A breast augmentation is performed by placing an implant either under the breast tissue itself or the underlying chest wall muscle. Today most surgeons select the under the muscle option. There are several advantages going underneath the muscle which include a more natural look, less chance of capsular contracture, and more accurate mammography.
A breast lift is a procedure whereby the envelope of skin surrounding the breast is tightened and reshaped by removing excess skin and moving the nipple up to a more centered position.
A breast lift will compact the breast, whereas a breast augmentation will stretch out the skin. Consequently these are two opposing operations. During the course of a breast augmentation combined with a breast lift several different components of the breast are being changed. If one component changes different than the opposite side, a second operation may be required in order to achieve the best outcome. It’s always important to remember that these are two distinctly different operations and when combined together normally have good outcomes. Occasionally, however a second operation is required in order to achieve the best result.