Tulsa Surgical Arts

7322 E 91st St, Tulsa, OK 74133 · 918-392-7900 · tulsasurgicalarts.com

Oklahoma Surgical Arts · 12400 Saint Andrew’s Dr, Oklahoma City, OK 73120 · 405-751-0042

Breast Lift with Implants

Plain-language patient guide

What this surgery is

This surgery combines two operations in one. The lift removes extra skin and raises the nipple. The implant restores fullness in the upper breast.

Doing both at once means one recovery. But it is a harder operation to plan. Sometimes it is safer to do the two steps in two separate surgeries. Your surgeon will tell you which plan fits you.

What happens during it

You get anesthesia (medicine that makes you sleep).
The surgeon makes the lift cuts, usually around the nipple and down to the breast fold.
A pocket is made for the implant behind the tissue or the muscle.
The implant goes in. Then the extra skin is removed and the breast is reshaped over it.
The nipple is moved up while staying attached to its blood supply.
The cuts are closed in layers. Surgery takes about three hours.

Main risks

Every surgery has risks. Here are the main ones for this surgery, in plain words. We will go over all of them with you in person.

All the risks of a breast lift and all the risks of implants apply.
The touch-up rate is higher than for either surgery alone.
Changed nipple feeling, and possible effects on breastfeeding.
A firm scar shell around the implant (capsular contracture) can form later.
Bleeding. Some bleeding can need another trip to the operating room.
Infection. Signs are spreading redness, warmth, pus, or fever.
Scars. Every cut leaves a scar. Most fade over a year. Some stay raised or wide.
Numb skin near the cuts. Feeling usually returns over months. Small areas can stay numb.
Blood clots in the legs. A clot can travel to the lungs. That is an emergency.
Problems from anesthesia (the medicine that makes you sleep). These are rare in healthy people.
Uneven results. The two sides of the body are never a perfect match.
The need for another surgery to fix a problem or improve the result.

What recovery is like

First few days: Tightness and soreness. Wear the surgical bra day and night. Walk the same day.
One week: Most desk workers return. No lifting over ten pounds.
Two weeks: Swelling fades. Light lower-body exercise is fine.
Six weeks: Full exercise. Implants soften and settle over months.
One year: Scars fade. The final shape shows.

When to call us right away

In any emergency, call 911 first.

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department now — do not drive yourself, do not wait:

Chest pain or pressure, shortness of breath, or trouble breathing.
Fainting, sudden confusion, or weakness on one side of the body.
You have chest pain or trouble breathing.
One leg swells, or one calf hurts more than the other.
Blood soaks a bandage and does not slow down with gentle pressure.

Otherwise call us at 918-392-7900, day or night, if:

The skin of a nipple turns dark blue or black. This needs to be seen today.
You have a fever of 101.5°F (38.6°C) or higher.
Redness spreads out from a cut, or you see pus.
Your pain gets much worse instead of better.
A wound pulls open, or stitches come apart.

Reviewed and approved by Austin Kluis, MD — 2026-08-23.