Ennis Plastic Surgery · Beautiful Medicine™
Breast Lift in Boca Raton
A breast lift, also called mastopexy, raises and reshapes breasts that have changed after pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight loss, aging, or the natural loss of skin elasticity.
Explore the ProcedureProcedure at a glance
- Surgeon
- Dr. Vincent Riccelli, MD
- Location
- Boca Raton, Florida
- Focus
- Breast Lift
- Consultation
- In-Office & Virtual
A personal approach
Your consultation
with Dr. Riccelli.
At Ennis Plastic Surgery, Dr. Vincent Riccelli specializes in breast rejuvenation and revision surgery. He designs each breast lift around the patient’s breast shape, tissue quality, nipple position, skin laxity, symmetry, and desired level of fullness.
A breast lift can improve position and shape without necessarily adding implants. For patients who also want more volume or upper-breast fullness, Dr. Riccelli may discuss combining mastopexy with breast augmentation when appropriate.
Meet Dr. RiccelliBreast Lift Quick Facts
Breast Rejuvenation Focused on Shape, Position & Proportion
Procedure
Mastopexy removes excess skin, reshapes breast tissue, and repositions the nipple and areola.
Best For
Breasts affected by sagging, deflation, stretched skin, low nipple position, or enlarged areolas.
With or Without Implants
A lift can be performed alone or combined with implants when additional volume is desired.
Surgeon
Dr. Vincent Riccelli, a plastic surgeon focused on breast rejuvenation, revision, and body contouring.
Understanding the procedure
What Does a Breast Lift Actually Do?
A breast lift raises the breasts by removing excess skin and reshaping the underlying tissue. The nipple and areola are repositioned to a more balanced location, and an enlarged areola may be reduced when appropriate.
Mastopexy is primarily a shape-and-position procedure. It does not automatically make the breasts larger. In fact, some patients feel slightly smaller after surgery because loose skin is removed and the breast is reshaped into a more compact contour.
The goal is not an artificial or overly elevated appearance. Dr. Riccelli plans the lift around the patient’s frame, breast volume, chest width, skin quality, and desired result so the breasts look balanced with the rest of the body.
Candidate Overview
Who Is a Good Candidate for Breast Lift Surgery?
Breast lift surgery may be appropriate for patients who are generally healthy, have realistic expectations, and want to improve breast position or shape rather than simply increase breast size.
Breast Sagging
The breasts sit lower on the chest than they once did or have lost their former shape after aging, pregnancy, or weight change.
Low Nipple Position
The nipples point downward or sit at or below the breast crease when the breasts are unsupported.
Stretched Skin
Skin has lost elasticity, leaving the breasts looking elongated, flattened, or less supported.
Post-Pregnancy Changes
Pregnancy and breastfeeding have changed breast volume, skin support, nipple position, or symmetry.
After Weight Loss
Significant weight loss has left excess skin, deflation, or a lower breast position.
Dr. Riccelli’s Focus
Create a lifted, natural-looking breast contour that fits the patient’s frame and current anatomy.
Breast Lift Goals
What Can Mastopexy Improve?
Breast lift surgery can address multiple changes at the same time. It can elevate the breast mound, reposition the nipple, tighten loose skin, reduce an enlarged areola, and reshape tissue for a firmer contour.
Some patients have enough natural breast volume and need only a lift. Others have lost volume and may benefit from an implant or fat transfer. Dr. Riccelli will explain what each option can and cannot accomplish.
If a patient has very heavy breasts and wants meaningful size reduction in addition to lifting, a breast reduction may be a better fit than mastopexy alone.
A breast lift may help:
- Raise sagging breasts
- Improve breast shape and firmness
- Reposition downward-pointing nipples
- Reduce enlarged areolas
- Remove excess breast skin
- Improve breast symmetry
- Restore proportion after pregnancy or weight loss
Procedure Planning
Breast Lift Without Implants vs. Breast Lift with Implants
One of the most important decisions is whether a lift alone can create the desired result or whether additional volume is needed. A lift and an implant solve different problems.
