Breast lift (mastopexy) · New York and New Jersey
Breast Lift
A breast lift, also called mastopexy, raises and reshapes breasts that have dropped or lost their shape. Dr. Steven Ovadia is a board certified plastic surgeon who performs breast lifts, alone or together with implants, with offices in New York City and New Jersey.
Overview
What a breast lift is
In a breast lift, extra skin is removed, the breast is reshaped, and the nipple and areola are moved up to a higher position. The areola can be made smaller at the same time. The breast is firmer afterward and sits higher on the chest.
A lift changes position and shape. It does not change size very much. If you also want more volume, a lift can be done together with implants. If you want to be smaller, a breast reduction lifts the breasts and makes them smaller in the same operation.
Why breasts change
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
The breasts grow and then become smaller again. The skin stretches, and it does not always tighten back.
Weight loss
Losing a large amount of weight can leave the breasts with less volume and more skin.
Time
With age, the skin loses some of its stretch and the breasts settle lower on the chest.
How you are built
Some breasts sit low or point downward from the time they develop, and the two sides can sit at different heights.
What to expect from a lift
What a breast lift does
- Raises the breast on the chest
- Moves the nipple and areola up to a higher position
- Makes a stretched areola smaller
- Removes loose skin and reshapes the breast
- Can bring two different sides closer together
What it does not do
- Add much volume, or lasting fullness in the upper part of the breast. That is what an implant does
- Make the breasts much smaller. That is a breast reduction
- Stop the breasts from changing with time, weight, and pregnancy
- Take away every stretch mark. Some are removed with the skin, and others remain
Is it right for you
How far the breast has dropped
Surgeons describe how far a breast has dropped by where the nipple sits compared with the fold under the breast. This is a large part of what decides whether a lift is needed, and which incisions it takes.
Mild
The nipple is at the level of the fold
A small lift may be enough. In some cases an implant alone gives the look you want.
Moderate
The nipple is below the fold
A lift is usually needed to raise the nipple. An implant alone will not move it up.
Advanced
The nipple is at the lowest point of the breast
The nipple points downward. This needs the most lift and the most skin removed.
When the nipple still sits above the fold but the breast has lost fullness, the plan may be different: an implant alone, or a small lift. Dr. Ovadia examines you and tells you which he recommends.
Before a breast lift
A stable weight
Weight changes after surgery can change the size and shape of the breasts. It helps to be at a weight you expect to maintain.
Plans for pregnancy
Pregnancy and breastfeeding after a lift can stretch the breasts again. It helps to share your plans at your consultation.
A break from nicotine
Nicotine affects how well incisions heal. If you smoke or vape, Dr. Ovadia goes over taking a break from nicotine before and after surgery.
Good overall health
Dr. Ovadia reviews your health history and medications with you as part of planning your surgery.
Breast screening up to date
Depending on your age and history, a mammogram may be requested before surgery.
Clear goals
Photos of results you like, and of results you do not, help Dr. Ovadia understand the look you want and tell you what is realistic.
How it is done
Incisions and scars
There are three main incision patterns. The more the breast has to be lifted, the more skin is removed and the longer the incision. Dr. Ovadia goes over which pattern fits you at your consultation.
Around the areola
Also called a periareolar or donut lift
The incision goes around the edge of the areola only. It gives a small amount of lift.
- For a small amount of lift
- Can make the areola smaller
- The scar sits at the edge of the areola
Vertical pattern
Also called a lollipop lift
The incision goes around the areola and straight down to the fold under the breast. It allows more lift and more reshaping.
- For a moderate amount of lift
- Reshapes the lower part of the breast
- No scar along the fold
Anchor pattern
Also called an inverted T
The incision goes around the areola, straight down to the fold, and along the fold. It allows the most skin to be removed.
- For the most lift
- The most control over shape and skin
- The scar in the fold sits under the breast
The nipple and areola are not removed. They stay attached to the breast tissue beneath them, which carries their blood supply and nerves, and are moved up to their new position.
Scars are permanent, but they fade. They are usually pink or red for the first several months and keep lightening for a year or more. They are placed where a bra or swimsuit top covers them.
