Breast Augmentation with Breast Lift
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight changes, and aging can affect both breast volume and breast position. Some women notice that their breasts have lost fullness while also developing loose skin or sagging that breast implants alone may not adequately address.
A breast augmentation with breast lift, also known as augmentation mastopexy, combines breast implants with breast lifting and reshaping techniques. The procedure is designed to restore or enhance volume while addressing excess skin and repositioning the breast for a more balanced contour. Because every patient has a different combination of breast tissue, skin quality, nipple position, and aesthetic goals, the surgical plan should be individualized rather than based on a standard approach.
Breast Augmentation with Lift in San Antonio – Restoring Shape, Position & Volume
Patient Story:
This 24-year-old patient came to Dr. Albright after significant weight loss had changed the appearance of her breasts. She had lost breast volume and developed sagging, and her goal was to restore fullness and improve breast position while maintaining a natural-looking shape.
To address both concerns, Dr. Albright performed a breast augmentation with lift using 445cc Natrelle SoftTouch silicone implants. The implants were placed through a breast fold incision using a dual-plane approach, allowing the augmentation and lift to work together to restore volume and create a more balanced breast contour.
Her results are shown at 5 months post-operatively, demonstrating restored fullness and a lifted, natural-looking shape that complements her frame.
- Treatment: Breast augmentation with lift surgery
- Implant Size: 445 cc
- Implant Type: Natrelle silicone soft touch
- Implant Profile: Full profile
- Placement: Dual plane breast fold incision
- Gender: Female
- Age: 24
- Height: 5' 3"
- Weight: 122 lbs
- Cup Size: B cup to D cup
Patient Story:
This 26-year-old patient wanted to improve the shape and position of her breasts after having children. Changes following pregnancy, nursing, and weight loss had affected her breast contour, and she was looking for a fuller, more lifted appearance while maintaining balance with her natural proportions.
Dr. Albright performed a full breast lift with augmentation using 415cc Natrelle SoftTouch silicone implants. The implants were placed through a breast fold incision in a submuscular position, combining added volume with reshaping and lifting of the existing breast tissue.
Her results are shown at 5 months post-operatively, with improved breast position, restored fullness, and a more balanced overall contour.
- Treatment: Breast augmentation with lift surgery
- Implant Size: 415 cc
- Implant Type: Natrelle silicone soft touch
- Implant Profile: Full profile
- Placement: Submuscular breast fold incision
- Gender: Female
- Age: 26
- Height: 5' 7"
- Weight: 150 lbs
- Cup Size:
Patient Story:
This 29-year-old patient wanted to restore her breast and abdominal contours after having children. Pregnancy and breastfeeding had left her breasts with less volume and increased sagging, and she wanted a fuller, lifted shape with natural-looking proportions and improved cleavage.
Dr. Albright performed a breast augmentation with lift using 415cc SoftTouch silicone implants placed in a retropectoral position. As part of her overall body restoration, she also underwent a full abdominoplasty with muscle repair to address changes to her abdomen following pregnancy.
Her results are shown at 5 months post-operatively, demonstrating restored breast volume and position along with a more balanced overall body contour.
- Treatment: Breast augmentation with lift surgery
- Implant Size: 415 cc
- Implant Type: Silicone soft touch
- Implant Profile: Moderate high
- Placement: Submuscular breast fold incision
- Gender: Female
- Age: 29
- Height:
- Weight: 135 lbs
- Cup Size: B cup to C cup
Patient Story:
This 30-year-old mother wanted to restore the breast volume and shape she had lost following pregnancy and breastfeeding. She was looking for a fuller, more youthful breast contour with natural-looking proportions that would complement her frame and help her feel more confident in her clothes.
Dr. Albright performed a breast augmentation with lift using 385cc SoftTouch implants placed through a breast fold incision using a dual-plane approach. Internal breast support was also incorporated to help support and shape the breasts.
