Breast Lift

A mastopexy reshapes and repositions the breast tissue and the nipple-areola complex (NAC) to a higher position on the chest wall. It does not add volume — that is a separate decision, and one that your surgeon will discuss if it is relevant to your anatomy and intention.

At CFH, the procedure is performed under general anaesthesia and typically takes two and a half to three and a half hours. The technique is chosen to match what your anatomy requires:

• Short-scar (periareolar or lollipop) — suited to mild-to-moderate ptosis where the NAC needs to travel a short distance and the skin envelope is not significantly stretched. The scar runs around the areola and, in the lollipop variant, vertically to the breast fold.
• Anchor (inverted T) — suited to more significant ptosis, where a larger skin panel needs to be removed and the breast needs more substantial reshaping. The scar extends around the areola, vertically, and horizontally along the inframammary fold.

The technique is not chosen from a menu — it is determined by measurement: the distance from the NAC to the inframammary fold, the degree of skin laxity, and the position of the breast on the chest wall. At CFH, that assessment is made by the operating surgeon during intake, not by a patient coordinator interpreting a photograph.

During the procedure, the surgeon:

• Repositions the breast tissue — the glandular tissue is reshaped and sutured into a higher, more projected position on the chest wall
• Elevates the NAC — the nipple and areola are moved to the new breast apex without being detached from the underlying tissue, which preserves blood supply and sensation
• Removes the excess skin envelope — the stretched skin that previously held the breast lower is excised and the remaining skin is re-draped and closed

If you are considering adding an implant at the same time as the lift, this is an augmentation-mastopexy — a different procedure with different planning requirements. Your surgeon will discuss whether combining both in a single session is appropriate for your anatomy, or whether staging them separately gives a more reliable result.

Mastopexy addresses breast position and skin laxity — not volume. Patients who do well with a breast lift typically have one or more of the following:

• Breasts that have descended over time, often following pregnancy, breastfeeding, or weight change
• A nipple-areola complex that sits at or below the inframammary fold
• Skin that has stretched and lost elasticity, creating an elongated breast shape
• Asymmetry in NAC position between the two sides
• A desire to restore the breast to a higher position without necessarily adding size

Candidates who are still planning pregnancies are usually advised to wait — pregnancy and breastfeeding after a mastopexy can redo some of what the surgery achieved. The surgeon will discuss timing and its relevance to your specific situation during intake.

Weight stability also matters. A mastopexy is most predictable when your weight is stable — significant loss or gain after surgery changes the skin envelope and can affect how the result holds over time.

Most patients find the breast lift recovery more manageable than they expected. The procedure does not involve the abdominal muscle work of an abdominoplasty, so mobility in the first days is relatively easier — though the chest area is tender and arm movement is limited for the first week.

The standard recovery arc at CFH:

• Days 1–3: Recovery at the hotel. A surgical bra is worn continuously. Drains, if used, are typically removed within the first two to three days. The surgeon or coordinator checks in within the first 24 hours.
• Days 4–7: Most patients are comfortable and mobile. The incision is reviewed before departure.
• Weeks 2–6: Return to desk work is typically possible in two weeks. The surgical bra continues for six weeks. Lifting and strenuous activity are restricted for the full six-week period.
• Months 3–6: Swelling resolves and the breast settles into its new position. Scars are firm and pink during this phase — this is normal healing, not a poor outcome.
• Month 12: The settle point. Scar appearance is at its final state. The surgeon conducts the close-out review and sends the summary to your GP.

Operative details at CFH:
- Duration: 2.5–3.5 hours
- Anaesthesia: general
- Recovery hotel: 7 nights
- Visible recovery: approximately 10 days
- Full settle: 9 months
- Price band: €5,800 – €8,200

Scarring is the aspect of a breast lift that patients most consistently want to understand before they commit. The honest position is this: a mastopexy always leaves a scar. The question is placement and maturation.