With implants
A lift, implants, or both
A lift and an implant do different things. A lift moves the breast and the nipple up. An implant adds volume. Which one you need, or whether you need both, depends on where the nipple sits and on how much volume you want.
| Breast lift | Breast lift with implants | Implants alone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it changes | Position and shape | Position, shape, and volume | Volume, and fullness in the upper part of the breast |
| Size | About the same. The breast is firmer and sits higher | Larger, by the size of the implant | Larger, by the size of the implant |
| The nipple | Moved up to a higher position | Moved up to a higher position | Stays where it is on the breast |
| Scars | Around the areola, and for most lifts down to the fold | The same as a lift alone | A short scar in the fold or at the edge of the areola |
| Often a fit when | You like your size in a bra and want the breasts higher and firmer | The breasts have dropped and have also lost volume | The nipple still sits above the fold and you want more volume |
When implants are part of the plan
One operation or two
A lift and implants can often be done in the same operation. In some cases Dr. Ovadia recommends two stages, a few months apart. He goes over which he recommends for you and why.
Choosing the implant
The choices are the same as in breast augmentation: silicone gel or saline, the size, and placement over or under the muscle. Dr. Ovadia uses only smooth implants.
Breast augmentationImplants you already have
When the breasts have dropped around implants placed years ago, a lift can be done at the same operation as an implant exchange or an implant removal.
Breast implant exchangeReal results
Breast lift before and after
These are Dr. Ovadia's own patients. Each case notes how far out from surgery the "after" photo was taken, because the breasts take months to settle. Breast lift techniques are also used to reshape the breast after a lumpectomy, and those cases are labeled.
Before-and-after photographs
This section contains before and after photographs of real surgical procedures.
You must be 18 years or older to view this content.
Recovery
What to expect after surgery
Swelling is normal and expected
The breasts are swollen at first, and they sit high and feel firm. Over the following weeks and months the swelling goes down and the breasts settle into a softer, more natural shape.
The surgical bra is important
You wear a surgical bra after surgery. The compression helps prevent and minimize swelling and supports the breasts while they heal.
Drains are not always needed
Drains are used less often after a breast lift than after a breast reduction. If Dr. Ovadia places them, you are shown how to empty them before you go home, and they are removed in the office.
Getting back to exercise
At about 2 weeks, you can generally walk on a treadmill or ride an exercise bike at an easy pace. Running and faster-paced exercise usually come back at 3 to 4 weeks. If implants are placed at the same time, Dr. Ovadia goes over what changes.
Changes in feeling are usually temporary
Early after surgery there may be changes in sensation in the nipples or the skin of the breast. These typically return to baseline over time. Permanent changes or loss of sensation are uncommon.
How the incisions heal
The incisions generally heal well. With the anchor pattern, healing is occasionally slower at the point under the breast where the incisions meet. This usually heals with simple wound care.
Call the office right away if one breast becomes much more swollen, firm, or painful than the other, or if you notice spreading redness, warmth, or a fever. These are best taken care of early.
A general timeline
This is a general guide. Everyone heals differently. During your recovery, Dr. Ovadia will review your timeline with you.
Over time
How long a breast lift lasts
A breast lift resets the position of the breast. It does not stop the things that changed the breasts in the first place.
A lift lasts, and time continues
The results of a breast lift are long lasting. The breasts still change with age, as they would have without surgery, but they do so from a higher starting point.
Weight and pregnancy
Large changes in weight, pregnancy, and breastfeeding can stretch the skin again. Staying near a stable weight helps the result last.
Heavier breasts settle sooner
The more a breast weighs, with or without an implant, the more it pulls on the skin over the years. This is one reason the size of an implant is chosen carefully when it is combined with a lift.
Scars keep fading
Scars are permanent, but they fade. They are usually pink or red for the first several months and keep lightening for a year or more.
The two sides
No two breasts are identical, before or after surgery. A lift can bring the two sides closer together. Some difference usually remains.
Mammograms
You continue screening for breast cancer on your regular schedule or as your primary care doctor recommends. Let the imaging center know that you have had a breast lift.
Cost and insurance
Cost and insurance coverage
A breast lift done for cosmetic reasons is not covered by insurance. The cost depends on the plan for surgery, including whether implants are part of it, and we go over it with you after your consultation.
A breast lift may be covered when it is done for symmetry in breast reconstruction: lifting the other breast so that it matches a breast reconstructed after a mastectomy. Federal law requires most health plans that cover mastectomy to cover surgery on the other breast for symmetry.