By combining augmentation with a breast lift and internal support, Dr. Albright was able to restore lost volume while improving breast shape and position, creating a fuller, more balanced result that remained natural to her frame. These results are shown at 6 months post-operatively.
- Treatment: Breast augmentation with lift surgery
- Implant Size: 385cc
- Implant Type: Natrelle silicone soft touch
- Implant Profile: Full profile
- Placement: Dual plane breast fold incision
- Gender: Female
- Age: 30
- Height: 5' 4"
- Weight: 145 lbs
- Cup Size: B cup to D cup
When breast position and volume have both changed, combining a breast lift with implants can address both concerns in one personalized surgical plan.
Breast augmentation with lift, also known as augmentation mastopexy, combines breast implants with breast lifting and reshaping techniques to address both breast volume and breast position.
The breast augmentation portion of the procedure uses an implant to add or restore volume, while the breast lift addresses stretched skin and sagging by reshaping the breast and repositioning the nipple and areola when appropriate.
Women may consider this combined approach after pregnancy, breastfeeding, significant weight loss, aging, or other changes that have affected both breast fullness and skin support. Some patients may also have naturally lower breast position while wanting additional volume.
For women addressing multiple changes after pregnancy, breast augmentation with lift may also be combined with other procedures as part of a Mommy Makeover.
Because adding volume and reshaping the breast affect the tissues in different ways, careful surgical planning is important. Dr. Albright evaluates factors such as existing breast tissue, skin quality and elasticity, nipple position, degree of sagging, chest dimensions, asymmetry, and desired breast size and shape when developing an individualized surgical plan.
Not every patient who wants more breast volume needs a breast lift, and not every patient with breast sagging needs an implant. For some women, augmentation alone or a breast lift alone may be more appropriate. When both additional volume and correction of sagging are desired, a combined augmentation mastopexy may be considered. Dr. Albright can help determine which approach best matches your anatomy, concerns, and goals during your consultation.
Breast Augmentation vs. Breast Lift vs. Breast Augmentation with Lift
Breast Augmentation
Breast augmentation primarily adds volume using breast implants. It may be appropriate for patients who want greater fullness or projection but have little or no significant breast sagging.
An implant can create some change in breast shape, but it does not replace a breast lift when excess skin and significant ptosis are present.
Breast Lift
A breast lift reshapes and elevates the breast by removing excess skin and repositioning the breast tissue. It can improve breast position and address sagging, but it does not provide the same increase in volume that an implant can.
A lift alone may be appropriate for patients who are satisfied with their existing breast volume but want to improve breast shape and position.
Breast Augmentation with Breast Lift
When a patient wants additional or restored volume and has enough skin laxity or breast sagging to require reshaping, combining augmentation with a lift may be considered.
The decision is based on breast anatomy rather than a single measurement or at-home test. Dr. Albright evaluates breast tissue, skin quality, nipple position, asymmetry, chest dimensions, and your goals to determine which approach may be appropriate.
Watch Dr. Albright explain the differences between breast augmentation, breast lift, and breast augmentation with lift:
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When planning breast augmentation with a lift, several factors must be considered together to create an approach that fits your anatomy and goals:
Choosing an implant for augmentation mastopexy involves more than selecting a cup size or implant volume. Implant width, profile, volume, breast tissue, chest dimensions, skin quality, and the amount of lifting required all influence the result.
A larger implant does not necessarily create a better lift. In fact, implant selection must be considered together with the amount of skin being removed and the support available from the patient’s tissues.
Dr. Albright discusses implant options based on your anatomy and the type of breast shape and fullness you would like to achieve.
The incision pattern used for a breast lift depends primarily on the amount of excess skin, breast shape, nipple position, and degree of correction required.
Depending on the patient, lift patterns may involve an incision around the areola, an incision around the areola with a vertical incision toward the breast fold, or an anchor-shaped pattern that also extends along the breast crease.
Breast lift scars are permanent, although they typically change and fade as they mature. The appropriate incision pattern is selected based on the correction needed rather than simply choosing the shortest possible scar.
