A Breast Lift and Augmentation all at Once

In Greek, ‘mastos’ means ‘breast’ and ‘pexia’ means ‘fixing’. For our purposes, mastopexy is a breast lift. And then there’s augmentation. If mastopexy addresses the position of the breasts then augmentation addresses the volume. While some surgeons are only interested in addressing one or the other, or doing both in two stages, Dr. Brad Calobrace is adept at addressing both at the same time!

By: M. Bradley Calobrace, MD
and Chris Knisley
ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com

Position and Volume

Whatever the reason – and there are plenty – the skin and the tissues of the breast can lose their vitality. Loose skin can mean a droop in the breasts, lowering the nipple past its proper position. Weakened tissue can mean a deflation of the breasts – a loss of fullness. These issues are addressed in different ways but that doesn’t necessarily mean they must be addressed at different times.

Calobrace performs over a hundred breast-related procedures each year. He has written papers on the effectiveness of his practices. He shows that an approach of simultaneous augmentation and mastopexy can be very safe and lead to better long-term results. It is a challenge to perfectly balance the expansion of augmentation and the reduction of mastopexy, a challenge that Calobrace has accepted and mastered.

Two in One

Patients come to Calobrace because they want a their breasts rejuvenated and to only endure one procedure. If the skin is too loose, if there is too much droop, if the position of the nipple is low – these patients are candidates for a mastopexy. Calobrace will determine whether or not an augmentation is necessary.

Most surgeons feel most comfortable performing the mastopexy first, waiting at least six months, and then performing the augmentation. While Dr. Calobrace admits there is nothing at all wrong with this approach, the so-called dangers of a simultaneous procedure are bloated or without substance whatsoever. A staged approach might be better suited to surgeons with less experience, but surgeons with more experience may be well-suited to perform a safe, simultaneous operation.