What is Upper Pole Fullness?
Understanding upper pole fullness can help women seeking breast augmentation in Fort Worth communicate with their plastic surgeon to more clearly define their surgical goals. The upper pole of your breast is the top portion of breast tissue located above the nipple and areola; upper pole fullness refers to the volume and shape of the top half of your breasts. Pregnancy, weight loss, and the natural aging process can flatten the upper breast mound, and many women choose breast augmentation to create a more youthful shape and feminine cleavage in this area.
To help you optimize your breast enhancement surgery results, we are diving into the subject of upper pole fullness with Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Emily J. Kirby.
Which breast augmentation options can best improve upper pole fullness?
Properly chosen and placed breast implants can notably increase volume in the upper pole of your breasts, creating a rounder shape and more prominent cleavage. This improvement helps your breasts appear perkier and diminishes the appearance of mild drooping. To address more noticeable breast sagging, you may benefit from a breast lift with augmentation.
During a personal consultation, your plastic surgeon should carefully consider the following factors that will influence upper pole fullness and your overall breast augmentation results:
- Implant placement. There are a variety of placement options: subglandular (over the muscle), subfascial (under the fascia layer), and submuscular (under the muscle). Most breast augmentation patients choose submuscular placement to achieve greater upper pole fullness while preserving a natural look and feel.
- Implant fill options. Saline breast implants are typically filled after placement to an exact degree determined by the surgeon; the degree to which they are filled (or “overfilled”) can impact fullness in the upper pole. Silicone breast implants, in contrast, come prefilled with a cohesive silicone gel; this material is lighter and maintains its shape better than saline solution and may help create somewhat more lasting upper pole fullness.
- Implant profile. Saline and silicone breast implants are available in low, moderate, full, and extra-full profiles. These distinctions refer to the amount of projection (how far an implant extends from the chest) the implant achieves. When a notable improvement in upper pole fullness is desired, patients will typically desire a higher profile breast implant with greater projection.
- Implant size. A larger implant will add more volume than a smaller implant. That said, it is not a good idea to choose the largest implant that your existing breast tissue can accommodate to achieve improved upper pole fullness: it is more important to choose implants that are proportionate to your anatomy.
- Implant shape. Implants are available in different shapes; round implants are typically better to achieve improved upper pole fullness.
In sum, these choices will be key to your final results and your breast implant sizing consultation should go far beyond a simple conversation about “cup size.” Your plastic surgeon should inquire in detail about your goals and carefully measure your anatomy to recommend an ideal breast implant size, type, incision site, and placement.
During a breast augmentation consultation, your plastic surgeon should carefully consider a variety of factors that will influence upper pole fullness and your overall results.
Can fat transfer to the breasts improve my breast shape?
Yes, fat transfer to the breast can increase volume and improve the shape of your breasts with the added benefit of contouring your figure in the area from which we harvest fat. This technique is only suited for achieving a subtle improvement in upper pole fullness, but many patients appreciate the idea of a natural-looking boost provided with their own fat versus the use of implants. Fat transfer to the breast may also be used in conjunction with a breast lift to address sagging and provide improved shape. Because not all transferred fat will survive transfer, you may require more than one fat transfer procedure to reach your desired breast volume.
Work with a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in breast enhancement
Fort Worth Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Emily Kirby and the caring, professional team at Kirby Plastic Surgery have helped hundreds of women achieve natural, beautiful breast augmentation results and rediscover their confidence. If you are interested in breast plastic surgery in Fort Worth, we invite you to schedule your consultation by calling or texting us at 817-292-4200; you may also contact us online.
