Breast Lift with Augmentation
A breast lift with augmentation, also known as augmentation mastopexy, is a procedure that combines two of the most popular breast enhancement surgeries to add volume, reshape, and lift the breasts. Aging, pregnancy, genetics, and weight fluctuation (either through diet and exercise, or with the help of GLP-1 medications like semaglutide or tirzepatide) can all contribute to sagging breast tissue and loss of fullness in the upper breast, leading to a “deflated” appearance. Many women who seek either a breast lift or breast augmentation in Fort Worth find that combining these two procedures provides them with the best results.
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Emily J. Kirby performs breast lift with augmentation surgery in Fort Worth to help her patients achieve a youthful, shapely breast contour.
Female Plastic Surgeon Fort Worth
- Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon
- Over 14 years of experience in private practice
- Founder and Medical Director of Kirby Plastic Surgery, Kalos Medical Spa, and City Surgery Center—a Quad A-accredited, state-of-the-art facility located onsite
- Specialist in breast surgery and body contouring, including postpartum
- Castle Connolly Top Doctor since 2019
- First female Chief of Plastic Surgery, Texas Health Resources Harris Methodist Hospital
Your breast lift with augmentation consultation
Your consultation takes about one hour. You’ll spend most of that time with Dr. Kirby discussing your goals, concerns, and questions, and learning how Dr. Kirby tailors the procedure to address each of these. You’ll also get to meet our nursing staff who will take your vitals and review your medical history, and our patient care coordinator will schedule your procedure and help guide you through the process from start to finish.
“I visited three plastic surgeons before deciding to go with Dr. Kirby. She gave the best explanation of my options and which was best for my body. She and her staff are so down to earth and friendly, I just felt like it was the right place to be. It has been about 2 months since my surgery and I’m so excited with my results.”
How is breast augmentation mastopexy performed?
Dr. Kirby performs breast lift with augmentation surgery by removing excess skin, lifting the breast tissue, and increasing breast fullness and symmetry with the placement of an implant.
Breast lift with implants: Incision placement options
Dr. Kirby can perform a variety of different techniques depending on the degree of drooping and your goals for a breast lift with augmentation. The different incisions include:
- “Lollipop” or Vertical: One incision is made around the areola and another is placed vertically from the bottom of the areola to the inframammary fold in a “lollipop” shape. This method is best for most breast changes associated with pregnancy.
- Inverted T or “Anchor”: Incisions are placed around the areola, vertically from the areola to the natural breast fold, and along the inframammary fold in an “anchor” shape. This method is ideal for correcting significant sagging and for breast changes occurring after massive weight loss.
- Peri-areolar or “Donut” or “Benelli”: A full circle incision is made around the outer edge of the areola. This technique is most often used for mild sagging or areola resizing.
- Crescent: One incision is placed around part of the areola in a crescent moon shape. This technique is best for correcting minor sagging or for nipple positioning.
You and Dr. Kirby will work together to choose which technique will work best for your breast size, shape, and position.
Will I need a breast lift with my augmentation?
Dr. Kirby shares some of the reasons her patients decide to combine a breast lift with augmentation.
Video transcript
“Some patients are good candidates for a combination of an augmentation with an implant and a mastopexy, or breast lift, at the same time. These are patients who might have more deflation of the breast tissue or a loss of tissue in the upper pole of the breast. In this scenario, we not only lift the breast and the breast tissue to support it, but we also add a little augmentation to enlarge the volume of the breast and fill out that upper pole.”
– Dr. Emily Kirby, breast augmentation plastic surgeon
What are my breast implant options?
During your personalized consultation with Dr. Kirby, she will make breast implant recommendations based on your natural anatomy and desired outcome. In addition to size, you will need to decide what type of implant best suits your needs. There are two main types of implants from which to choose: saline and silicone gel. Each offers different benefits and can affect what type of implant placement will be required during your surgery. Dr. Kirby will work closely with you to help determine which options will provide you with your desired results.
