Restora Austin Plastic Surgery Centre
Frequently Asked Questions: Breast Surgery & Implants 1. Breast Lift vs Breast Augmentation: How to tell which is needed? This is often difficult for patients to figure out before they come in for consultation. The nipple position, in relationship to the infra-mammary fold (IMF) or lower breast crease, is the most critical factor in determining whether a lift is needed. If the nipple is above the IMF, an implant alone will give a nice result. If the nipple is at the fold, a lift may or may not be needed, and these patients are considered “borderline”. Other factors like skin quality and desired size are factored in to determine if an implant alone will achieve the patient’s desired result. If the nipple is below the IMF, a lift is necessary to reposition the breast tissue higher on the chest wall. Placing an implant but not performing a lift in these patients leads to a “snoopy deformity”, where the implant is at the proper position on the chest wall, but the breast tissue is too low. The breast tissue then slides or waterfalls off of the implant, and the patient’s profile view looks like Snoopy. 2. Can breast implants lift slightly sagging breasts? If the ptosis or sagging is mild, an implant alone can lift the breasts. Again, it’s all about the position of the nipple in relation to the IMF. We sometimes have patients do the “pencil test” at home. This is where a pencil is placed under the IMF. In general, if the pencil stays, the breast