Breast Lift


Excellence in Orange County Breast Lift

See Your Journey In Exquisite Detail

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Cost: $14,500 - $18,500 Recovery: 5-7 days Anesthesia: General
Breast Types: 7 types determined by degree of breast sag
Shape: Natural, dramatic
Size: Bra, cup size
Implant Type: Saline vs. Silicone
Shape:Saggy, wide, boxy, pointy
Size:Current Bra, cup size
Incision Placement:Areola, Breast Fold, Lollipop etc.
Muscle Placement:Complete vs. Partial Muscle Coverage
Breast Lift: Surgical & recovery timeline outlined in detail.
Breast AugmentationSurgical & recovery timeline outlined in detail.
Implant Warranty Breast Feeding Mammogram Possible Complications

Breast Lift Specialization Overview

Dr. Joseph T. Cruise is a breast lift specialist and board-certified in Newport Beach, Orange County, CA. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience performing all types of breast lifts with or without augmentation. He and his professional staff have created this breast lift resource for women in Newport Beach and the surrounding areas who are looking for all the information they need about aesthetic breast surgery. In addition, the staff at Cruise Plastic Surgery provides you with many before and after breast lift pictures, so that you can see the results for yourself.

 

Visit Our Dedicated Breast Sculpting Site

Breast Lift Overview

Definition

Breast tissue - Very little to significant

Nipple position - centered on breast to below breast fold and at the bottom of the breast

Chest fold shape - flat, rounded, wide, cone

Most common demographic:  any female desiring aesthetic improvement of their breasts. Breast lifts are most frequently performed on women who have gone through pregnancy/breast feeding. Aging, weight loss and genetics are other factors that contribute to the need for a breast lift.

Examples of breast shapes and sizes before surgery

Surgery Information

Anesthesia: General

Facility: Accredited outpatient surgical facility

Recovery: Back to work 3- 7 days, longer if job is strenuous.

Cost: Price ranges from $14,500 to $18,500 depending on the type of lift (donut, anchor, lollipop) and if other procedures are added on such as a reduction or breast implants.

Cruise Plastic Surgery accepts the following forms of payment:

Overview of Breast Lift / Mastopexy

Women in Orange County, like women all over the world, usually suffer the affects of one or more of the following: child birth, breast feeding, weight loss and/or weight gain, and aging. In Orange County areas such as Laguna Beach or Newport Beach you may notice many women have chosen to undergo cosmetic surgery to counteract changes to their breasts. Although some women choose to have breast augmentation in addition to lifting, some find that the breast lift alone is enough to make them feel better about how their breasts look.

Youthful breast tissue has more elasticity because of the stretchy connective ligaments that hold the breast in a perky, nipple-forward position. Over time, and especially after having children, these ligaments stretch, causing more mature breasts to sag. Breast lift surgery is the only permanent solution for improving shape, volume, and perkiness.

The industry term for a breast lift is a mastopexy. It includes procedures that correct a number of common complaints such as:

  • Nipples that begin to point downward
  • Lack of fullness in the upper breast
  • Lack of cleavage and breast closeness
  • Loss of breast volume
  • Increase in breast volume
  • Increase in skin laxity causing breast sag
  • Lack of shape

Cruise Classification System

Joseph T Cruise, MD created this Cruise Classification system to visually represent the 7 primary breast shapes and the coinciding recommended procedure for each.

 

7 Types of Breast Shapes

Notice the progressive increase in skin laxity. This excess skin will change the type of breast surgery necessary to properly correct the problem to create a youthful perky appearance.

Design Your Look

Joseph T Cruise, MD designed the "Look You Want" interactive diagram below to help his patients visually demonstrate what they want their breasts to look like after breast lift surgery.

Click the images below to select the look you want in each category and complete the submission process. You will be contacted by one of Joseph T Cruise, MD's consultants after your selections are reviewed. You can also click TLIW in PDF format to print for your own use.

The Look You Have

Click the graphic below to find and select the image which most closely represents the "Look You Have" now. You will then be given an idea of which procedure you may need.

Get started now!

Surgical Options

Joseph T Cruise, MD will work with you to determine the best surgical plan to obtain your desired result. He will take into consideration the "Look You Have" and the  "Look You Want,"  along with your body shape, and breast measurements.

Two questions to ask yourself -

  1. Are you happy with the volume of breast tissue that you have but want your breasts lifted back where they once were? If so, then a lift alone is probably all that is necessary.
  2. Do you want to lift your breasts, but also want a somewhat more dramatic effect, then a lift with augmentation may be more appropriate. This will be discussed in more detail below. 

Breast Lift Incision Placement

The most common Breast Lift incisions used by Joseph T Cruise, MD:

  • Donut - placed around the entire areola
  • Lollipop - donut w/ a line down the front of the breast from the bottom of the areola to the breast crease
  • Anchor - donut w/ lollipop and vertical line in the breast crease

Minimizing breast lift scarring

Women do not want scars that make their breasts look “operated on,” and as an experienced, skilled Orange County cosmetic surgeon, Joseph T Cruise, MD goes to great effort to minimize scarring. He puts meticulous detail into closing breast lift incisions in addition to using surgical tape for approx. 3 months to reduce tension, so the scars are more likely to remain thin and flat.

Breast Lift Incisions

Donut

Donut

Lollipop

Short Anchor

Short Anchor

Very long Anchor

Long Anchor

Breast Lift with Augmentation

Many of our breast lift patients at Cruise Plastic Surgery choose to take the opportunity that plastic surgery provides to not only regain the look and feel their breasts had in their youth, but to enhance them beyond their previous appearance. By choosing to have breast augmentation, in addition to a breast lift, women can make their breasts larger, fuller, and more shapely than they’ve ever been, therefore experiencing a whole new look and sense of enjoyment with their breasts. Joseph T Cruise, MD provides many before and after pictures of breast lift patients with and without augmentation, so his potential patients can see exactly what results to expect from both procedures.

Breast Implant Placement

Implants can be placed in three different ways:

  1. Subglandular implant is placed on top of the muscle and under the breast tissue (gland) only.
  2. Partial Muscle Coverage, a.k.a. Dual Plane. Only part of the implant is covered by the muscle.
  3. Complete Muscle Coverage - the entire implant is covered by the muscle.

Joseph T Cruise, MD's preferred placement method is Complete Muscle Coverage. For more information about this technique, visit: Complete vs. Partial Muscle Coverage

 

3 Types of Muscle Coverage

Understanding Implant Placement

When breast augmentation was first performed, the common technique was to place breast implants above the muscle. Over time surgeons determined it would be better to place implants below the pec major muscle to avoid incidences of capsular contracture, rippling, and an "implanted look." This muscle placement technique has become the preferred method for most plastic surgeons. Most patients do not realize "under the muscle" does not actually mean the implant is fully under the muscle, rather half the implant is not covered. A more appropriate term for this technique is partial muscle coverage.

Advantages of Complete Muscle Coverage with Breast Sculpting

 

  • Desired breast shape. Greater ability to obtain the shape you want
  • Improved scarring. Breast sculpting reduces incision tension which is the main cause of poor scarring.
  • Improved breast shape. More youthful and perky.
  • Improved upper breast fullness. Implant is properly positioned on chest. Shape can be sloped or defined and anywhere in between. Completely customizable.
  • Improved cleavage. Outer muscles hold implant closer to mid-line.
  • Control of implant. Chances of implant sliding into arm pit or bottoming out greatly reduced secondary to muscle support.
  • Lower chance of breast sag. Much less likely as potential sag tissue is removed as part of sculpting process.
  • Little to no implant rippling. Significantly reduced or eliminated.
  • Less likely to feel implant through skin. Muscle coverage adds another layer of protection.
  • Ability to use saline with fewer issues: Enhanced muscle coverage often allows saline implants to be an equal or better option than silicone implants.
  • Likely decreased chance of capsular contracture (cc). Partial muscle coverage decreases cc. Full muscle coverage appears to decrease it even more. Research in progress.

Partial vs. Complete Muscle Coverage

complete-muscle-coverage

Complete muscle coverage
Complete lateral coverage of implant

full-coverage-lat

Complete muscle coverage

2

Complete muscle coverage
Better cleavage as muscle prevent implants from sliding

Partial coverage

Partial muscle coverage
50% of implant uncovered

contentsolid

Partial muscle coverage

1

Partial muscle coverage

Surgical Timeline

The surgical timeline has three primary stages. The first stage consists of scheduling your surgery date and preparing for surgery day. The second stage is the actual surgery itself, followed by the final recovery stage.

 

Recovery Timelines

Is Breast Surgery Right For You?

Only you know if cosmetic surgery is right for you. Hopefully, you will find comfort in knowing that breast sag and/or deflation occurs to virtually all women at some point in their lives. You should never allow shame or embarrassment get in the way of living the life you deserve.

Breasts are unique in that they represent more than just a body part. Hardwired into our brains, they also represent youth, sexuality and femininity. This makes “bra management” an unacceptable option for many women. Not because they are vain, but because their breast appearance does not align with how they feel. No matter how creative a bra may be, it doesn’t fix the problem at its root. A properly performed breast lift revitalizes the spirit far beyond what a bra could do. It restores breasts back to where they used to be or perhaps better even – bra optional.

Joseph T Cruise, MD and his staff at Cruise Plastic Surgery individually consult with each patient in their Orange County office to determine what her specific concerns are with her breasts, and which breast lift procedure will provide the best outcome.

Change in breast positioning often causes women to be unhappy with their breasts. As women notice their breasts sagging and losing their shape and perkiness, they may speak with friends who have undergone cosmetic surgery to find out about their breast lift surgery experience and how they feel about their breasts after surgery. Joseph T Cruise, MD and the staff at Cruise Plastic Surgery consider the social support of other women vital to patients’ understanding and experience with breast lift and other surgery, so they encourage outreach to their own patients, as well as those on RealSelf.com

 

 

Breast Lift Before and After Pictures

FAQ

Is a breast lift covered by insurance?

A breast lift may be covered by insurance depending on the severity of the symptoms the breasts are causing. It is important to check with your health insurance company first and foremost as a starting point. Not all plastic surgeons accept insurance even if it is covered, although self-billing can be an option.

Do I need a breast lift or just implants?

While a breast lift alone may be sufficient for some women, especially those who do not want a breast implant. A lift without an implant will provide a very natural appearance with the possibility of some degree of persistent sag which will increase over time. A breast implant provides a longer-lasting result and an overall better shape.

Do you lose sensation with breast lift?

There is always the possibility of losing some sensation with a breast lift, particularly around the areola. When performed by a skilled breast lift surgeon, complications are minimized, yet still possible.

Do you still have feeling in your nipples after breast lift?

After breast lift surgery you will likely lose some sensation in your nipples, however, in the majority of cases, the feeling does come back.

Does a breast lift leave scars?

A breast lift will leave scars but they do improve over time and when performed by a skilled plastic surgeon could become nearly undetectable.

Does a breast lift make your nipples less sensitive?

It is possible that a breast lift could cause the nipples to be less sensitive. In most cases, this is only temporary.

How do you shower after a breast lift?

Your plastic surgeon will advise when you can shower after breast lift surgery. In most cases, within a couple of days to a few days after surgery, it is ok to shower. It is important to keep the incisions dry and clean is for proper healing. Showering should be kept to a minimum. Avoid long showers and try to keep the incisions out of direct contact with water until they are completely closed.

Will a breast lift reduce cup size?

A breast lift can reduce the overall cup size if a reduction of breast tissue is performed at the same time.

What type of Breast Lift do I need?

The type of breast lift you need will depend on several factors including your desired result, the extent of breast sag, and whether you want to include a breast implant. All of this and more will be discussed in full detail at your consultation with Dr. Cruise.

How bad will the scars look?

Dr. Joseph Cruise uses advanced techniques for closures to ensure the least amount of tension possible to the incision site. Reducing tension during the healing process greatly reduces the risk of the scars widening. Dr. Cruise also has all of his breast lift patients wear surgical tape over their incisions for eight or more weeks as an added measure to reduce tension. Lastly, the use of a specially formulated scar gel helps with optimal healing of scars.nnThe wonderful thing about scars is that they improve over time. Most patients of Cruise Plastic Surgery routinely comment about how well their incisions have faded by the one year mark.

Breast Implant warranty?

Breast implants are covered by warranties with terms set by the manufacturers. In most cases of complications, these warranties can cover the removal or replacement surgeries required.

Understanding capsular contracture?

One of the complications associated with having breast implants is capsular contracture. During your consultations with Dr. Cruise, he can help you understand what it is and how it can be treated.

Breast feeding after Breast Augmentation?

There is little risk that women who have breast augmentation will not be able to breastfeed, or have a reduced ability to breastfeed, after a breast augmentation procedure.

Mammogram and detection of Breast Cancer with Implants?

Mammograms can still be performed with breast implants, however the provider will likely need to take more pictures than normal to get a clear image for diagnosis.

Are silicone implants safe?

Silicone implants were taken off the market in 1992. After 14 years of rigorous testing, more than any other medical device in history, the FDA deemed the implants safe and allowed them back on the market. We have provided a Silicone FAQ page for those who would like more information about silicone implants.

The Body You Want, The Confidence You Deserve

Breast Lift Video Testimonials

I Love My New Breasts

Uncomfortable Triple D Breasts

Post-Surgery Breast Lift w/ Augmentation

Psychological benefits of Breast-Lift

  • Improved self confidence. Feeling sexier and confident radiates a positive energy which affects every aspect of one’s life. From relationships with husbands, children, and friends, to how you present yourself at work and in public.
  • Improved mood. Deflated, saggy breasts has a tremendous impact on a woman’s psyche. In a way, it deflates ones mood as well. Regaining perky, youthful breasts routinely restores ones mood and outlook beyond what can be explained by physical changes.
  • Enhanced self-image. Breasts are often considered the focus of female sensuality. Simply put, youthful, sexy breasts makes you feel sexy with all the positive feelings and feel-good neurotransmitters that go with it.

 

Patient Testimonials

From the moment I walked into the office everyone there greeted me with a warm welcome. And since the surgery I love when I have my checkups because I get to see all the staff and have a blast talking with them!

Joseph T Cruise, MD is so down to earth and honest with me. He gave me exactly what I had in mind. I am so happy with my breast augmentation and so glad I choose him

Even though it has been several years since my breast augmentation it is still fun to buy new tops, dresses and lingerie because I have curves in all the right places. Thanks to Joseph T Cruise, MD's good eye and judgment...I am just the perfect size. I can still look professional in a business suit or I can look sexy in a clingy low cut dress.

I love the way my breasts feel! One of my biggest concerns was how my breasts would feel after having surgery. I had very little breast tissue to start and I thought implants would make them feel unnatural. I don't know what Joseph T Cruise, MD does but they feel so natural! And, my boyfriend loves them too!