What is the best breast procedure for me?

Your breasts are small, and this makes you very self-aware in all social and intimate situations. Or maybe your breasts are sagging, looking like deflated balloons with no shape and little volume. Or maybe your breasts are so big that you can barely perform tasks and activities that are very simple and normal for most people.

The size and shape of our breasts can affect the way we function, not only the way we look and feel about ourselves. We make decisions based on how we see ourselves, how pretty we think we are. And it’s not too often that women after a certain age are happy with their breasts. But it’s also very possible to not know exactly what the suitable breast procedure is for your particular case.

Breast procedure to get larger breasts

Let’s start with the most popular breast procedure of them all – breast augmentation. Also known as breast enhancement surgery or, in more simple words, a boob job, breast augmentation surgery is one of the most sought-after plastic surgery procedures.

The breast augmentation can be performed either with fat transfer to the breasts or breast implants. But in a vast majority of cases, the fat transfer with the breasts doesn’t deliver impressive results, and they are more difficult to sustain in time. This is the reason why breast implant surgery is the most reliable, safe, and efficient method to get the breasts you've been dreaming about in a matter of hours.

Nowadays, we use breast augmentation visualization techniques to decide the right size for breast implants. This allows the patient to get a glimpse of the results of the surgery even before undergoing the procedure, hence increasing the satisfaction rate among patients.

Breast augmentation surgery is performed to get bigger, fuller breasts with a rounder or tear-like shape. With the help of breast implants, we can even correct the shape of the breasts – something that is otherwise impossible. So, if you are not happy with the shape of your breasts, the right type of implants can be a real game-changer for you.

The breast augmentation procedure can be performed as a standalone intervention or in association with other procedures. It can take up to 1.5-2 hours to perform, depending on the individual characteristics of the patient and the complexity of the intervention.

Different surgical methods can be used to increase the size of the breasts. The patient can have the implants inserted under the pectoral muscle, the glandular tissue, or in an in-between position called the dual plane. At the same time, the incisions can be positioned under the breasts, in the inframammary fold, around the areolas, or at the level of the axilla. The best surgical plan for your particular case will be indicated by the plastic surgeon during the pre-operative consultation.

Breast procedure to minimize the volume of the breasts

Women with smaller breasts can have a hard time imagining that there are other women struggling to function due to the overly large size of their breasts. Breasts with an excessive volume can put pressure on the back and cause neck and shoulder pain, as well as an abnormal body posture with a long-term negative impact on the health of the patient.

More than this, dermatological conditions often occur at the level of the inframammary fold when the volume of the breasts doesn’t allow for proper ventilation and airflow under the breasts.

Having very large breasts can make running, jogging, exercising a difficult task, associated with a considerable level of discomfort. This is one of the reasons why women with large breasts might find it difficult to keep in shape, which, in turn, can lead to weight accumulation and even larger breasts.

The breast reduction procedure aims to help patients get a more harmonious body and balance the proportions by minimizing the volume of the breasts. When the breast volume is excessive, health insurance can cover this breast procedure.

It’s also worth mentioning that this is the only breast procedure that can be performed on patients under 18 years old if there is a health risk associated with the condition. In other words, if the health and wellbeing of the patient are at risk because of the excessive size of the breasts, the procedure might be performed on younger patients.

The length of the intervention is dependent on the surgical plan – if there is a significant amount of glandular tissue to be removed, the procedure can take up to a few hours. The scars are more visible compared to the breast augmentation procedure, but the recovery period is pretty much the same.

Breast procedure to lift the breasts

After pregnancy and breastfeeding or after a certain age, due to the natural aging process, the breasts can become droopy. In medical terms, this is called breast ptosis. Breast ptosis is the condition of the breasts characterized by saggy skin on the breasts and most of the volume of the breasts positioned at the level or under the level of the inframammary fold.

It’s easy to tell if you need breast lift surgery; just try the pencil method that has been popular for decades. All you have to do is grab a pencil and position it under the breasts. If the pencil falls down, the chances are that your breasts are perky enough. If the pencil doesn’t fall down as it is supported by the volume of the breasts, then the chances are you are suffering from a certain level of breast ptosis.

The plastic surgeon will assess the breast ptosis level and indicate the best breast procedure for you. In some cases, this might be a breast lift or even a breast lift with implants – if the patient wants more volume for the breasts.

It’s important to mention that breast lift surgery doesn’t increase or reduce the volume of the breasts. The only visible differences happen when the patient has a considerable quantity of saggy skin before the procedure.

Final words

To find out what is the best breast procedure for your particular case, you should schedule a consultation with the plastic surgeon as soon as possible. Make sure to choose an experienced surgeon with a deep understanding of aesthetics and your motivation for resorting to plastic surgery. You can schedule an appointment with Dr. Essie Yates now at the Yates Institute for Plastic Surgery in Fort Lauderdale.