Many women love the way their breasts look in a push-up bra. The pushed up look has always been viewed as a sexy look and often times a look that signifies youthfulness. A lot of patients who seek out breast augmentation want that same look when they rejuvenate their breasts, but is it a good thing? Board certified plastic surgeons Dr. Simeon Wall Jr. and Dr. Bruce Van Natta discuss their opposing viewpoints and give patients something to think about when it comes to breast implants and positioning.
By: Simeon Wall Jr., MD and Bruce Van Natta, MD
and Adam McMillon
ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com
Push up bras are sold for a reason: it’s a easy way to accentuate a woman’s breasts and make them look sexy. Normally, the older you get, the less volume you have in your breasts to be pushed up. When consulting with a board certified plastic surgeon, what will they say to the notion that you would like a push up bra look with your implants?
“In my opinion, it’s not a good idea,” says Van Natta. “If you have that look, that means your implant is too big or not in the right place. Even if the patient likes that look, they’re not gonna like the long term consequences.”
“I totally disagree,” says Dr. Wall Jr. “If we took that approach on all the patients that come to see us, we probably wouldn’t be fixing many people. Of course we want to pay attention to the tissue characteristics of the patients and we don’t want to exceed the width of the breast. We want to educate our patients, but I think if they come in and have low positioned breasts and they want more of a ‘push up bra look’, it is reasonable to be able to deliver a very predictable surgery that we can reproduce over and over with a low re-operative rate.”
Where to Place the Implant: High or Low?
When it comes to breast augmentation, board certified plastic surgeons have a lengthy consultation with a patient in order to take all of the proper measurements. Current breast size, width of the chest, strength of surrounding tissue… all of these variables come into play when it comes to choosing the right implant. Dr. Van Natta believes positioning implants higher up on the chest (in order to achieve a push up bra look) may spell disaster for future complications. “If measurements and chest anatomy didn’t matter and they want that look, I’m not one to judge,” says Van Natta. “But that’s not 
Dr. Wall disagrees by stating, “When they’re younger, we’re trying to position that breast a little higher, maybe even with a lift at the same time. When they get older, and it’s more age-appropriate for them to sit lower, then sure it’s going to sit a little lower as they age. If you don’t position (the implant) upwards at the beginning, then they’re going to stay low and matronly the whole time!”
Both physicians do agree that a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon is the most important part of the entire breast augmentation process. Maybe you don’t want the ‘push up bra’ look, or maybe you do. During the consultation you’ll get the best information available and determine which look is right for you.