The two most important factors in determining the aesthetics of the breast are size and shape. For lack of size, breast implant surgery can usually solve the problem. If the size is good, and they are simply sagging, a breast lift, or mastopexy can restore the shape. But what happens when a woman is unhappy with both size and shape? The Augmentation Mastopexy, or APEX procedure combines a lift with an implant to resolve all issues in a single operation.
This procedure requires your doctor to have a large experience, as the lift removes skin to tighten the breast, and the augmentation stretches the skin with the implant. Dr. Yager finds that this operation can dramatically improve breast aesthetics in a single one to two hour surgery, allowing recovery to be shortened.
Sometimes the only incision is around the areola, and we can reduce the size of the areola at the same time. Sometimes a small vertical line from the areola to the chest is needed (the lollipop incision), and occasionally a horizontal incision under the fold of the breast is used when a lot of skin must be removed. On your consultation, we can determine which the most appropriate surgery is for you, and show you before and after pictures to see what is possible.
When patients come to our practice from other doctors and are disappointed with the results of breast lifts, it is not that the lift was not done properly; it is that the patient wanted more fullness in the top of the breast than the lift alone could deliver. No revision of the lift is often needed; just a simple implant can fix the issue.
By discussing all the options, and carefully questioning our patients as to their expectations, we find more and more that the APEX leads to a happier and more satisfied patient.