Posts Tagged ‘breast lift’

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Your breasts are NOT droopy…

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

I’ve heard this complaint thousands of times in my Louisville Cosmetic Surgery office and a lot of the time the breasts are not droopy…technically.

The fact that the upper part of the breast has lost its fullness with age and babies does NOT constitute droop in Plastic Surgery terms.

Droop, or Ptosis ( toe-sis)  as we call it, is all based on where the nipple rests in relation to the crease under the breast (Infra-Mammary Fold or IMF). By definition, if your nipple sits above your IMF you do not have ptosis and a breast lift or Mastopexy may not be needed. A Louisville Breast Augmentation will often correct this situation.

If your nipple sits at or below your IMF you do have ptosis and a Louisville Breast lift will be necessary in most cases.

Now, a lot of times her nipple is well situated above the IMF but the bottom part of the breast sits below the IMF. We call this pseudo-ptosis and depending on the severity and the size of your breast, this situation may also call for a mastopexy (lift).

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

All posts on this blog are presented by Lousiville Breast Augmentation specialist, Dr. Lee Corbett.

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My Breasts are different sizes…

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

In my Louisville Kentucky Cosmetic surgery practice I encounter this complaint frequently. And that is no great surprise becasue every woman’s breasts are uneven.

When a woman is considering a Louisville Breast Augmentation, I will frequently use different volumes to account for the asymmetry or even different style implants. I tackle the size problem  by using implant sizers. These are trial implants that we place and then fill to different volumes to see what balances things out. They only run $30 or $40 which is a lot better than trialing a $1000 silicone implant only to find its the wrong size!!

When I do Louisville Breast Lifts or Louisville Breast Reductions, I can simply remove more tissue from the larger breast to balance things out.

What is more difficult to correct is if the breasts are vertically asymmetric. It is hard to adjust the breast crease a lot so these asymmetries tend to persist. Likewise, if your rib cage is different from side to side, there is very little to do.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

all posts on this blog are presented by Louisville Cosmetic Surgeon, Dr. Lee Corbett

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Better but still the same Breast…

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

When I meet a new patient considering a Louisville Breast Augmentation, a Louisville Breast Lift or a Louisville Breast Reduction they often share a common misconception. That is, after one of the aforementioned procedures, their breast tissue will change. This isn’t the case.

After an augmentation the breast will be larger. The upper volume will be restored. Droop can be corrected. BUT…the breast tissue that sits on top of the implant is still the same breast tissue you started with. It will not become firmer. The skin will not change. Stretch marks will not go away etc…

The same is true for a reduction or lift. These are great operations because they work! But, again, the nature and consistency of the breast tissue itself is unchanged.

Lee Corbett, MD

http://www.corbettcosmeticsurgery.com/

All posts on this blog are presented by Louisville Plastic Surgeon Dr. Lee Corbett.

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Nipple size after surgery

Friday, January 8th, 2010

Nipple size following a Louisville Breast Lift or Louisville breast reduction can be tricky.

Typically when these operations are done, the areola, the pigmented skin around the nipple, is downsized.

We do this by using a circular metal instrument, a “cookie cutter”,  that centers over the nipple. They come in different sizes, usually 38mm, 42mm, or 45mm. We then mark the skin around the cookie cutter and make the cut along the lines.

The problem is that the skin is usually cold from being exposed.  This causes the nipple to become erect and the skin of the areola contracts. If this happens differentially, it will leave the areolae different sizes after the skin relaxes and warms.

These problems are easy to fix and can be taken care of in the office.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.corbettcosmeticsurgery.com

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Areolar Downsizing

Saturday, July 25th, 2009

The areola is the pigmented skin on the breast that surronds the nipple. It is not uncommon for the areola to enlarge with weight gain and/or pregnancy and some women just have large areola.

The “normal” areola is about 42mm in diameter or about 2 inches wide. There are a lot of women with areolae larger than this who do not like this appearance.

This problem can be easily addressed as part of a Breast Augmentation, Breast Lift, Breast Reduction or as a stand alone procedure. What we do is place what is called a cookie cutter over the nipple. This is a metal circle that is 38 to 45 mm in diameter. We center it over the nipple and press down (you are asleep) and then mark the circle. We then make an incision along our mark and a second one along the natural areolar border. The excess areola is then removed and the outer circle is sewn closed to the inner circle. You now have a smaller areola.

If done alone, this can be performed in the office under local anesthesia. When part of one of the other procedures, it will be done in the O.R.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

All posts on this blog are presented by Louisville Breast Enlargement Surgeon, Dr. Lee Corbett.

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This one is for the Men.

Thursday, July 2nd, 2009

This blog is created with Men in mind. Ladies, you already know this stuff.

Not infrequently, I field the question, “My wife/girlfriend wants a ‘boob job’, what’s that cost?” In Louisville, boob job is typically synonomous with Breast Augmentation or the combination of a Breast Augmentation with a Breast Lift.

An augmentation is where only an implant is placed behind the breast to increase its’ volume. Often, her complaint is that with aging and after kids the upper half of the breast has lost volume. An implant will restore the volume and give her the full appearance and improved cleavage she has lost.

Now, if most of her breast and or the nipple  rests below the fold under her breast, she will need a lift with or without an implant. If she is happy with her size, a lift alone is good. If she wants everything back up where it used to be and size, she will need the lift implant combo. This is a more complex operation with a higher cost and more scarring implications.

Costs vary pretty widely depending on what type of implant is used and how much of a lift is needed. Things can range from $4,000 up to 7 or $8,ooo depending on her starting point.