How long will my breast augmentation mastopexy take?
A breast lift with augmentation typically takes around 2 hours, though this time may vary based on your individual surgical plan.
What kind of anesthesia will I have?
Augmentation mastopexy is performed under general anesthesia. Dr. Kirby will discuss your options with you during your consultation.
City Surgery Center
Our on-site, accredited surgical suite
Instead of heading to a hospital or other public surgical facility for your procedure, you can enjoy the privacy and luxury of our on-site operating room, designed to facilitate safe, top-quality care in a spa-like setting.
Do I need an Internal Bra with my breast lift?
You may have heard of the “Internal Bra” technique that is sometimes used during breast augmentation or breast lift procedures. An “internal bra” is a supportive mesh-like material placed inside the breast tissue, serving as structural support, similarly to how a bra lifts and supports the breasts.
While a very effective option, it is not for everyone. In this video, Dr. Kirby explains who is, and who is not, a good candidate for the “internal bra”.
Video transcript
“Some patients ask about the internal bra. There is no doubt that it’s a great option for the right candidate, but most patients don’t need this. The internal bra is a scaffold or a mesh that we place inside the breast to provide more support. Not everybody needs this—I actually prefer to use your own tissue for your support if we can.” – Dr. Emily Kirby
- Key Benefits
- Glossary
Adds volume and fullness to the breasts
Lifts breasts into a more youthful and perkier position
Addresses nipple size, shape, and position as needed
Corrects breast asymmetries
Reverses changes related to childbearing or weight loss
- Augmentation Mastopexy: The medical term for a procedure that combines breast lift and augmentation, enhancing the breast’s size and shape while also lifting sagging breast tissue.
- Breast Implants: Medical devices placed under the breast tissue or chest muscles to increase breast size and improve shape, used in conjunction with a lift in this procedure.
- Breast Lift (Mastopexy): A surgical procedure that raises and firms the breasts by removing excess skin and tightening the surrounding tissue to reshape and support the new breast contour and improve symmetry.
- Breast lift with implants: A mastopexy procedure with the addition of breast implants, for an improvement in volume.
- Capsular Contracture: A potential complication of breast implant surgery where scar tissue that forms around the implant tightens and causes the breast to feel firmer than normal.
- Dual Plane Technique: A breast augmentation approach where the implant is placed partially under the pectoralis major muscle and partially under the breast tissue, often used in breast lift with augmentation to achieve a natural look and feel.
- General Anesthesia: Medication administered to induce sleep and relaxation during breast surgery.
- Implant Profile: The degree of projection of the implant from the chest wall, with options ranging from low to high, chosen based on the patient’s body type and desired outcome.
- Inframammary Fold Incision: A surgical cut made in the fold under the breast, commonly used in breast lift with augmentation, as it allows direct access to place the implant and adjust the breast tissue.
- Mammoplasty: The general term for surgical procedures on the breast, including lifts and augmentations.
- Nipple-Areola Complex: The pigmented area surrounding the nipple, often repositioned or resized during a breast lift to achieve a proportional, natural-looking result.
- Periareolar Incision: An incision made around the edge of the areola, used in some breast lift with augmentation procedures to minimize visible scarring.
- Ptosis: The medical term for breast sagging or breast drooping, classified into degrees based on the position of the nipple relative to the inframammary fold, which a breast lift aims to correct.
- Recovery Time: The period after surgery during which the patient heals. This includes time for swelling and bruising to subside, and for the patient to gradually return to normal activities, typically ranging from a few days to several weeks. Recovery can be streamlined, but not rushed.
- Silicone Gel Implants: A type of breast implant filled with silicone gel, known for its natural feel, used in breast lift with augmentation procedures.
- Subglandular Placement: Placement of the breast implant between the breast tissue and the chest muscle, an option for some patients undergoing breast lift with augmentation.
How do I prepare for breast augmentation mastopexy surgery?
