BeforeAfter
Mastopexy and 240 cc implantsBreast lift
Procedure 04
Breast lift
Breast lift and reshaping mastopexy, with or without an implant depending on the volume available. Firmer, higher breasts after pregnancies or weight changes.
- Duration
- 2 h 30 min
- Anaesthesia
- General
- Stay
- 1 night
- Recovery
- 10 days
Figures confirmed by the surgeon; they vary from case to case and are specified in consultation.
The essentials
The four questions that come up
- What is a breast lift?
- A reshaping: the gland is tightened and lifted, the stretched skin removed, the areola repositioned. The aim is firmer, higher breasts, without necessarily changing their volume.
- Who is it for?
- Patients whose breasts have changed after one or more pregnancies, or after significant weight changes: stretched skin with stretch marks, widened areolas, a gland that has dropped and a hollowed upper breast.
- Is an implant always needed?
- No. Reshaping the gland is often enough to recreate volume with what is there. If not, fat transfer or an implant is proposed — this is composite mastopexy.
- Can scars be avoided?
- In some cases of mild ptosis, a suitable anatomical implant or a fat transfer may be enough to correct the appearance and thus avoid scars.
A frequent request that calls for careful analysis
This is a fairly frequent request that requires particular expertise and a precise analysis of the indication and of the goals to be achieved. It touches on breast reshaping, implants and, today, fat transfer: choices have to be made between the necessary scars, volume and final shape.
A breast lift often concerns patients whose breasts have changed after pregnancies or significant weight changes. The consequences are stretched skin with stretch marks, widened areolas, a downward sagging of the gland and areolas, a loss of volume of the gland, which spreads out, and a hollowing of the upper breast.
The request is aesthetic: the patient wishes to regain firm, lifted and fuller breasts.
The three degrees of ptosis
The surgical indication is broadly defined by the position of the nipple in relation to the inframammary fold.
- Degree 1 — nipple above the inframammary fold: periareolar lift with or without an implant, or augmentation with an implant or fat, without a scar.
- Degree 2 — nipple level with the fold: periareolar lift with an additional vertical scar. An implant or fat is added depending on the case.
- Degree 3 — nipple below the fold, with sagging of the gland: J-shaped or inverted-T scar, possibly with the addition of a breast implant.
When volume is lacking
An increase in volume may be wished for, or may be necessary to the success of the operation.
In that case, reshaping the gland may be enough to provide volume by recreating a curve with the existing tissue, through glandular reshaping. If not, we will propose an additional fat transfer or a breast implant: this is mastopexy with implant, or composite mastopexy.
It may also be a request for augmentation accompanied by sagging. The surgeon will then explain that a simple augmentation is not enough, and that the sagging will also have to be corrected with a periareolar or vertical scar.
A highly technical operation
The implants must be selected with rigour and finesse, as must the technique used — often the dual plane, with the implant partly under the muscle. The necessary scars are often decided during the operation, once the implant is in place.
A judicious choice of anatomical implant can help correct the sagging while reducing the scars. Fat transfer, for its part, is useful to fill the frequent lack of volume in the upper pole of the breast, that is to say the cleavage.
A subject the surgeon teaches
The combination of mastopexy and implants is the subject of Dr Azencot’s talk at SLICE, the SOFCEP seminar for young practitioners (Paris, 2026), and of his SOFCEP distance-learning course on breast lifting (2023).
The scars
Note: in some cases of mild ptosis, a suitable anatomical breast implant, or a fat transfer, may be enough to correct the appearance and thus avoid scars.
For an isolated mastopexy, the operation is similar to that of breast reduction, with little or no removal of gland but above all a reshaping of the gland. The scars are shorter: periareolar only, or periareolar and vertical, or J-shaped, or the classic inverted T.
Frequently asked questions
What patients ask
These answers reflect the content written and validated by the surgeon. Each one is written to stand alone, question by question.
Will I lose volume?
No: the aim is to lift and tighten. If the volume available is not enough for the desired result, fat transfer or an implant is added.
Where will the scars be?
It depends on the degree of ptosis: periareolar only for degree 1, periareolar and vertical for degree 2, J-shaped or inverted T for degree 3.
Can sagging be corrected without a scar?
In mild ptosis, yes: a suitable anatomical implant or a fat transfer may be enough. The clinical examination determines this.
What is a composite mastopexy?
The combination of a breast lift and added volume — implant or fat transfer — when reshaping alone is not enough.
Why does the cleavage remain hollow?
Hollowing of the upper pole is a frequent consequence of ptosis. Fat transfer is particularly useful to fill it.
When are the scars decided?
Often during the operation itself, once the implant is in place: the result obtained determines the extent of skin correction required.
Gallery
Breast lift, before and after
Cases operated on by Dr Azencot, photographed before and after surgery, in front and three-quarter views. Drag to compare. The captions are the surgeon’s own.
BeforeAfter
Mastopexy and 240 cc implantsAnother view
BeforeAfter
Mastopexy and composite augmentationErgonomic implants 220 cc, 280 cc fat
BeforeAfter
Mastopexy and composite augmentationAnother view
Photographs for information only — neither a commitment nor a guarantee of result. Every situation is unique and assessed in consultation.
Meet us
Consultation
A first consultation is there to understand your request and tell you what is possible — including when the answer is that it is better to do nothing.
Clinique Esthétique Ferrère
16 ter rue Ferrère
33000 Bordeaux
ConsultationsBy appointment, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 6 pm
Quotegiven in consultation
Cooling-off period15 days minimum
In cosmetic surgery, French law requires a detailed written quote and a cooling-off period of at least fifteen days between the consultation and the operation. No deposit may be requested during that period. Two consultations are required before any operation.
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