American Society of Plastic Surgeons
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Krissi
5 years ago
Answered

Breast lift without implant

I am considering a breast lift. The majority of the information I am finding suggests an implant. Can it be a successful lift surgery without an implant? Thanks!

Procedure: Breast Lift

Replies 11

Trent Douglas
ASPS Surgeon
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Krissi - thanks for your question and for doing your homework with ASPS member surgeons. A breast lift is a procedure that is customized to your body and breast dimensions based on your aesthetic goals, tissue quality, and natural breast volume. Some women will have a better result with implants, others do just fine with a lift. The best place to start is a consultation with a board-certified ASPS member surgeon in your area. Together, you and your surgeon can develop a treatment plan that is best suited to your individual proportions, budget, and timeline. The ASPS website has a helpful "Find a Surgeon" feature to help connect you with qualified board-certified surgeons in your area. Best wishes on a great result and speedy recovery.

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Steven Wallach
ASPS Surgeon
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It all depends upon the look that you desire. I perform many breast lifts without implants. An implant can add more volume but does not lif the breast to any great extent. If you have enough breast volume then a lift alone should be fine.

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Debra Johnson
ASPS Surgeon

Mastopexy (breastlifting) can be performed with or without an implant. Use of an implant can give better upper breast fullness or cleavage. Without an implant you don’t get quite as much oomph to the cleavage, but you do get more youthful/perky-looking breasts. Mastopexy alone saves the extra expense for implants and possible reoperations for implant failure etc.

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Sara Dickie
ASPS Surgeon
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Hi Krissi,

Thank you for your question. Honestly, the choice to place an implant depends on your anatomy and your goals. Most of the time a lift alone will provide lovely looking breasts with the nipple lifted to the center of the breasts and a rounded breast shape. However size and cleavage will depend on how much breast tissue you have. An implant will give 'more' if that is what you would like. Talk to your ASPS member surgeon. He or she will help to guide you.

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Susan Buenaventura
ASPS Surgeon
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Very good question. A breast lift will correct sagging by removing excess skin of the breast and giving it a nice shape. An implant will add volume, increasing your cup size and providing some upper pole fullness. They are two separate entities and you can certainly do a lift without the implant. In fact the lift often heals better without the extra weight of the implant and remember you also have an option to add an implant later if you wish.

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Gregory Sexton
ASPS Surgeon

Yes, you can get an excellent result without an implant. A lift only will leave you the same size you are now, just perkier. I would suggest you do research to find a surgeon that gets good results doing lifts, and schedule a consultation.

Good luck

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Nelson Castillo

Thank you for sharing your excellent question. A breast lift alone can certainly be performed but depends on what exactly you are hoping to achieve with your long-term results. Some patients find the upper pole, and general fullness, that an implant provides useful, while others want to maintain a more natural appearance. Talk to a series of ASPS surgeons about your desires, they will lead you to the best solution.

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Sumita Saha
ASPS Surgeon

Hi Krissi, Breast lift can be performed without an implant, with removal of excess skin and repositioning of the existing breast tissue. The breast lift alone does result in a slightly smaller breast, so if extra volume is desired, an implant may be added as well. As every patient is different, a consultation would be required to find out what is best for you based on the look you desire.

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Mario Carranza-Garcia
ASPS Int. Surgeon

if you have enough tissue you don't need an implant and all the extra cost

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Jon Ver Halen

Hello and thank you for your excellent question. Yes, it is absolutely possible to have a breast lift without an implant. It is best to answer your question during a face-to-face evaluation, when you can discuss your goals and expectations for the procedure, and you can have a physical examination to evaluate for that procedure. I recommend that you find a board-certified, or board-eligible plastic surgeon with whom you are comfortable. Be sure to have all of your questions answered during a face-to-face meeting with your surgeon, and review before and after pictures of similar patients whom have had this procedure. If you have any questions, call our office for assistance. Good luck!

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Thomas Fiala
ASPS Surgeon

Yes, a successful breast lift can certainly be done without an implant. If you are happy with your size, and don't want the "implant look", then you'd be looking at a mastopexy (breast lift) without implants.

Only use an implant if:

a) you would like a larger overall breast size

b) you want the fullness and roundness that an implant provides for the upper part of the breast,

c) are willing to accept the drawbacks that implants have - more complex surgery, hardness, leakage, future surgeries, etc.

All the best!

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