September 28, 2026 | Breast Surgery
9 minute read
If you want fuller breasts but also want to correct sagging, you may wonder whether you can get breast implants with a breast lift at the same time. For many patients, the answer is yes. Combining breast augmentation and breast lift surgery can address two different concerns in one treatment plan: lost or limited breast volume and a lower, less youthful breast position. However this is very challenging surgery because one surgery adds while the other subtracts, creating many variables to how the breast settles or heals. In patients with poor skin quality or massive weight loss, the variables are even more challenging. It is always possible that a secondary surgery to remove more skin or reposition the implant may be necessary for any patient.
At Burgess Plastic Surgery and MedSpa in Lake Oswego, OR, Dr. Elisa Burgess offers breast augmentation with lift for patients whose goals require both added volume and breast reshaping. Your anatomy, breast skin quality, nipple position, desired size, and overall goals will determine whether combining the surgical procedures makes sense for you.
Tables of Contents
- Why Combine Breast Implants With Breast Lift Surgery?
- How Do I Know If I Need a Breast Lift With My Implants?
- What Does a Breast Lift With Implants Accomplish?
- What Breast Implant Options Can Be Used With a Lift?
- Can an Internal Bra* Be Added to Breast Augmentation With Lift?
- What Is Recovery Like After Breast Implants With a Lift?
- How Much Does a Breast Lift With Implants Cost in Lake Oswego?
- Why Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Experience Matters for Breast Augmentation With Lift
- Breast Implants With a Breast Lift FAQs
Why Combine Breast Implants With Breast Lift Surgery?
Breast implants primarily add volume. A breast lift, or mastopexy, reshapes the existing breast, removes excess skin, and repositions the breast and nipple.
Because these procedures accomplish different goals, an implant alone may not create the result you want if significant sagging has developed. Likewise, a breast lift can improve position and shape without necessarily replacing the fullness you have lost.
Combining the procedures may help you:
- Restore breast volume after pregnancy, weight loss, or aging
- Lift breasts that sit lower on the chest
- Reposition downward-pointing or low nipples
- Improve breast shape and symmetry
- Add fullness while tightening a stretched skin envelope
- Create a breast shape that better matches your proportions and goals
Dr. Burgess evaluates these factors together, rather than treating breast size and breast position as separate concerns.
How Do I Know If I Need a Breast Lift With My Implants?
Not everyone considering breast augmentation needs a lift.
If your breasts have adequate skin support and your nipples remain in a favorable position, implants alone may provide the fullness you want. However, when the breast tissue and nipples have descended, increasing breast volume without addressing excess skin may not adequately correct the sagging.
Your nipple position provides one useful clue. Nipples that point downward or sit below the breast crease may indicate that a breast lift is appropriate. Your surgeon must still evaluate your individual anatomy before recommending treatment.
At your consultation, Dr. Burgess can evaluate:
- The amount of breast sagging
- Nipple and areola position
- Existing breast volume
- Skin elasticity and tissue quality
- Breast symmetry
- Chest and body proportions
- The size and shape you would like to achieve
This evaluation helps determine whether augmentation alone or augmentation with a lift better matches your goals.
What Does a Breast Lift With Implants Accomplish?
A breast lift with implants allows Dr. Burgess to reshape the breast while adding volume during the same overall treatment.
The lift addresses stretched skin and breast position. Depending on your anatomy, it can also reposition the nipple and reduce an enlarged areola. The implant then provides additional volume and projection.
This combination can be particularly useful when pregnancy, weight changes, or aging have left your breasts both emptier and lower than before.
Your desired result matters too. Someone who wants a modest improvement in breast position may require a very different surgical plan than someone seeking significant lifting with more upper breast fullness. Choosing the right implant means balancing the volume you want with your existing tissue, rather than simply selecting the largest implant possible.
What Breast Implant Options Can Be Used With a Lift?
Burgess Plastic Surgery and MedSpa offers several breast implant options so that Dr. Burgess can tailor breast augmentation to your anatomy and aesthetic preferences.
The practice offers implants from Motiva®, Mentor®, Sientra®, and Natrelle®, including saline and silicone options. Implant size, profile, material, and placement all influence the final breast shape. Location of the implant above or below the muscle are also options.
Dr. Burgess also considers how the implant will interact with your newly lifted breast tissue. A large implant that overwhelms your available tissue could place additional stress on the skin over time, making thoughtful implant selection especially important when augmentation and mastopexy are combined.
Your consultation gives you an opportunity to discuss how much fullness you want and what implant characteristics may best support that goal.
Can an Internal Bra* Be Added to Breast Augmentation With Lift?