Guys, I hope this helps. It’s not all inclusive of what’s involved,  but it will catch you up with what your wife/girlfriend probably already knows.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

502.721.0330

All posts on this blog are presented by Louisville, Kentucky breast implant specialist, Dr. Lee Corbett.

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Should you have an implant and a breast lift at the same time?

Wednesday, June 10th, 2009

This is a loaded question and your answer depends upon whom you ask.

Lifts alone and implants alone are fairly straightforward operations. Not much controversy there.

When we combine the procedures things change though. Here’s why.

These two operations are fundamentally opposed. An implant operation is a stretching operation. A lift operation is a tightening operation. Adding an implant to the breast adds weight to the breast. Patients who need lifts have skin that can’t support the weight of the breasts as they are. How can we expect the skin to support the breast and an implant? Well, on a level, we can’t.

There are also marking issues. When we do a lift, we will mark the breast pre-op, and follow our lines. It is pretty straight forward. Well, if I mark your breast pre-op and then put an implant in, all of my marks are invalid. So the operation is more difficult.

If it’s so bad, should it be done? Personally, I think it’s reasonable to do it together, but only if the patient realizes that the chances of needing a revision are higher than if the two are done seperately. In my practice, I do a lot of lift and implant combination procedures because a lot of women need it.

In the end, what universally happens, is that the implant will settle and the breast is not quite as perky as it was in the first few weeks or months after surgery. You will see a big improvement compared to pre-op, but the implant just wont stay quite as high as it was intially placed.

If you are considering this combination, make sure you and your surgeon are on the same page. I do this with my patients and things turn out very well.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

502.721.0330

All posts on this blog are authored by Dr. Lee Corbett, a Louisville, Kentucky breast augmentation specialist.

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What is the difference between a Breast Reduction and Breast Lift?

Monday, June 8th, 2009

Breast reductions and Breast lifts are very similar operations. In a lot of cases the incisions are similar, both serve to lift the breast and re-position the nipple. But there are some significant differences.

The reasons women seek the operations differ. Both want their breasts lifted but reduction patients also tend to complain of neck, shoulder, and upper back discomfort. They also complain of shoulder grooving and of developing rashes under their breasts.

The obvious is that reductions significantly downsize the breast. I don’t know that there is an average, but most women will drop 2 or 3 cup sizes after a reduction. After a lift, most women experience a slight decrease in their bra size. In fact, a lot of times women who have lifts elect to have an implant placed in order to re-establish the fullness at the top portion of their breasts.

Finally, reductions tend to be considered medically necessary and covered by insurance. Lifts are considered cosmetic and financial responsiblity lies solely with the patient.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

502.721.0330

All posts on this blog are authored by Kentucky Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Lee Corbett. Dr. Corbett specializes in cosmetic plastic surgery including facelifts, browlifts, blepharoplasy, Botox, Juvederm, Restylane, breast augmentation, breast lifts, breast reductions, body lifts, liposuction,  and tummy tucks.

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What’s a “Mommy Makeover”?

Saturday, May 30th, 2009

A “Mommy Makeover” is a cutesy name someone came up with for the operations we typically perform on women who have had kids. I am preaching to the choir, but pregnancy obviously takes a pretty big hit on your breasts and tummy. A Mommy Makeover represents some combination of breast and tummy procedure.

For the breasts, a lot of women have just lost the upper breast fullness and only will need an implant. Others have maintained size but now the breast droops (see my previous blog on droop) and they need a lift. Many women opt for an implant with  lift combination to reverse the changes we see from pregnancy, aging, and breastfeeding.

On the torso, one of the biggest complaints I hear are a changed distribution of fat. You weigh the same as before your kids but your shape has changed. Most commonly I see fat in the waist & hip areas that need liposuction. Skin and muscular laxity are also common complaints. If your skin and muscles took a big hit we can address this with a tummy tuck. If your skin is good but you can’t get rid of that last little fatty pooch, we can also treat that with lipo.

So, a Mommy Makeover isn’t anything new, just a good marketing idea to catch your eye.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

502.721.0330

All posts on this blog are authored by Louisville mommy makeover surgeon Dr. Lee Corbett.

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My Plastic Surgeon insists I stop smoking, why?

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

Here comes a smoking lecture that is a little different than any you’ve endured before. There will be no mention of lung disease. The culprits are vasospasm and carbon monoxide.

I realize you probably don’t know what Vasospasm is, so I will explain what it is and why it affects plastic surgery procedures. When you smoke a cigarette the nicotine absorbs into your bloodstream. When it hits the very small vessels just under your skin, it makes them spasm closed. Well,  the problem is, for a lot of our operations, like facelifts and tummy tucks, we depend on those vessels for you to heal and for your skin not to die. So if you are smoking, you run the risk of segments of your skin dying. I don’t mean being numb, I mean dying and falling off! Trust me, this is not a good thing. Especially if it is on your face or breasts!

Carbon monoxide plays into things because when this gets into your lungs it gets distributed to your tissues instead of oxygen. The problem is, your tissues don’t need carbon monoxide to heal, they need oxygen. So when you smoke you are effectively starving your tissues and this can lead to your wound falling apart. Smoking is horrible for wound healing. Period. That is why Plastic Surgeons are so adamant you quit. I don’t want your result to be ruined and I know you don’t either.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

502.721.0330

All posts on this blog are authored by Louisville Plastic Surgery physician, Dr. Lee Corbett.

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