What to do with breasts that are too big and too low [David Levens, MD, Coral Springs]

Dr. Levens (00:00):
Hi, I'm Dr. David J. Levens. I'm a board certified plastic surgeon in Coral Springs, Florida.

Eva Sheie (00:06):
The opposite is sort of when you have too much breast tissue and you want to be smaller and also lifted, do you often combine the reduction in the lift together?

Dr. Levens (00:16):
Absolutely. I was going to say that, but I knew you would get to that. I mean, literally, I've had patients that say, they come in for a breast reduction, plagued by large breast heaviness, et cetera. I did one today, it's one of my most common favorite procedures. They tend to be very happy. But literally some will say, I want my breast reduced, but will you lift it too? And of course you have to lift the breast in order to reduce it. You don't have to reduce the breast when you lift it. When you lift, you can try to preserve as much volume as possible. You can't make it bigger. But if a patient has lots of volume, very droopy, then you're both lifting and reducing at the same time.

Eva Sheie (01:00):
So you have a lot to work with.

Dr. Levens (01:02):
Yes, correct. Yes. Actually, the one today that I did is a lovely young woman who I did her surgery I think six years ago, and she had a very nice result. She had a reduction and she came back very happy, but without gaining weight, she actually lost weight, has not had children yet. They just kind of were large again, but not quite as large. So we did a secondary reduction, which I've done a handful of those. And that definitely is, this is another thing that we can talk about with breasts is that I think it's a kind of interesting, and it's probably more human nature, that with breast reduction, one of the most common complaints if there is a complaint is I didn't go small enough. I thought I was going to be smaller. Of course, if you gain weight or you go through menopause, it can happen or pregnancies. And then the opposite is true for breast augmentation that many women find themselves to say, I wish I went larger. So I kind of ascribe that to human nature. And you always want the bigger car, the bigger house or whatever. We we're never completely satisfied. So it's just the opposite when it comes from augmentation to reduction.

Eva Sheie (02:19):
How do you help determine the right size so we don't have to get a do over?

Dr. Levens (02:24):
Challenging. And I talk to the patient a lot, explain what it's all about, the approximate amount of tissue that's removed per cup size. And then I have them look at pictures. I used to just call them likes and dislikes, but I learned this from a younger woman plastic surgeon in New York who used the word inspo pictures as in inspiration. So they look at my gallery of photos, they look at photos online, other plastic surgeons, and of course then they bring a picture of someone that's got clothes on and a pushup bra and cleavage. But I try to encourage 'em to look at clinical plastic surgery before and afters that show a matched before and after that they can then say, Hey, that kind of looks like me. I kind of like that result. Or maybe that's a little too big, or maybe that's still too small. And that along with my measurements and my judgment will usually come up with the right result.

Eva Sheie (03:25):
It's nice that you listen to the younger generation too, and don't just think that everything they do have something to teach you.

Dr. Levens (03:31):
No, I learning all the time constantly.

Eva Sheie (03:35):
Where can we find you?

Dr. Levens (03:37):
My office is at 1725 University Drive, suite 300, Coral Springs, Florida33071. My phone number is (954)752-1020. And then DrLevens@drLevens.com is my email. Website is DrLevens.com. I do have three Instagram pages, one with at Dr David J Levens. One is Plastic Surgery Talks and one is Levens Med Spa.

Eva Sheie (04:11):
On this podcast, we bring you directly to the doctors who are, where before meets after. Links to our guest's website and contact info are in your show notes. Follow us on Instagram @wherebeforemeetsafter. If you're a board certified plastic surgeon and would like to be a guest or a sponsor of the show, go to wherebeforemeetsafter.com for more information. Where Before Meets After is a production of The Axis, the podcast agency for aesthetics, theaxis.io.