Study of 100 Secondary Breast Enlargement - Breast Lift Patients Shows the Combination Procedures Are Safe and Effective in Los Angeles

At the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery's annual meeting in April, 2007, Dr. Michelle Spring, Fellow at Marina Plastic Surgery, presented data on combination breast enlargement - breast lift surgery in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles, May 21, 2007 - Interest in breast enlargement in Los Angeles remains as strong as ever, with primary and secondary procedures increasingly routine. Mastopexy, or breast lift, is also popular, as the image-conscious baby boomer generation seeks to preserve a youthful appearance. In the drive to minimize downtime and cost, patients often request simultaneous procedures. Plastic surgeons then must make decisions that balance convenience with considerations of safety and optimal results.

Data exists on the complication rates of primary and secondary breast augmentation, and for mastopexy as well. Combination breast augmentation/breast lift procedures have also been reviewed for safety and effectiveness. Until recently, however, limited data existed on the risks and complications of secondary breast implant surgery combined with breast lift.

Compounding the lack of data, combination breast augmentation - mastoplexy surgeries are sometimes considered controversial. Some surgeons see potential hazards in possible wound complications and unpredictable scars. Some feel there's an unacceptable level of unpredictability in the ultimate location of the implant, nipple, and inframammary fold. Many are concerned about the potential for revision surgery.

Dr. Grant Stevens and Dr. David Stoker reviewed the outcomes of 100 consecutive secondary breast augmentation - breast lifts performed in Los Angeles between 1992 and 2005. The complication and revision rates from this patient population were compared to those for primary mastopexy alone and for primary combined breast enlargement - breast lift. Independent variables such as patient age, smoking, and others were noted and controlled.

"We found that the 100 patients who had the secondary combination procedure experienced complication and revision rates very similar to those of the other two groups," said Dr. Stevens. "No major complications occurred at an average of 3.5 years post-op. Of the minor tissue or implant-related complications, 15 patients ultimately chose to have revision surgery, eight to address a minor complication and seven to exchange an implant for another size or type of filling."

"It's interesting to note," Dr. Stevens continued," that although some surgeons are concerned about breast position when combining a lift with an augmentation, even in revision surgery only a tiny percentage of women have another revision due to factors other than implant issues."

For more information on the study, contact Dr. David Stoker or Dr. Grant Stevens, Medical Director at Marina Plastic Surgery. Call (866) 588-7507 or visit www.theperfectbreast.com and www.laserbra.com.

Dr. Grant Stevens is a California board-certified plastic surgeon and the Medical Director of Marina Plastic Surgery Associates in Marina del Rey. He specializes in cosmetic plastic surgery and has been named one of America's Best Physicians by his colleagues in The Guide to Top Doctors. He is an active member at Centinella-Freeman Marina Hospital where he is the past Chairman of the Department of Surgery, the past Chairman of the Liposuction Committee, and the past co-director of the Breast Center. He is also on staff at St. John's Medical Center and the Marina Outpatient Surgery Center. Dr. Stevens is an Associate Clinical Professor at the USC Medical School and Director of the American Society of Aesthetic Surgery-approved Marina Aesthetic Surgery Fellowship.