Congratulations! You’ve lost all that unwanted weight, or perhaps you’ve had all of your children and want your body back, without bumps and bulges. One of the more troubling areas after weight loss, aging or childbirth can be a woman’s breasts. Anyone who has experienced extreme changes in their breasts can benefit from a new technique developed at the University of Pittsburgh. It eliminates the need for implants.
By J. Peter Rubin, MD
and Beverly Brooks
The Plastic Surgery Channel
Peter Rubin, MD is a trail blazer when it comes to improving people’s appearance after life altering body changes. Sagging breasts often need to be lifted through a procedure called Mastopexy, and with the new technique the reshaping is done exclusively with the patient’s own tissue.
“This involves an internal bra,” says Rubin. “We’re seeing an aesthetically pleasing shape, and a tremendous breast support system with long lasting results.”
Implants are also offered with a Mastopexy, but whenever possible Dr. Rubin suggests using the new technique to maximize a person’s own body tissue.
Repurposing Body Fat
In significant weight loss patients, there is extra fat that can be moved from the ‘trouble spot’ and into the breast for augmentation. When there’s severe weight loss, extra tissue at the side of the breast needs to be removed. Instead of getting rid of the fat and tissue, it’s moved into the breast to make it larger and create a beautiful body contour.
“It’s such a powerful technique for reshaping breasts on patients who have noticed severe changes,” says Rubin. “It’s an exciting medical advance particularly when the end result leaves women feeling satisfied and delighted with the procedure.”
Mastopexy raises the breasts by removing excess skin and tightening the surrounding tissue to reshape and support the new breast contour. Sometimes the areola becomes enlarged over time, and a breast lift will reduce this as well. A woman’s breasts often change over time, losing their youthful shape and firmness. These changes and loss of skin elasticity can result from:
- Pregnancy
- Breastfeeding
- Weight fluctuations
- Aging
- Gravity
Rubin’s Research
Peter Rubin, MD is Chair of the Department of Plastic Surgery and the UPMC Endowed Professor of Plastic Surgery, as well as Professor of Bio-engineering. He also serves as the liaison between the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons, working to promote safety and quality standards in plastic surgery after weight loss. He is well known for his innovative techniques in breast and body contouring surgery. He has published a textbook on plastic surgery after weight loss, and currently is lead editor of a multi-author textbook project on body contouring surgery expected to be the standard reference.
Recovery and Down Time
The scars in the procedure are not minimal and are similar to scars during breast reduction surgery. Those with desk jobs can be back at work within one to two weeks. Anyone who needs to do heavy lifting will require a little extra time to recover. You can be back in the gym and resume normal activities within four weeks.