For some patients, Dr. Burgess may recommend additional internal tissue support during breast augmentation with lift.
An Internal Bra* uses an absorbable mesh material such as GalaFLEX or DuraSorb to provide a temporary scaffold within the breast for added support for selected patients while their tissues heal.
They are not necessary for every breast lift with implants. Dr. Burgess can determine whether additional support makes sense based on factors such as your tissue quality, laxity, previous breast surgery, and treatment plan.
What Is Recovery Like After Breast Implants With a Lift?
Because breast augmentation with lift combines two procedures, your recovery plan will reflect both implant placement and breast lift healing.
Expect swelling, tightness, soreness, and temporary changes in breast appearance early in recovery. Your breasts will continue to settle as swelling decreases and your tissues heal.
Limit activity during the first several weeks. Many patients feel comfortable returning to work after approximately one to two weeks, while strenuous activity may remain restricted for four to six weeks. A combined breast lift and augmentation may require different restrictions based on the extent of your surgery, so follow Dr. Burgess’s specific postoperative instructions rather than a general timeline.
Dr. Burgess does not advise using warm or cold compresses during breast augmentation recovery because temporary numbness can occur after surgery and the skin needs to be protected.
How Much Does a Breast Lift With Implants Cost in Lake Oswego?
The average cost of breast augmentation with lift at Burgess Plastic Surgery and MedSpa currently starts at $17,000.
That figure is a starting estimate, not a guaranteed quote. Your final cost can change based on your anatomy, procedure complexity, implant selection, operating room time, and other factors related to your surgical plan.
An in-person consultation allows Dr. Burgess to determine candidacy and provide personalized pricing. The practice also offers financing through CareCredit®, although financing restrictions may apply to certain fees.
Why Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Experience Matters for Breast Augmentation With Lift
Breast augmentation with lift requires your surgeon to balance two goals at once. The procedure increases breast volume while tightening and reshaping the surrounding tissue.
Dr. Elisa Burgess is board certified by both the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery. She has more than 20 years of experience specializing in breast enhancement procedures. Her practice emphasizes individualized planning, patient education, safety, and natural-looking results.
Rather than assuming that every patient needs the same lift or implant, Dr. Burgess evaluates your anatomy and aesthetic preferences to create a surgical plan designed specifically for you.
Breast Implants With a Breast Lift FAQs
Can breast implants and a breast lift be done during the same surgery?
Yes. Breast augmentation and breast lift surgery can often be performed together. Your anatomy, degree of sagging, tissue quality, health, and goals determine whether a combined procedure is appropriate for you.
Will breast implants lift sagging breasts without a breast lift procedure?
Implants add volume, but they do not reliably correct significant sagging or reposition a low nipple. If excess skin and breast descent contribute to your concerns, Dr. Burgess may recommend combining implants with a lift.
Do I need large implants to restore upper breast fullness?
Not necessarily. Implant selection should reflect your anatomy, existing breast tissue, desired proportions, and the amount of fullness you want. Dr. Burgess can help you choose an implant that complements the breast reshaping performed during your lift.
Will I have scars after a breast lift with implants?
A breast lift requires skin incisions, so permanent scars will result. The exact incision pattern depends on how much lifting and reshaping you need. Burgess Plastic Surgery and MedSpa offers both lollipop and anchor incision techniques for breast lift surgery.
Are breast implants permanent?
Breast implants are not considered lifetime devices. The FDA advises patients that implant complications can occur over time and that additional surgery may eventually become necessary. Dr. Burgess can discuss long-term implant monitoring and what to expect after your procedure.
How can I find out whether I need implants, a lift, or both?
A breast surgery consultation provides the most reliable answer. Dr. Burgess can evaluate your breast volume, skin, nipple position, symmetry, and aesthetic goals before recommending the surgical approach that best fits your anatomy. There are some patients that prefer to stage the surgeries, so they may do the implant first then wait six to twelve months to see if they want the lift. It can also be done with the lift first and the augmentation later.
Schedule a Breast Augmentation With Lift Consultation in Lake Oswego, OR
If you want fuller breasts but also need to address sagging, you do not necessarily have to choose between breast implants and a breast lift. Combining the two procedures lets Dr. Burgess address breast volume, position, and shape in one personalized surgical plan.
Schedule a consultation with Dr. Elisa Burgess at Burgess Plastic Surgery and MedSpa in Lake Oswego to discuss whether breast augmentation with lift is appropriate for you. Call (503) 699-6464 or contact the practice online to get started today.
*The phrase “Internal Bra” does not guarantee permanent support or prevent future sagging. The Galaflex and Durasorb are not FDA approved for use in the breast but are approved for soft tissue support.
