Breast Lift with Implants After Breastfeeding, Istanbul

Patient Overview

• Patient: Müjgan

• Age: 46 years old

• Gender: Female

• From: Switzerland (originally from Turkey)

• Procedures: Breast Lift with Implants (Augmentation Mastopexy)

• After photos taken at: 1 month post-surgery

• Location: Istanbul, Turkey

Restoring Deflated Breasts After Breastfeeding: Müjgan's Story

Müjgan is a 46-year-old patient originally from Turkey, living in Switzerland, who traveled to Istanbul to undergo a breast lift with implants — also known as augmentation mastopexy — with Dr. Cem Berkay Sinaci. Like many women in their forties, Müjgan's breasts had undergone significant changes following pregnancy and breastfeeding: the breast volume had deflated, the skin had stretched, and the breasts had lost the fullness, shape, and projection they once had. No amount of exercise or supportive clothing could restore the lost volume or correct the skin laxity — these are structural changes that only surgery can fully address.

Dr. CBS performed a combined breast lift and breast augmentation in a single surgical session, restoring Müjgan's breast volume with implants while simultaneously lifting and reshaping the breast envelope to give a youthful, natural profile. These before and after photos were taken 1 month after surgery.

What Breastfeeding Does to the Breasts

The changes that pregnancy and breastfeeding cause to the breasts are among the most dramatic that a woman's body undergoes. During pregnancy, rising hormones cause the breast tissue and ducts to enlarge significantly in preparation for milk production. During breastfeeding, the breasts remain full and heavy. Once breastfeeding ends, the glandular tissue involutes — it shrinks back — often leaving behind a breast skin envelope that is now larger than the volume of tissue it contains.

The result is deflated, ptotic (sagging) breasts: the skin hangs loose, the upper pole is empty and flat, the nipple has descended below where it should be, and the breast has lost the round, projected shape it had before pregnancy. This change can affect women regardless of their pre-pregnancy breast size — and it is one of the most common motivations for breast surgery among women in their thirties and forties. Women who were previously happy with their breasts often find the post-breastfeeding change deeply frustrating, particularly because it is not something that can be reversed through weight gain, exercise, or non-surgical treatments.

Augmentation Mastopexy: Lift and Volume in One Procedure

The surgical solution for deflated, ptotic breasts after breastfeeding is augmentation mastopexy — the combination of a breast lift and breast implants performed simultaneously. This procedure addresses both of the core problems at once: the implant restores the lost volume and recreates the fullness and projection of the breast, while the mastopexy reshapes the stretched skin envelope, removes the excess skin, and repositions the nipple-areola complex to the correct anatomical height.

Breast lift with implants is one of the most technically demanding operations in breast surgery — and one of the most commonly requested by women after pregnancy. The challenge lies in the fact that the two components of the procedure create competing tensions: the implant expands the tissue outward, while the lift tightens and reduces the skin envelope. Balancing these forces to achieve a natural, symmetrical, and durable result requires careful planning, precise tissue handling, and significant experience with both procedures independently before combining them.

Why a Lift Alone or Implants Alone Would Not Be Enough

A common question from patients in Müjgan's situation is whether they could have just a lift, or just implants, rather than both together. Understanding why the combination is necessary helps clarify what augmentation mastopexy actually achieves.

A breast lift alone — without implants — would correct the position of the nipple and remove excess skin, but would not restore the lost volume. The upper pole would remain flat and empty, and the breast would look lifted but deflated — particularly noticeable in clothing and swimwear. For patients whose breasts were a good size before breastfeeding but are now deflated and ptotic, a lift without volume restoration leaves the result feeling incomplete.

Implants alone — without a lift — would add volume but would not correct the position of the nipple or the excess skin. The implant would simply fill a drooping envelope, potentially making the ptosis more apparent rather than less. In cases where the nipple has descended significantly below the inframammary fold, implants alone cannot achieve a good aesthetic result. The combination of both procedures — breast lift with implants — is the only approach that fully addresses both the structural and volumetric changes caused by pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Implant Selection for Post-Breastfeeding Augmentation Mastopexy

Implant selection in augmentation mastopexy requires careful consideration. The implant must be chosen to provide the right volume for the patient's frame and desired outcome, while being proportionate to the amount of skin that will remain after the lift. Too large an implant in a tightened envelope places excessive tension on the skin closure — increasing the risk of wound healing complications and scar widening. Too small an implant may not provide the fullness the patient was hoping for.

Dr. CBS discusses implant size, shape, and profile with each patient in detail before surgery, using the patient's chest measurements, existing tissue, and aesthetic goals to guide the selection. The goal in post-breastfeeding augmentation mastopexy is typically to recreate the breast the patient had before — or to achieve a slightly fuller, more youthful result — while maintaining natural proportions and avoiding the overfilled look that comes from implants that are too large for the available tissue.

Traveling from Switzerland to Istanbul for Breast Surgery

Switzerland has a large Turkish community, and Istanbul is one of the most popular destinations for Swiss-Turkish patients seeking aesthetic surgery. The combination of excellent surgical quality, a familiar cultural environment, and substantially lower costs compared to Swiss private clinics makes Istanbul a practical and appealing choice. Swiss private healthcare costs are among the highest in Europe, and aesthetic surgery — which is not covered by basic insurance — can cost two to three times more in Switzerland than the same procedure in Istanbul.

For patients traveling from Zurich, Geneva, Basel, or Bern, Istanbul is a short direct flight, and the overall experience — surgery, hospital stay, and recovery accommodation — can be managed comfortably within a 7 to 10 day trip. Dr. CBS works with a significant number of patients from Switzerland and across Europe, with full pre-operative assessment via video consultation, coordinated surgical planning, in-clinic care during the stay, and remote post-operative follow-up after the patient returns home.

Results at 1 Month: Volume Restored, Shape Defined

These before and after photos were taken 1 month after surgery. At this stage, most of the initial swelling has subsided, the implants have begun to settle, and the shape of the result is clearly emerging. The breasts are visibly fuller, rounder, and more projected — the deflated appearance is gone, the upper pole has been restored, and the nipple sits at the correct anatomical position. The lift scars are still in their early healing phase at 1 month and will continue to fade and mature over the following 12 to 18 months.

Full augmentation mastopexy results continue to develop over 3 to 6 months as the implants drop and settle into their final position, the remaining swelling resolves, and the breast skin softens around the new volume. Most patients describe their 3-month result as significantly better than their 1-month result, and their 6-month result as the closest to the final outcome. Müjgan's transformation at just 1 month is a strong indicator of the long-term result she will achieve.

Why Choose Dr. CBS for Breast Lift with Implants in Istanbul?

Dr. Cem Berkay Sinaci is a European and Turkish board-certified plastic surgeon, Fellow of the European Board of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (EBOPRAS), and member of ISAPS and ASPS. He performs the full range of breast surgery procedures — breast lift, breast augmentation, breast lift with implants, breast reduction, and revision breast surgery — with a focus on natural, proportionate, and lasting results. If you are considering breast lift with implants after breastfeeding, or any other breast surgery in Istanbul, contact Dr. CBS to arrange a consultation.