Background: The primary goal of breast implants for every patient is an increase in breast size. Such an effect is always achieved as one would expect from placing a permanent implant into the breast mound. But some women also desire that they have a breast lifting effect which is not nearly as predictable or should even be expected in most patients.
It is commonly stated that all breast implants do is take the existing shape of the breast and make it bigger. And this is certainly true when it comes to the shape of the breast. If one has a good mound with tight skin and a centered nipple then a very pleasing shape will occur afterwards. If one has a saggy breast with a low nipple position, breast implants will usually not create an improved shape and may well make the undesired shape more so albeit wth a bigger breast mound.
Case Study: This young female wanted a modest increase in her breast size. She wanted a full B or small C cup size. She has tight breast skin with a short nipple to inframammary fold distance. This made her nipples point slightly downward. In addition she had asymmetry with the left breast mound being slightly smaller and with a lower nipple position.
Under general anesthesia she had high profile round smooth 300cc silicone breast implants placed in a dual plane position through small 3.5cm inframammary incisions. The implants were inserted using a funnel device.
Despite her small and tight breast mounds with asymmetry, her after surgery results showed improved symmetry and better shaped breast mounds. This effect is caused primarily by the influence of the increase in the fullness of the lower breast pole which is where two-thirds of the influence of the implants occur. If the skin is tight enough and the nipple position is still above the fold, no matter how slight, the effect of the implants will create a minor breast lifting effect.
Highlights:
1) Breast implants create a volumizing effect which may have a lifting effect.
2) The lifting effect of implants come from filling out the lower pole of the breast which drives the nipple forward and up.
3) The tightness of the breast skin and the size of the implant will determine whether a breast lifting effect is achieved.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana