Body Harmonization · Surgical
Breast Lift: a better position, naturally
After pregnancies, breastfeeding or weight changes, you look in the mirror and feel your bust has dropped. “Can they be lifted without implants?” is one of the questions our physicians hear most: it depends on the case, and often the answer is yes. A Breast Lift, or mastopexy, removes the excess skin and raises the breast to a better position. Dr. Thuel and Dr. Juan Ramón Poveda, Physician and Surgeon, Specialist in Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, listen to you and guide you together. Their goal is for you to feel comfortable with your bust, with or without a bra.
Medical consultation · US$100, VAT included. This amount is applied in full toward your treatment or procedure if you formalize it with your payment on the same day or within the following seven calendar days. It can be the full payment or a first payment of more than US$100. Booking it does not commit you to having surgery.
Every consultation is handled personally by Dr. Thuel and Dr. Poveda, so their availability is limited. We suggest booking in advance.
- Duration
- 2 to 3 hours
- Recovery
- Office work in 1 to 2 weeks
- When it shows
- The shape settles over a few months
- How long it lasts
- Long-lasting; it may drop somewhat with age
Every scar and every risk, explained before you decide.
Dr. Irene Thuel · Physician and Surgeon, Expert in Aesthetic Medicine and Surgery · MED10355
The essentials before you decide
What a Breast Lift involves, step by step
General information so you arrive at your consultation with a clear idea. It may vary in your case; Dr. Thuel and Dr. Poveda will confirm it at your consultation.
It may be right for you if…
- You look in the mirror and notice that your breasts have dropped or that the areola points downward.
- After pregnancies, breastfeeding or weight loss, you feel the skin of your bust has become looser.
- You avoid going braless because you feel your bust sags.
- You want firmer breasts without changing their size much.
- What it is
- Surgery, called mastopexy, that removes excess skin and repositions the breast and areola higher.
- How it is done
- Incisions are made around the areola and, depending on how much the breast has dropped, downward and along the fold. Skin is removed, the tissue is lifted and the incisions are closed with stitches.
- Advantages
- It repositions your own tissue, without implants, if you are not looking for more volume. If needed, it can be combined with implants in the same surgery.
- Who performs it
- Dr. Irene Thuel and Dr. Juan Ramón Poveda Xatruch, plastic surgeon, working as a team in the operating room.
- Anesthesia and discomfort
- It is usually performed under general anesthesia; sometimes, under local anesthesia with sedation. The doctors will tell you which applies in your case. During the first days there is moderate pain and swelling, usually managed with pain relievers. Nipple sensitivity may decrease for a few weeks.
- Duration
- In general, about 2 to 3 hours; it may take longer if combined with implants.
- Hospital stay
- It is an outpatient procedure: you go home the same day, after a few hours of observation and with a companion. If drains are placed, they are usually removed within a few days.
- Recovery and care
- A surgical bra is worn day and night for about 3 to 4 days, then a soft support bra for 3 to 4 weeks. Most patients return to the office in 1 to 2 weeks and to strenuous exercise in 4 to 6. Sleep on your back or side, and avoid lifting heavy objects or bending over with effort during the first weeks.
- When it shows
- The change is visible from the start, and the shape settles over the following months. Scars usually soften and fade over 1 to 2 years.
- How long the result lasts
- It is long-lasting, though not forever: with age, weight changes and pregnancies, the breast may drop somewhat again. Maintaining a stable weight helps preserve it.
- Who should not have it
- It is not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding, if you smoke, or with conditions such as diabetes or heart disease that are not under medical management. If you are planning pregnancies or significant weight loss, it is sometimes better to wait. Both doctors review this at the consultation.
- Follow-up visits
- In general, during the first week, at one month, and between 3 and 6 months. Both physicians adjust the dates according to how you are healing.
What a mastopexy changes
Breasts that have dropped and lost their shape
Position
Lifting breasts that have dropped due to pregnancies, breastfeeding, weight changes or the passing of time.
Shape
When the skin has stretched, the breast looks elongated or empty. The surgery aims to improve that appearance.
Areola
Repositioning it higher and, if needed, adjusting its size.
