Reclaiming Youthful Breasts After Weight LossTrillium Plastic Surgery

March 14th, 2013

Weight loss takes a toll on your body, and in no area is this more apparent than in the breasts. Many of my female patients were happy with the size and shape of their breasts before their weight loss surgery, and find that the youthful shape and size of their breasts are the first things to go as they quickly move toward their ideal body weight.

Instead of mourning the loss of youthful, perky breasts, there is a solution. And, you'll be interested to know that breast implant is not the only option. Indeed, implants may only be one part of the solution.

To rejuvenate the breasts, there are three things that we need to take into account. First, we need to elevate the nipple back to it's normal position. Secondly, the extra skin that has been stretched out needs to be removed. Fortunately, we can usually accomplish these two goals at the same time by removing some extra skin from underneath and around the nipple, which will elevate it. This usually leaves scars in the shape of a ship's anchor, but can sometimes be done with a "lollipop" type of breast lift.

The third main objective is to restore volume to the breast that was lost when you lost weight. The first thing that comes to most people's mind is: breast implant. However, there is another option that doesn't involve using an implant, which comes with its own set of issues and is not a "fix it and forget it" solution. Many of my massive weight loss patients have extra skin under their armpits that they would like removed - in some cases, that extra skin can amount to quite a lot! This skin and fat (of varying amounts) can be used to add volume to the breasts in a procedure known as an "auto-augmentation". Dr. Hall at Trillium Plastic Surgery is a Knoxville Plastic Surgeon how has a large amount of experience in this procedure. Essentially, you use your own tissue which would normally be thrown out as an implant to enhance another part of your body.

A breast lift and auto-augmentation won't work for everyone, and some women will still need or want an implant at the time of surgery. However, for the right patients, an auto-augmentation can offer natural, lasting results without resorting to using an off-the-shelf breast implant.