Sometimes this can be done at the same time and this is called breast augmentation mastopexy. It involves the same benefits of lifting the breasts and making them larger. Patients who are good candidates for a breast lift but want a little bit more upper pole fullness or cleavage often choose this option because implants can really add fullness where a lift alone is unable.
Photo Credit: ShutterstockHB: What are the benefits of this combination procedure?
The benefit of this procedure is that you are getting two surgeries with only one recovery. It is also common to add other procedures such as a tummy tuck or liposuction at the same time.
HB: Who is a good candidate?
Patients who have a smaller degree of breast sagging and also want more fullness are great candidates for augmentation mastopexy. While many patients are great candidates for this combination procedure, some are not good candidates. In this scenario, I generally recommend breaking it up and doing the breast lift first, followed by breast augmentation at a later date.
HB: What is recovery like?
Recovery generally involves an average of 3-5 days of discomfort requiring prescription medication, but it definitely varies by patient.
HB: What is the cost of the procedure?
Feel free to visit our website pricing page for more information on surgical and nonsurgical pricing.
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