Prior to any procedure, it is necessary to review the medications you are taking that may affect your surgery. You may be asked to stop or adjust some medications you are on. As always, it is important to include supplements on your list of medications. Aspirin and aspirin products (Alka-Seltzer®, Carisoprodol, Excedrin®, Goody’s®, Midol®), anti-inflammatory medications (except acetaminophen, or Tylenol®), and herbal supplements must be avoided for 10 days prior to your surgery. For more details about which medications and supplements to avoid, click here. Dr. Kirby will discuss your medications with you.
Depending on your medical condition, you may be asked to get lab testing or a medical checkup before your surgery. You may also be asked to have an updated mammogram before your surgery if you have not had one recently. Tobacco products impair your body’s ability to heal. You will be asked to stop smoking for 6 weeks prior to any surgery. Tobacco step-down products such as chewing gum and Nicoderm® continue to provide your body with tobacco and must be stopped as well. Please ask Dr. Kirby if you will need assistance with quitting. Be sure to arrange for a responsible adult to drive you to and from your surgery. You will need someone to stay with you the night following your surgery as well. You will receive specific instructions for your surgery day from Dr. Kirby’s office.
Real patient images from Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Emily Kirby
*Individual results may vary.
Are there risks or complications?
Although rare, risks of undergoing a breast lift with implants include capsular contracture, which may necessitate additional surgery to release the scar tissue or allow the removal of the implant. Your implant may need to be removed if it ruptures. Most breast lift with augmentation scars are visible on the bare breast, but are easily hidden by clothing. Some lifting techniques hide the scars in inconspicuous areas, though not everyone is a candidate for this type of procedure and Dr. Kirby will need to evaluate your breasts and goals. Other risks include infection, bleeding, malposition of the breast implant, implant rippling or palpability, and permanently altered nipple sensation.
Routine Ultrasound Monitoring for Breast Implants
Dr. Kirby provides complimentary ultrasound screenings for her breast augmentation patients with silicone implants for convenience and peace of mind. The quick, painless ultrasound requires no consultation or preparation, and results are reviewed immediately.
Recovery after plastic surgery
Recovery after your augmentation-mastopexy procedure may be faster than you expect. For Dr. Kirby’s patients, she wants them on their feet and walking around the very same day after their procedure. In this video, she explains why.
Video transcript
“It takes your body six weeks for scar tissue to form and become strong, but for most procedures that we do, you’re not out for six weeks. We usually have you walking the day of surgery—even for tummy tucks, we want you up and increasing your activity during that time. The six weeks can be optimized, but it cannot be rushed.”– Dr. Emily Kirby
Frequently Asked Questions about the augmentation-mastopexy procedure
References »
Qureshi AA, Myckatyn TM, Tenenbaum MM. Mastopexy and Mastopexy-Augmentation. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2018 Mar 14;38(4):374-384. doi: 10.1093/asj/sjx181.
Layt CWL. Augmentation Mastopexy:: Planning and Performance for Predictability: Management of Complications. Clinics in Plastic Surgery. 2021 Jan;48(1):45-57. doi: 10.1016/j.cps.2020.09.002.
Pferdehirt R, Nahabedian MY. Finesse in Mastopexy and Augmentation Mastopexy. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2021 Sep 1;148(3):451e-461e. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000008303.
Austin RE, Saheb-Al-Zamani M, Lista F, Ahmad J. Periareolar Augmentation-Mastopexy. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2019 Aug 22;39(9):953-965. doi: 10.1093/asj/sjz128.
Sarosiek K, Maxwell GP, Unger JG. Getting the Most Out of Augmentation-Mastopexy. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2018 Nov;142(5):742e-759e. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000004961.
Contact us today to book your consultation with Dr. Emily J. Kirby
- Discuss your goals and concerns
- Obtain a unique female perspective
- Review convenient financing options
- Call or text (817) 292-4200 to contact us today!
Area Served:
Medically reviewed by Dr. Emily J. Kirby — Updated on Mar 31, 2025