Breast Lift Without Scars

Is it possible to have a breast lift without scars? With new techniques and technologies, the answer is  “Yes!”. Board certified plastic surgeons Dr. Bruce Van Natta of Indianapolis and Dr. Lee Thornton of Meridian, Mississippi discuss the newest breast lift technology and what it means for patients.

By: Bruce W. Van Natta, MD and Lee K. Thornton, MD
and Adam McMillon
ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com

“If we can do surgeries without scars, that’s what our patients want!” ~ Dr. Van Natta

Typically, a mastopexy, or breast lift, requires invasive surgery that results in scars on the breast afterwards. The results are so dramatic that patients are willing to accept the trade-off, but what if you could get a similar result without scars?

“It seems that a scarless breast lift is actually becoming a reality, and I’m normally a skeptic!” says Dr. Van Natta. “I have experience with sutures and a new mesh product that allows me to perform a breast lift without a bunch of scars. It’s pretty exciting.” Dr. Van Natta utilizes a permanent suture from Refine Medical that allows upper-pole fullness to maintain itself following a breast lift for many years. Often times the upper pole, or top of the breast, will slowly lower due to the effects of gravity. With the permanent suture, Dr. Van Natta is able to keep the tissue raised over time. The suture, while permanent, can’t be felt, doesn’t show up on a mammogram and has no effect on physical activity. In addition to those benefits, the operation involves far less incisions and, thus, less scarring.

Too Good To Be True?

While the technique seems very promising, there are still some questions.  “I think it’s an exciting area, but I’m not quite ready to go all in with it yet,” says Dr. Thornton. “It needs more work and research before we’re ready to offer it to patients. The permanency of the sutures in a region of the body with known high-levels of bacteria could possibly cause problems, similar to the problems we’ve seen with implants and capsular contracture.”

The verdict is still out. As with any new technology and technique, only with the test of time and real science will surgeons discover the answer.