Before setting a date
Lifting the breast does not add volume
This surgery lifts the breast and gives it shape. If you also want more volume, it can be combined with implants. And if it is not right for you now, because of your health or because you plan to have more children, Dr. Thuel and Dr. Poveda will tell you at the consultation.
Consultation
You tell us what bothers you and we review whether your case truly needs surgery.
Team consultation
Dr. Thuel and Dr. Poveda examine you together. They look at how much excess skin there is and where the areola sits. Then they explain what scars would remain and whether adding implants is advisable.
Tests and surgery
With your test results in hand, both physicians decide on the anesthesia and the technique. Both are in the operating room: Dr. Poveda operates together with Dr. Thuel.
Follow-up visits
You go home with your instructions. At each follow-up visit, both doctors check how you are healing.
About scars and risks
What to know about mastopexy before having surgery
A breast lift leaves scars and, like any surgery, has risks. Dr. Thuel and Dr. Poveda go over them with you one by one.
What to expect
- Swelling and pain at first; also bruising or tender areas.
- On its own it does not add volume; for that, it is combined with implants.
- The shape settles and the scars mature over time.
- Pregnancies, weight and gravity keep acting over the years.
Discomfort and risks
- Bleeding, infection, scarring, asymmetries or anesthesia complications.
- Scars around the areola and, depending on the technique, on the breast.
- Changes in sensation or differences in shape between the two breasts.
- Healing problems and, rarely, partial loss of the areola.
If it is not a lift
Surgeries often compared with a lift
Is this surgery right for you? At the consultation, Dr. Thuel and Dr. Poveda review your case together and tell you frankly whether it suits you and what it involves. The consultation costs US$100, VAT included, which is applied in full toward your treatment or procedure if you formalize it with your payment on the same day or within the following seven calendar days. It can be the full payment or a first payment of more than US$100.
Frequently Asked Questions
What we are asked most about Breast Lift
What is a mastopexy?
It is the medical name for a Breast Lift. It removes excess skin and repositions the tissue and the areola higher.
Does a Breast Lift add volume?
Not on its own. If you also want more volume, it can be combined with implants in the same surgery or in stages, depending on your case.
What scars does it leave?
Around the areola and, depending on the technique, in other areas of the breast. Before you decide, Dr. Thuel and Dr. Poveda show you what they would look like in your case and how to care for them.
Am I a candidate if I want to have more children?
Discuss it with Dr. Thuel and Dr. Poveda. Pregnancy and breastfeeding can change the shape of the breasts again, and surgery can make breastfeeding more difficult, so it is sometimes better to wait.
What is the investment, and when can I return to my routine?
Both depend on your case. After the consultation, we give you the complete quote, with no obligation. In general, the surgery takes 2 to 3 hours, usually under general anesthesia. Most patients return to the office in 1 to 2 weeks and to strenuous exercise in 4 to 6. Your case may vary; Dr. Thuel and Dr. Poveda will confirm this with you.
The consultation costs US$100, VAT included. If you decide to have a medical treatment or procedure, that amount is applied in full toward your treatment or procedure when you formalize it with your payment on the same day as the consultation or within the following seven calendar days. It can be the full payment or a first payment of more than US$100.
Who performs my surgery?
You are cared for by a team: Dr. Irene Thuel, Physician and Surgeon, Expert in Aesthetic Medicine and Surgery, and Dr. Juan Ramón Poveda Xatruch, MED5800. Both take part in the consultation, the plan, the operating room and the follow-up visits, and Dr. Poveda performs the surgery together with her.
So your breasts feel back in place
At the consultation, Dr. Thuel and Dr. Poveda decide with you whether a lift alone or with an implant is advisable. They also show you what the scars would look like in your case. It is the first step, and it does not commit you to having surgery.
Medical consultation · US$100, VAT included. This amount is applied in full toward your treatment or procedure if you formalize it with your payment on the same day or within the following seven calendar days. It can be the full payment or a first payment of more than US$100.
Every consultation is handled personally by Dr. Thuel and Dr. Poveda, so their availability is limited. We suggest booking in advance.