When the breasts are large enough to cause symptoms such as neck, back, and shoulder pain, a breast reduction may be the better operation, and it may be covered by insurance when medical criteria are met.
Every plan sets its own criteria. Coverage is not guaranteed.
If you have questions about possible insurance coverage for surgery, call or email us and we will go over it with you.
Your surgeon
Board certified and double fellowship-trained
Dr. Ovadia is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. After his plastic surgery training he completed two fellowships: gender-affirming surgery at Johns Hopkins, and craniofacial and pediatric plastic surgery at UT Austin / Dell Children's Hospital.
He performs breast lifts alone and together with implants, and he uses the same and similar techniques in breast reduction and in breast reconstruction. He sees patients in New York City and in Jersey City and Millburn, New Jersey.
Questions
Common questions about breast lift surgery
Do I need a breast lift, implants, or both?
It depends on where the nipple sits and on how much volume you want. A lift raises the breast and the nipple, and it does not add much volume. An implant adds volume, and it does not raise a breast that has dropped. When the breasts have dropped and have also lost volume, the two can be done together. Dr. Ovadia examines you and explains which he recommends and why.
Will a breast lift make my breasts smaller?
A lift changes position and shape more than size. Skin is removed and the breast is reshaped, so the breasts are firmer and sit higher, and your bra size may change a little. If you want to be noticeably smaller, a breast reduction lifts the breasts and makes them smaller in the same operation.
Where are the scars?
Every breast lift has a scar around the edge of the areola. Most lifts also have a scar that runs straight down from the areola to the fold under the breast, and the anchor pattern adds a scar along the fold. Scars are permanent, but they fade over a year or more, and they are placed where a bra or swimsuit top covers them.
Can a breast lift be done together with implants?
Yes. A lift and implants can often be done in the same operation. In some cases Dr. Ovadia recommends doing them in two stages, a few months apart. He goes over which he recommends for you and why.
How long does a breast lift last?
The results are long lasting, but a lift does not stop the breasts from changing. Age, large changes in weight, pregnancy, and breastfeeding all affect them over time. Staying near a stable weight helps the result last.
Should I wait until I am done having children?
Pregnancy and breastfeeding after a lift can stretch the breasts again and change the result. Some patients choose to wait for that reason, and others do not. It helps to share your plans with Dr. Ovadia at your consultation.
Can I breastfeed after a breast lift?
Many women can. In a breast lift the nipple and areola stay attached to the breast tissue beneath them. Not everyone is able to breastfeed, with or without surgery. If you plan to breastfeed, tell Dr. Ovadia at your consultation.
Will I lose feeling in my nipples?
This is uncommon. Early after surgery there may be changes in sensation, but these typically return to baseline over time. Permanent changes or loss of sensation are uncommon.
How long is the recovery?
At about two weeks you can generally walk on a treadmill or ride an exercise bike at an easy pace, and many patients are back to desk work. Running and faster-paced exercise usually come back at three to four weeks. Swelling goes down over the following months, and the breasts settle into their shape by about three to six months. Everyone heals differently, and this is only a general guide.
Can the breasts be lifted without surgery?
Not in the way a breast lift does. Exercise strengthens the chest muscle under the breast, but it does not tighten skin or raise the nipple. A supportive bra changes how the breasts sit while you wear it. Raising the breast and the nipple means removing skin, which takes surgery.
Is a breast lift covered by insurance?
A breast lift done for cosmetic reasons is not covered by insurance. A breast lift may be covered when it is done for symmetry in breast reconstruction after a mastectomy. Each plan sets its own criteria, and coverage is not guaranteed. If you have questions about possible insurance coverage for surgery, call or email us and we will go over it with you.
Does a breast lift affect mammograms?
You continue screening for breast cancer on your regular schedule, or as your primary care doctor recommends. Let the imaging center know that you have had a breast lift.
Can I have a consultation without coming to the office?
Yes. Phone and video consultations are available, in addition to in-person visits in New York City, Jersey City, and Millburn, New Jersey.
Next step
Start with a consultation
Dr. Ovadia will examine you, take measurements, go over the look you want, and explain whether he recommends a lift, implants, or both, and which incisions that takes.
225 Broadway, Suite 3100, New York, NY
377 Jersey Ave, Suite 440, Jersey City, NJ
90 Millburn Ave, Suite 206, Millburn, NJ
Phone and video consultations available · info@ovadiaps.com