Breast Lift (Mastopexy)
Repositions the breast and nipple higher on the chest and removes stretched skin. It reshapes what you have — it does not add volume.
The breast can only be lifted as far as the natural fold under the breast — and that fold sits differently on every patient. Upper-pole fullness from this procedure depends on the patient’s natural tissue. The skin in this area is stretched, so it does not hold well over time; often a mesh is suggested to help with lower-pole strength. This procedure will make the breast smaller in size. A mammogram is required before this procedure.
Who is a good candidate for a breast lift?
Sagging after pregnancy, breastfeeding or weight change; nipples that sit at or below the breast crease; breasts that have lost their upper shape but still have enough tissue.
What happens during a breast lift?
Incision pattern depends on how much lift is needed — around the areola, vertically down, or with an additional crease incision. More lift means a longer scar, and most patients require a full “anchor” incision. Dr. Vande Ven will show you which pattern your anatomy calls for and why.
How long is recovery after a breast lift?
Back to desk work in about a week. Supportive bra around the clock for six weeks. No chest or upper-body training for six weeks. Swelling settles over two to three months; scars continue to fade for a year or more. Support is needed at the inframammary fold — the crease under the breast — for an extended period, to help with the stretch of the tissues.
If you want lift and more fullness, that is a breast lift with augmentation — covered in the next section.
Breast Lift with Augmentation
Combines a breast lift with an implant in one operation — for patients who want a higher position and restored fullness. An implant adds volume; it doesn't meaningfully lift. When there is sagging as well as volume loss, doing both together gives the result most patients are actually picturing — though when sagging is more significant, the procedures are staged rather than combined. A mammogram is required before this procedure.
Due to sagging of the skin, a smaller implant size is usually recommended. The amount of upper-pole fullness is limited by the amount of sagging — or ptosis — and the stretch of the skin. In many cases a mesh is recommended to help with stretch of the lower pole.
Who is a good candidate for a lift with augmentation?
Deflation with drooping — often after pregnancy, weight change or simply time — where the nipple sits low and the upper breast has emptied. If there's significant sagging, an implant alone can make heaviness more pronounced. When sagging is significant, it is recommended to stage the procedures: either the lift is done first, and an implant is placed after healing is complete — or an implant is placed first, with the lift occurring after all healing is complete.
What happens during a lift with augmentation?
The lift repositions the breast and nipple; the implant restores upper-pole fullness. The incision follows the lift pattern — most patients require a full "anchor" incision — and the implant is placed through those same incisions. A mesh is usually placed at the inferior pole of the breast to help with stretch of the skin. The upper-pole fullness obtained is limited by the patient’s anatomy. One operation, one recovery.
How long is recovery after a lift with augmentation?
Back to desk work in about a week, a supportive bra around the clock, and no chest or upper-body training for six weeks. Support is needed at the inframammary fold for an extended period, to help with the stretch of the tissues.
Breast Reduction
Removes breast tissue, fat and skin to reduce size and reshape the breast. For most patients this is as much about comfort as appearance. A mammogram is required before this procedure.
Who is a good candidate for breast reduction?
Neck, shoulder and back pain; grooving from bra straps; rashes under the breast; difficulty with exercise; breasts out of proportion with your frame.
What happens during breast reduction?
Size reduction and lift happen together — the nipple is repositioned as tissue is removed. Nipple sensation usually returns but can change permanently. Breastfeeding after reduction is possible for some patients but cannot be guaranteed.
How long is recovery after breast reduction?
One to two weeks off work. Supportive bra for six weeks, no upper-body training for six. Most patients notice the physical relief within days.
Breast reduction is sometimes covered by insurance when symptoms are documented. We will tell you honestly whether your case is likely to qualify.
Implant Exchange
Removes existing implants and replaces them with new ones in the same operation. Implants are not lifetime devices — and exchange is also how a change of size or profile is made after a previous augmentation.
Who is a good candidate for implant exchange?
Implants nearing the ten-year mark — exchanging before a problem develops is more straightforward than fixing a complication — or patients who want a different size or profile than their original implants.
What happens during implant exchange?
Sizing is determined by the desired outcome, the amount of excess skin, and the stretch to the skin. In general, an increase of about 100cc is needed to see a difference.
How long is recovery after implant exchange?
Generally easier than the original augmentation, since the pocket already exists and the tissue has already stretched. Post-op bra wear is recommended for at least six weeks, with no heavy lifting for at least two weeks. Your specific recovery guidance is discussed at your consultation.
Breast Implant Removal
Removal of existing implants without replacement. Partial removal of the capsule is sometimes needed. This changes the way the breast looks dramatically: most volume is lost, and you will be left with the amount of breast tissue you naturally have. Removal is usually done through the same incision at the inframammary fold (IMF).
Who should consider implant removal?
Implants are no longer desired; a change in health, lifestyle or how you feel about your body; capsular contracture; or a rupture or suspected rupture.
What happens during implant removal?
The right operation depends on your capsule and how much natural tissue remains. Options range from removal alone, to removal with capsulectomy, to removal with a lift to redrape the remaining tissue. Breasts after removal will not look the way they did before implants — the skin has been stretched.
How long is recovery after implant removal?
Simpler than the original augmentation for most patients. A week of taking it easy, six weeks before returning to upper-body training. If a lift is done at the same time, follow the lift timeline.
Dr. Vande Ven will discuss whether removal alone gives you a result you will be happy with, or whether a lift at the same time is the better plan.
Breast Revision Surgery
A second operation to correct or update a previous breast surgery. Tissue changes over time — especially with pregnancy, weight loss or weight gain. This changes the way the breasts look over time, so sometimes a corrective surgery is needed.
Who needs revision surgery?
Capsular contracture; implant malposition, bottoming out or rippling; asymmetry; rupture; implants that have simply been in place a long time; wanting a different size or a different implant.
What happens during revision surgery?
Revision is planned case by case. It may involve exchanging implants, repairing or releasing the capsule, adding internal support, changing the implant plane, or combining with a lift. Bring your prior operative report and implant card if you have them — they make the plan far more precise.
How long is recovery after revision surgery?
Varies with the complexity of the repair. Straightforward exchanges recover like a first augmentation; capsule work and internal repairs take longer and require stricter activity limits.
Revision has a higher complication rate than a first-time operation. Dr. Vande Ven will be clear with you about what is realistically fixable.
