Study Suggests Safety of Combined Lift, Augmentation

Complication, re-operation rates similar whether breast procedures are simultaneous or staged

Combining Breast Lift and Breast Augmentation procedures is as safe as performing them separately, concludes a study reported by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The study is based on evaluation of 430 women who either had a breast lift alone or together with breast augmentation. Many patients prefer to have the two procedures performed at the same time to save money, confine the risks to a single surgery and see results sooner.

To measure the safety of performing breast lift (also called mastopexy) and breast augmentation as a combined procedure, the study assessed complication and re-operation rates for 430 breast lift patients between 2005 and 2009. In 332 of the cases, Breast Augmentation with implants was performed in conjunction with the Breast Lift.

The re-operation rate for tissue-related reasons was 13.3% for women who had the procedures together. Patients who had only a breast lift saw a similar re-operation rate of 10.2%.

The researchers, led by Michael Bradley Calobrace, M.D., of Louisville, Ky., believe their experience supports the safety of breast lift and breast augmentation performed in a combined procedure by a board-certified plastic surgeon.

“With appropriate patient selection and a carefully planned operative approach, our data demonstrates a one-stage procedure can be safely performed with acceptable complication and re-operation rates,” they said.

The study added that performing the two procedures in a single operation poses additional technical challenges, and critics have even suggested that the two procedures not be performed together. However, there are important advantages to lifting and enlarging the breasts at the same time – the one-stage approach is less expensive, avoids the risks of two surgeries and precludes the possibility of disappointing results between procedures.

“In our experience, patients overwhelmingly prefer not to undergo a staged procedure and rather have the augmentation and mastopexy concurrently,” the study said.

Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons