Auto-Augmentation Breast Lift: No Implants Needed

A breast lift is a surgical procedure to lift, reshape, and tighten breasts. To achieve this, a plastic surgeon removes excess skin and tissue from the breast. In an auto-augmentation breast lift, the excess tissue is repurposed to shape the breast and give it more volume. It is ideal for women who want to enhance the appearance of their sagging breasts without giving up size, and without needing implants.

Board-certified plastic surgeons Dr. John Rosdeutscher of NuBody Concepts Nashville and Dr. Mark Peters of NuBody Concepts Memphis each have over 25 years of experience performing breast lifts and other cosmetic surgeries. Schedule a consultation today to learn if you’re a good candidate for an auto-augmentation breast lift.

What is mastopexy with auto augmentation vs a regular breast lift? Sagging breasts are often a consequence of having children, of breastfeeding, or of having lost a substantial amount of weight. This condition is also known as ptosis. It is very common, but nevertheless most women would rather have their youthful breast shape back. To achieve this, there are several options:

• Breast lift, or mastopexy. This is a popular procedure that shifts tissue upwards and reshapes the breast to a more rounded, tighter shape. You don’t need implants for a breast lift – simply removing the excess tissue and tightening up the skin achieves the goal.
• Breast lift with implants. A pure breast lift tends to reduce volume (more on that below) so that women with smaller breasts may want to combine it with implants to retain or even enhance their volume in addition to reversing their sagging.
• Breast lift with auto-augmentation. It is possible to repurpose the breast tissue to enhance or retain volume without needing implants. Whether this is a good option for you depends on how much tissue you have for the surgeon to work with – something you’ll be able to determine during a consultation.

A breast augmentation (i.e. implants) without a breast lift is typically not an ideal option for women experiencing sagging breasts after pregnancy and breastfeeding. The implants alone will not do enough to tighten and lift the breasts.

Breast Lifts and Cup Size

Many women aren’t aware of this, but a breast lift alone will almost always reduce your breast size. According to a study in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, most patients go down one bra cup size after a breast lift. For this study, 20 women underwent a breast lift at an average age of 47. They all had a standard lift, meaning they had no significant breast reduction or augmentation as part of their surgery. Five years later, they were asked about their bra size, adjusting for weight change, brand, and other factors that might affect bra size. On average, they reported a decrease of one size. 

When you have a consultation with a plastic surgeon to discuss breast surgery option, he or she will tell you the same thing: Expect a reduction in volume with a simple breast lift.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. Most women are happy with their breast lift results. The change in bra size has less to do with a loss of volume than a different fit based on the new shape. But it is important to be aware of the fact that a breast lift will have that effect.

A Breast Lift Without Losing Volume

What if you don’t want to go down in bra size when you have your breasts lifted?

One answer is to combine your breast lift with implants. If you have ptosis, implants alone will not give your breasts that perkier appearance most of us find attractive. They are a great option for younger women who simply want larger breasts. But older women, or women who have gone through pregnancy and childbirth, won’t get around having a breast lift in addition to whatever else they do to boost volume.

So let’s say you are in your mid-40s, your breasts are sagging, and you have decided on a breast lift to restore your youthful appearance. But you don’t have large breasts to begin with and do not want to go down another cup size. And you are reluctant to consider breast implants for personal reasons. What can you do?

An auto-augmentation breast lift is your answer. In an auto-augmentation breast lift, your plastic surgeon uses the excess tissue to reshape the breast and retain the volume. In all other ways, the procedure is very similar to a standard breast lift. The surgeon makes a T-shaped incision on the lower part of the breast, then removes the outer layer of the excess skin and underlying tissue. Normally, this extra tissue would be discarded, but for an auto-augmentation breast lift it is carefully tucked back into the breast and rearranged to give the breast a more youthful appearance.

Other Options to Increase Breast Volume

There are other options to increase breast volume without implants. Some surgeons offer fat transfer to breast procedures, where fat harvested from another area of your body (such as your abdomen) is used as a natural filler for your breasts. However, most women are not perfect candidates for a fat transfer to breast procedure and will achieve better results with implants or a breast lift.

If you want your breasts lifted without giving up volume while avoiding implants, an auto-augmentation breast lift is the ideal solution. 

Choosing a Plastic Surgeon

Auto-augmentation mastopexy requires an experienced plastic surgeon who will be able to assess your skin elasticity to customize a treatment plan best suited to your needs. It takes skill and experience to shape the breast aesthetically without the use of implants. Needless to say, you want pleasing results that last for years to come, without needing revision surgery at a later time. 

Are you ready to start the conversation about a breast procedure to suit your needs? Click below to schedule a consultation with our plastic surgeon in Nashville or Memphis!

References:

American Society of Plastic Surgeons: Breast Lifting May Decrease Bra Size, Says Study in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery