Breast sagging AFTER a lift and augmentation?

 Can We Predict Which Patient Will Have Recurrence of Sagging After Breast Lift/Augmentation? One of the most vexing challenges for plastic surgeons is how to recognize which patient is at risk for an early recurrence of the sagging and drooping of her breasts after a breast lift and augmentation combined procedure. Every plastic surgeon that performs aesthetic breast surgery has had patients who despite a correctly performed surgical breast lift and breast augmentation, redevelop a loss of fullness in the upper breast and bottoming out at the base of the breasts. These patients are frequently unhappy with their results and often are the source of negative reviews and even malpractice lawsuits. Two recent articles, one by Grant Stevens M.D. in The Aesthetic Surgery Journal and the other by William Adams M.D. in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal, look at the challenges of breast augmentation in combination with a breast lift. Both articles use the extensive experience of their authors to develop a strategy to analyze the patient’s breasts before surgery and based upon this analysis, determine the best surgical options for that patient. These same systems are used to also identify which patients are at risk for early recurrence of drooping and bottoming out. Additional surgical options such as using a surgical scaffold or collagen sling can then be recommended based on the patient’s findings. Of course with these options are more extensive and more EXPENSIVE! Even then, both papers noted that it is still impossible to completely 100% identify which patient will suffer an early recurrence of sagging. Pre-warning the patients during their consultations and well before their surgery is still critically important so that the patient understands that they may require revision surgery(s) with additional recovery time and additional costs. So…the answer is, “No, not yet,”