The scar pattern depends on the technique:

• Periareolar: a ring scar around the circumference of the areola. The least visible option for mild cases, but it has limits on how much reshaping it can achieve.
• Lollipop: periareolar plus a vertical line from the areola to the breast fold. The most commonly used approach at CFH for moderate ptosis.
• Anchor: periareolar, vertical, and a horizontal scar along the inframammary fold. Required for significant ptosis where a larger skin panel must be excised.

At three months, mastopexy scars are typically pink, slightly raised, and firm. At twelve months, well-managed scars have usually faded significantly — flat, pale, and largely inconspicuous at normal viewing distance.

Scar maturation is influenced by genetics, skin type, sun exposure, and post-operative scar management. CFH does not make guarantees about individual scar outcomes. What is guaranteed is that the incision placement and wound closure are made by the operating surgeon — not delegated — and that the same surgeon monitors the scar at every scheduled follow-up.

The most common point of confusion patients arrive with is whether they need a lift, an implant, or both.

A breast lift addresses position and shape. It raises the breast and the nipple on the chest wall and removes excess skin. It does not add volume.

A breast augmentation adds volume — through an implant or fat transfer. It does not lift the breast significantly if the underlying position is low.

If the concern is primarily that the breast has descended — that the nipple position is low, that the breast looks flat or elongated — the answer is usually a lift, with or without an implant depending on whether volume is also a goal.

If the concern is primarily that the breast feels small, and position is not the issue, the answer is augmentation.

If both are true — low position and insufficient volume — augmentation-mastopexy combines both goals in one surgical session. It requires more detailed planning than either procedure alone, and the surgeon will explain what can be achieved in a single session versus what might be better staged.

At CFH, this conversation happens at intake, based on your photographs and your description of what you want to address. No recommendation is made before the surgeon has that information.

A mastopexy is a well-established procedure, but a few aspects consistently catch patients by surprise:

The breast position at one week is not the final position. In the first weeks, the breast sits higher than it will eventually settle. The shape at the six-week mark is still not the final shape. The full settled result — after swelling has resolved and the tissue has softened — appears progressively through nine to twelve months. Patients who expect to see the finished outcome at the one-month review are regularly surprised at how different the twelve-month result looks.

Asymmetry is almost universal between the two sides, including after surgery. No two breasts are identical beforehand, and the surgical correction does not produce mirror-image results. Minor asymmetry in position, size, or NAC shape after mastopexy is normal and expected. Significant asymmetry that persists past the twelve-month settle point is a different matter — the surgeon will assess this at the scheduled reviews.

NAC sensation changes are common in the first months. After elevation of the nipple-areola complex, many patients experience altered sensitivity — heightened, reduced, or absent — for weeks to months. In most cases, sensation returns substantially by the six-month review. The surgeon discusses this at intake because it is a relevant factor in the timing and planning decision.

A lift does not stop the ageing process. Gravity, skin elasticity, and future weight changes continue to act on the breast after mastopexy. The procedure does not create a permanent result in the sense of a fixed position — it resets the clock to a point that then continues to evolve. This is not a failure of the surgery; it is the nature of breast tissue over time.

The intake is a 30-minute call in your language. You describe what has changed and what you want to address. No surgical options are presented upfront — the surgeon listens first.

Within 48 hours, the matched surgeon signs a written plan that specifies the technique (periareolar, lollipop, or anchor), what the surgery can and cannot achieve for your anatomy, and what the recovery arc is expected to look like. The plan is in your language. There is no fee for this and no obligation to proceed.

On procedure day, the surgeon who wrote that plan is the surgeon at the operating table. Dr. N. Özdemir leads body contouring at CFH, with sixteen years in aesthetic plastic surgery. The coordinator who arranged your travel and hotel stays available throughout your stay and for the twelve months of follow-up that follow.

CFH has been in continuous practice since 1994. The facility — BHT Clinic, Istanbul — holds JCI accreditation and TEMOS certification for international patient care. Intake is available in eight languages: English, Romanian, Italian, Spanish, French, Albanian, Arabic, and Farsi.