Breast implants can be positioned using different pocket techniques depending on the patient’s anatomy, breast tissue, implant characteristics, and surgical plan.
In augmentation mastopexy, implant placement must be considered together with the lift because both procedures affect the shape and support of the breast. The appropriate approach is determined individually rather than using the same implant position for every patient.
During your consultation, Dr. Albright will explain the recommended implant position and how it relates to your breast tissue, lift technique, and desired result.
Breast augmentation and breast lift can sometimes be performed during the same operation. This allows both breast volume and position to be addressed within a single surgical plan.
However, combining the procedures also increases surgical complexity because the breast is being enlarged while the skin and tissues are simultaneously being reshaped. For selected patients, performing the lift and augmentation in separate stages may provide a more appropriate approach.
Whether the procedures should be combined or staged depends on factors such as breast anatomy, tissue quality, the degree of sagging, implant goals, previous surgery, and overall surgical considerations. Dr. Albright can discuss the advantages and tradeoffs of each approach during your consultation.
Frequently asked questions about breast augmentation with lift
Typically seen as the main drawback to performing breast lift surgery, placing incisions, and the resulting scars, on the breast itself are a necessary part of achieving a better more youthful breast shape. Getting the best breast shape particularly out-of-clothes will usually outweigh the downsides of visible scars on the breast. Most commonly the scars will fade to a less noticeable whitish color, even if they widened slightly as they matured.
The placement of the scars will be determined by how much excess skin is on the breast (the skin envelope) and how much volume is desired with the implant. Dr. Albright, one of the best breast augmentation surgeons in San Antonio, TX, will offer his insight to help you choose the best options available to you and your type of breast. For women who only need a short nipple lift, a periareolar mastopexy may be adequate and has the fewest visible breast scars. This limits the scars to just around the areola (pigmented skin around the nipple), with or without an incision at the breast crease. For maximum excess skin removal and nipple lifting, a full Wise pattern or anchor scar may be used. This will leave a scar around the areola and a short vertical scar that connects the areola to a side-to-side scar located along the lower breast fold.
Another deterrent for women seeking to reclaim their more youthful breasts is the possibility of compromising sensation to the nipples. For women whose nipple sensation is an integral part of their erogenous experience, breast lift surgery with incisions placed around the areola (darker skin around the nipple) may not be worth the risk of decreased sensation. However, the risk of losing sensation in BOTH nipples is extremely low. Furthermore, in Dr Albright’s experience (one of the best surgeons in Texas for breast augmentation) most women are willing to trade a small risk of decreased sensation in one nipple for much more attractive breast shape when naked.
The short answer is yes. An augmentation mastopexy combines two very different breast surgeries into one combined procedure which increases the complexity and thus the risk for complications. General anesthesia is usually required for this aesthetic plastic surgery procedure. In addition to the individual risks involved with a breast augmentation and a breast lift surgery, augmentation mastopexy has a higher revision rate. This means that there is a greater chance you may need or want a second “touch-up” surgery to improve the result. Although only a minority of women will undergo a second revision surgery, if you were to instead separate the surgeries (for example, perform a breast lift, wait 4-6 months, and then perform a breast augmentation) you would have a 100% chance of needing two surgeries. Also, when separating, or staging, the two procedures, 100% of patients will incur greater overall financial cost, and will have to undergo two postoperative recovery periods with activity restrictions. As a top rated breast implant specialist in San Antonio, Dr. Albright may still recommend separating the procedures for you, if your risk of having a bad result is too high. Still not sure? Come in today to get your questions answered and feel confident with your breast rejuvenation plan.