Breast Lift Without Implants
A lift alone may be appropriate when a patient has enough natural breast volume but wants better shape, a higher nipple position, and tighter skin. This option does not add significant upper-pole fullness.
Breast Lift with Implants
An implant may be added when the patient wants more overall volume, restored fullness after pregnancy or weight loss, or more fullness in the upper breast.
Why Implants Alone May Not Be Enough
An implant adds volume but does not reliably correct significant skin laxity or a low nipple position. In those cases, a lift may still be necessary.
Before & After Illustration
How a Breast Lift Changes Shape and Position
Breast lift surgery removes excess skin and reshapes the breast so the nipple and breast mound sit higher on the chest. The operation can also reduce the diameter of an enlarged areola and improve the relationship between the nipple and breast crease.
The amount of lift required depends on the degree of sagging, nipple position, breast volume, skin quality, and the patient’s goals.
No single incision pattern is best for every patient. Dr. Riccelli recommends the approach that provides enough access to create the desired shape safely and predictably.
Incision Options
Three Common Breast Lift Incision Patterns
Breast lift incisions vary according to the amount of loose skin, the degree of nipple repositioning, breast shape, tissue quality, and whether the surgery is combined with augmentation or reduction.
Inverted-T or “Anchor” Lift
The incision extends around the areola, vertically to the crease, and along the breast fold. It may be recommended when more skin removal and reshaping are required.
Vertical or “Lollipop” Lift
The incision extends around the areola and vertically to the breast crease. This allows more substantial nipple repositioning, skin removal, and internal reshaping.
Periareolar Lift
The incision is placed around the areola. This approach may be used for selected patients who need a limited lift or areola reduction. It cannot provide the same degree of reshaping as a vertical or anchor pattern.
Breast Lift Scars
Understanding the Tradeoff Between Lift and Incisions
Every breast lift creates permanent scars. Some incision lines follow natural borders around the areola or sit within the breast crease, while vertical scars remain visible on the lower breast.
Scar length is determined by how much skin must be removed and how much reshaping is needed. Choosing an incision that is too limited for the anatomy can compromise shape or leave excess skin.
Dr. Riccelli’s scar-planning priorities:
- Use the incision pattern that fits the anatomy
- Place scars as strategically as possible
- Create smooth breast shape and nipple position
- Avoid sacrificing the result for an incision that is too limited
- Provide guidance for incision care and scar maturation
Incisions generally fade and improve over time, but they do not disappear completely. Scar quality also varies by patient.
Procedure Details
How Breast Lift Surgery Is Performed
Breast lift surgery begins with a detailed consultation and surgical plan. Dr. Riccelli evaluates breast volume, nipple position, skin quality, breast width, chest shape, symmetry, and the patient’s desired result.
Preoperative Marking
The breasts are carefully marked before surgery to plan nipple position, skin removal, and the final breast shape.
Incision Selection
The incision pattern is chosen based on the degree of sagging, tissue quality, and the amount of reshaping required.
Tissue Reshaping
Breast tissue is lifted and reshaped internally to create a firmer and more supported contour.
Nipple Repositioning
The nipple and areola are moved to a more balanced position while remaining attached to their underlying tissue in standard mastopexy techniques.
Excess Skin Removal
Stretched skin is removed and the remaining skin is tightened around the reshaped breast.
Customized Combination
When appropriate, the lift may be combined with implants, implant exchange, implant removal, fat transfer, or another breast revision procedure.
Recovery & Results
What to Expect After Breast Lift Surgery
Breast lift recovery varies according to the incision pattern, amount of reshaping, and whether the procedure is combined with implants or another surgery. Patients can expect temporary swelling, bruising, tightness, soreness, and changes in breast or nipple sensation.
Dressings and a supportive surgical bra may be used to protect the incisions and support the breasts during early healing. Most patients need to limit lifting, strenuous exercise, and upper-body activity for a period of time determined by Dr. Riccelli.
