Combined Breast and Torso Contouring

What is Integrated Breast and Torso Contouring?

One of Dr. Belsley’s passions lies in bringing proportionality and harmony back to the body following both necessary and cosmetic procedures, such as breast reduction and breast lift. She enhances the aesthetic outcome by altering any surrounding tissue that no longer matches the new breast size and shape.

Integrated breast and torso contouring is liposuction conducted on tissue disproportionate to the body post-surgery. This completely elective procedure addresses the overall harmony of the body and gives women the opportunity to live comfortably in their changed form. It can also have a profound affect on the fit of clothing.

Why is there a need to reshape the chest contour at the same time as the breasts?

Dr. Belsley recommends pursuing the torso contouring at the same time as the breast alteration for the best possible results. She suggests this because of the way the skin reacts to liposuction. Liposuction causes the skin tissue to loosen, creating an undesirable aesthetic outcome. Dr. Belsley can only address the loosened skin when conducting surgery on the entire region in question. For this reason, her desired results can only be achieved as an integrated practice.

What happens if I do not reshape this area at the same time? Can I have it done later?

Dr. Belsley cannot perform the torso-contouring procedure without also performing the breast reduction or breast lift. The effects of liposuction on the skin often cancel the aesthetic benefits she is able to achieve when performing her integrated breast and torso contouring.

What are the advantages of doing both procedures at the same time?

When performed at the same time, Dr. Belsley can bring a natural harmony back to the body post-surgery. She addresses any irregularities or disproportional distribution of fat that occurs once the body is surgically altered. If performed at the same time, Dr. Belsley can counter the negative effects of liposuction alone, meaning loosened skin, while balancing the body to the surgically altered area.

Abdominoplasty, Circumferential Liposuction and Breast Reduction

before
after

This 25 year old woman with a preoperative BMI of 31.8 underwent abdominoplasty along with circumferential liposuction.  This procedure treats the trunk or mid-section of the body as one unit all the way around.  I believe that this method results in a more harmonious result than treating just the front with an abdominoplasty or just the back with liposuction.  

Questions Related to Combined Breast and Torso Contouring

Dr. Belsley's Philosophy of Breast Lift (Mastopexy)

In my practice, I perform breast lifts using incisions that result in a “lollipop” shaped scars. With good care and a bit of luck, these incisions heal well and the scars are difficult to see from a distance. Nevertheless, a woman who undergoes a cosmetic breast lift must be prepared for scars that are visible. This is one example of a “trade-off” in plastic surgery and of course, there are many others. This is one, however, that I feel is more than worthwhile in appropriate candidates.

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Breast reduction is also called Reduction Mammoplasty

Breast reduction is also called Reduction Mammoplasty. Overly large breasts have appropriately been described as an “affliction.” Terms have been derived, ranging from macromastia to gigantomastia which may not be etymologically correct but are certainly image-conjuring.

The surgical technique of reduction will depend on the situation, the amount of reduction required, the preference of the patient and the decisions of the surgeon. To the extent possible, wherever the incision is placed, the nipples and areolae will be left attached to functioning breast tissue, thereby retaining normal sensation and the potential for breast feeding.

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