A great question, as this will also help determine what skin excision pattern (scar pattern) is needed. The issues with implants are inherently similar to those of breast augmentation alone (please see the breast augmentation surgery tab above for more information on implants). Whereas with augmentation alone, augmentation mastopexy more commonly places the implant completely under the pectoralis muscle when possible, as the implant will be better supported by the muscle itself instead of the skin. Dr. Albright will have a more specific plan after a detailed breast exam and discussion of your surgical goals. This is the reason why he owns the best plastic surgery center in San Antonio. Please see below for a short 3 minute video on how to size breast implants:
This is the first question to answer when considering a breast augmentation with or without a breast lift. Dr. Albright will assess your breast tissue, the skin of the breast and the position of the nipple to help you decide between these procedures. The ideal breast augmentation candidate is a patient that desires more breast volume and does not have much breast sagging. If you desire to wear a larger cup size, then more volume will be needed. If you are happy with the volume of breast tissue in a bra, but not with the droopiness of the breast out of clothing, then a breast lift is best. Do you want more volume and need to fix a little breast droop? Typically, if the nipple position is below the fold of the breast while standing in front of a mirror and you want larger breasts, a lift with an implant (augmentation mastopexy) procedure will likely be needed. Never fear, Dr. Albright is an expert in all of these procedures and he is considered one of the best breast augmentation plastic surgeons in San Antonio, TX.
Congratulations on your weight loss! It is a difficult thing to achieve and you should be proud! Now that you have achieved a stable weight near your ideal or goal weight, it may be time to rejuvenate your breasts. For many women in this situation, it is easy to become disheartened. They say "I always had big breasts, but, now after weight loss, I have deflated breasts that do not match my figure." Well these patients may be ideal candidates for an augmentation mastopexy. Typically to remove excess skin, an anchor type scar is needed. An implant will then provide the missing volume.
Differences to consider for the massive weight loss patient are considering staging the procedure; doing a lift first then recovering from surgery and allowing the breast to settle before performing a breast augmentation later. Additionally, excess skin and residual fullness may exist around the sides of the breast toward the back (bra line). This may require additional surgery including excision (leaving a scar) and/or liposuction. Although this does increase the surgery time, complication risk, and overall cost, it may be necessary to give you the results you are looking for. Finally and perhaps most critically, where will breast rejuvenation fit in with your other cosmetic surgery goals (belly, arms, thighs, face, etc)? This requires a thorough assessment and discussion of your goals to fully answer. During your consultation for breast augmentation surgery, Dr. Albright will help you come up with a plan that works for you, your goals and your budget.
Recovery after breast augmentation with a lift varies depending on the extent of the breast lift, implant placement, individual healing, and whether other procedures are performed at the same time.
Swelling, bruising, tightness, and temporary changes in breast shape are common during the early stages of healing. A supportive surgical bra or other postoperative garment may be recommended, and activity restrictions will depend on your specific procedure and recovery progress.
Breast shape continues to change as swelling decreases, the implants and tissues settle, and the incisions mature. Because healing occurs gradually, the appearance of the breasts early in recovery should not be considered the final result.
Dr. Albright will provide individualized instructions regarding incision care, medications, supportive garments, activity, exercise, and follow-up appointments based on your surgical plan.
Breast augmentation with lift can create long-lasting changes in breast shape, position, and volume, but the breasts will continue to change naturally over time. Aging, gravity, pregnancy, weight fluctuations, skin elasticity, and changes in breast tissue can all affect the appearance of the breasts after surgery.
Breast implants are not considered lifetime devices, and some patients may require additional surgery in the future because of implant-related changes, changes in breast tissue or position, or personal preferences.
Maintaining a relatively stable weight and following your surgeon’s recommendations can help support your results over time. Dr. Albright can also discuss appropriate long-term follow-up and implant monitoring based on the type of implant used.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding can change breast volume, skin elasticity, and breast position, even after breast augmentation with a lift. These changes do not occur the same way for every patient, but they may affect the appearance of the breasts and the results of previous surgery.
For patients who are planning a pregnancy in the near future, it may be appropriate to discuss the timing of surgery with Dr. Albright. Breast surgery may also affect breastfeeding differently depending on the surgical technique, individual anatomy, and other factors, so future breastfeeding goals should be discussed during your consultation.
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