The breasts often appear high or firm at first. They gradually soften and settle as swelling improves and the tissues heal. Incision lines also mature over many months.
Results can be long lasting, but aging, pregnancy, weight changes, gravity, and skin quality will continue to affect the breasts over time.
Breast lift results may include:
- A higher breast position
- Improved breast shape and firmness
- More balanced nipple placement
- Reduced areola size when appropriate
- Improved breast symmetry
- Better proportion with the waist and torso
Pregnancy, Breastfeeding & Timing
When Is the Right Time for a Breast Lift?
Many patients choose mastopexy after pregnancy and breastfeeding because the breasts may have lost volume, stretched, or changed position. Future pregnancy is still possible after a breast lift, but pregnancy and breastfeeding may alter the surgical result.
Patients who know they plan to become pregnant soon may prefer to wait. Those who are finished breastfeeding should allow enough time for breast size and shape to stabilize before surgery.
Breast surgery may affect the ability to breastfeed, and no surgeon can guarantee that breastfeeding will remain possible. Dr. Riccelli discusses future pregnancy, breastfeeding goals, and timing as part of consultation planning.
Why Ennis Plastic Surgery
Breast Lift Surgery in a Boutique Surgical Setting
Ennis Plastic Surgery is known for refined aesthetic care, personalized treatment planning, and natural-looking results. Patients receive private, individualized attention in a Boca Raton practice designed around comfort, discretion, and surgical excellence.
Breast lift surgery is not treated as a one-size-fits-all procedure. The plan is based on breast anatomy, skin quality, degree of sagging, desired volume, incision tradeoffs, and the patient’s goals.
Dr. Vincent Riccelli
Dr. Vincent Riccelli is a plastic surgeon specializing in breast rejuvenation, breast revision surgery, and body contouring. His training includes Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, plastic surgery residency at UT Southwestern, and advanced international exposure to aesthetic surgery techniques.
For breast lift patients, Dr. Riccelli designs each plan around nipple position, breast tissue, skin quality, breast width, symmetry, desired fullness, and long-term proportion.
His approach is built around precision, proportion, safety, and individualized care.
Questions worth asking
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a breast lift?
A breast lift, or mastopexy, raises and reshapes the breasts by removing excess skin, tightening the surrounding tissues, and repositioning the nipple and areola.
Does a breast lift make the breasts larger?
No. A breast lift primarily changes shape and position. An implant may be added when the patient wants more volume or upper-breast fullness.
Can I have a breast lift without implants?
Yes. Patients who have enough natural breast volume may achieve their goals with a lift alone.
How do I know whether I need a lift or implants?
A lift addresses loose skin, sagging, and low nipple position. An implant adds volume. Some patients need one procedure, while others benefit from both.
What are the different breast lift incision types?
Common patterns include an incision around the areola, a vertical or lollipop incision, and an inverted-T or anchor incision. The right pattern depends on anatomy and the amount of lift required.
Will I have scars after breast lift surgery?
Yes. Breast lift scars are permanent, although they generally fade and improve over time. Scar length depends on the incision pattern needed for the patient’s anatomy.
Can a breast lift reduce the size of my areolas?
Yes. Enlarged or stretched areolas can often be reduced during mastopexy when appropriate.
How long is recovery after a breast lift?
Recovery varies, especially when the lift is combined with implants or another procedure. Patients should expect temporary swelling, soreness, support-bra use, and activity restrictions during healing.
Should I wait until after pregnancy for a breast lift?
Patients planning pregnancy soon may prefer to wait because pregnancy and breastfeeding can change breast shape and affect the result. Timing should be discussed during consultation.
Can a breast lift be combined with implant exchange or removal?
Yes. Mastopexy may be combined with implant exchange, implant removal, or other breast revision procedures when appropriate for the patient’s anatomy and goals.
Are virtual breast lift consultations available?
Virtual consultations may be available for out-of-town patients and those who want an initial discussion before visiting the Boca Raton office. An in-person examination is still required before final surgical planning.
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