Breast lift in Turkey: same volume, new position.

A breast lift is a plastic surgery operation that removes the excess skin of sagging breasts, reshapes the tissue underneath and moves the nipple up to its natural, higher position. Its medical name is mastopexy. An enlarged areola can be reduced in the same operation.

The most common misunderstanding is this: as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons states clearly, a breast lift does not noticeably change the size of the breasts and does not round out the upper part. It repositions the existing tissue; it does not add new tissue. On our plastic surgery page you will find the general overview of breast procedures; this guide goes into the details of the lift.

• Moves the nipple and areola up to a higher, forward-facing position
• Tightens loose skin and gives the breast a firmer shape
• Reduces the diameter of an enlarged areola
• Evens out breasts when one sits lower than the other

Women who are happy with the volume of their breasts but feel the shape has dropped or emptied, whose weight is stable and who are in good general health are good candidates for a breast lift. Sagging is most often caused by pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight gain and loss, age and genetics. The ASPS candidacy criteria list the following signs:

• Without a bra, the nipple sits below the inframammary fold
• The nipple and areola point downwards
• The breast has become flattened and elongated
• The skin has stretched and the areola has widened
• One breast sits noticeably lower than the other

Not smoking is one of the criteria; nicotine reduces blood flow to the nipple and the skin edges. If you are planning to lose weight, the operation is done once you have reached your target weight.

Sagging (ptosis) is graded by the position of the nipple in relation to the inframammary fold. The surgeon examines you standing up and measures the level of the fold, the distance between the nipple and this level, and how much of the tissue hangs below the fold. The lift technique is chosen according to this measurement.

• Mild sagging: the nipple has dropped to the level of the fold
• Moderate sagging: the nipple is below the fold but still above the lowest point of the breast
• Advanced sagging: the nipple is at the lowest point of the breast and points towards the floor
• Pseudoptosis: the nipple is in place, but the lower part of the tissue hangs below the fold and the upper part has emptied

Pseudoptosis is seen especially after volume loss following breastfeeding, and it often needs volume rather than a lift. This distinction matters: of two people who come with the same complaint, one may be advised to have a breast lift and the other an implant alone.

Lift techniques are named after the shape of the incision, and the rule is simple: the further the nipple has to be moved up and the more skin has to be removed, the longer the scar. Cleveland Clinic's patient guide describes four incision types.

A short scar looks appealing, but a lift done with an inadequate technique sags again within a few months, or widens and flattens the areola. The scars are hidden along the edge of the areola and the natural lines of the breast; they are permanent but fade noticeably over time.

If you are happy with your current volume, a breast lift without implants is enough; if you want fullness in the upper breast or a larger cup size, an implant is added. You can test the decision easily by whether you like the look you get in a bra: if the volume inside a supportive bra is enough for you, you do not need an implant.

• Enough volume, sagging shape: a breast lift alone
• Reduced volume and sagging: breast lift with implants
• Too much volume and sagging: breast reduction; a lift is already part of this operation

We explain implant choice in our breast augmentation guide, while our breast reduction guide covers tissue reduction. Combining the two procedures gives a result in a single operation, but the balance is difficult: the implant stretches the skin from the inside while the lift tightens it from the outside.

Where possible, a breast lift is done once you have finished having children. The ASPS notes that the changes pregnancy brings can reduce or reverse the benefit of the operation. Becoming pregnant after surgery is not dangerous; it simply increases the chance that the breasts will sag again.

• After breastfeeding ends, you wait a few months for the breasts to settle into their final shape
• Because the nipple is moved on a stalk of tissue, many women can breastfeed afterwards, but this cannot be guaranteed
• Nipple sensation may change temporarily or permanently

If your abdomen is to be assessed together with your breasts after childbirth, a mommy makeover approach offers a more accurate plan.

1. Remote preliminary assessment. Front and side photos taken without a bra, your height and weight, and your pregnancy and breastfeeding history are reviewed; a first opinion on the grade of sagging and the likely technique is shared with you.
2. Examination and marking. The surgeon takes measurements with you standing and marks the new position of the nipple; blood tests and breast imaging are completed. We describe the general steps on our treatment process page.
3. Surgery. The operation is performed under general anaesthetic and usually takes 1–2 hours, depending on its extent. If an implant is added, it takes longer.
4. Observation. You are discharged on the same day or after one night in hospital. If a drain was placed, it is removed within a few days.
5. Hotel rest and check-up. Dressings are changed, the support bra is fitted and you are cleared to fly.
6. Remote follow-up. Check-ups continue by photo; the first months, when the shape settles, and the first year, when the scars mature, are monitored.

After a breast lift, pain, swelling and tightness ease noticeably within about two weeks; many women go back to a desk job after around a week. Strenuous exercise and heavy lifting are restricted for up to six weeks. The timeline below is based on the framework given by Cleveland Clinic; adding an implant can lengthen these periods.

In the first weeks the upper part of the breast looks too full and the lower part looks tight; over a few months the tissue settles downwards and takes on a natural teardrop shape. Do not judge the result by how it looks in the early period.

The result is long-lasting but not lifelong. Cleveland Clinic states that the result lasts for years, but that ageing continues to affect the breasts. A lift turns back the clock but does not stop it: the skin keeps losing elasticity and gravity keeps working.

• Weight: significant weight gain or loss stretches the skin again; it is the factor that affects the result most
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding: the skin loosens as the breasts grow and shrink
• Breast weight: large, heavy breasts sag sooner than small ones; an implant also adds weight
• Support: wearing a well-supporting bra during sport reduces the load on the tissue
• Smoking and sun: damage skin quality

Knowing from the outset that a small touch-up may be needed years later sets your expectations at the right level.

For patients travelling from abroad, the breast lift programme is usually built around one week. The UK's NHS, in its advice on cosmetic surgery abroad, recommends waiting 5–7 days after breast surgery before flying; the programme is built on top of this period. If an implant was added or an anchor incision was used, the surgeon may want a few more days.

• Before you leave the country, dressings are changed and the nipple circulation and the points where the incisions meet are checked
• On the journey home you should not carry luggage or reach up to overhead lockers; assistance is arranged in advance
• Pack front-opening bras and zip-up tops; do not raise your arms above your head
• Accommodation and transfers are arranged close to the hospital

Neda Deniz holds the Turkish Ministry of Health International Health Tourism Authorisation Certificate (AK-1032) and acts as an intermediary agency; it is not a clinic. All operations, including breast lifts, are carried out by our partner specialist surgeons in the relevant hospitals. The surgeon we work with in breast aesthetics is Aesthetic, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Specialist Dr. M. Serkan Dinar. Which surgeon you proceed with becomes clear after the preliminary assessment.

Under Turkish regulations, prices for healthcare services are not advertised; and because the scope varies from person to person, a single figure for a breast lift would be misleading. In the UK, the NHS rarely funds a breast lift for cosmetic reasons. When comparing quotes, look at these items:

• Technique: an anchor incision is a longer operation than a periareolar one
• Implant: if one is added, the implant itself and the longer operating time
• Added procedures: liposuction of the side of the chest, or a tummy tuck in the same session
• Tests: breast imaging, blood tests
• Hospital, anaesthesia, accommodation, support bra and follow-up

Be careful with quotes that say “lift” but only mean placing an implant; ask for the incision to be used in writing.

A breast lift is a common operation, but it is not risk-free. In Turkey, procedures follow Turkish Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons guidance. Giving up smoking and choosing the right technique reduce most of the risks.

• Scarring: permanent; in some people it heals thick or wide
• Asymmetry: differences in position and shape between the two breasts or nipples
• Changes in sensation: reduced or heightened sensitivity in the nipple
• Wound healing problems: especially where the anchor incisions meet
• Loss of the nipple and areola: caused by impaired blood supply; rare but serious
• Difficulty breastfeeding
• Recurrent sagging and the need for revision surgery
• Bleeding, infection and blood clots: as with any operation

A lift is often considered not on its own but alongside another decision. Our related guides:

• Breast augmentation guide — implant choice, incision site and placement
• Breast reduction guide — techniques, scars and breastfeeding
• Tummy tuck guide — three methods and the mommy makeover
• Liposuction guide — liposuction techniques and limits

Three questions clarify the decision on a breast lift: Is the volume inside my bra enough for me? What length of scar am I willing to accept in return for a better shape? Am I planning a pregnancy or a significant weight change in the next few years? The first answer determines the implant decision, the second the technique and the third the timing.

Send us your photos; let our partner surgeons assess your grade of sagging, and we will explain clearly which lift technique and scar suit you. If your issue is volume rather than sagging, or if it would be better to postpone surgery, we will tell you that too. For other options, take a look at our plastic surgery procedures page.