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Breast Surgery
A breast lift with implants (augmentation-mastopexy) raises sagging breasts and adds fullness with an implant in one operation. Dr. Tim Sayed, a double board-certified plastic surgeon, combines the lift and the implant at his La Jolla office near Westfield UTC for women across San Diego County who want both a higher shape and more volume, often after pregnancy, weight change, or implant exchange.
20+
Years in practice
Double
Board-certified
1:1
Surgeon-led care
At a glance
What it is
One operation that lifts and reshapes drooping breasts and adds an implant for size and upper-pole fullness, raising the nipple to a natural height at the same time.
Who it suits
San Diego women whose breasts both sag and have lost volume, who want a lifted shape and more fullness in one surgery, and who are healthy and at a steady weight.
La Jolla cost
Typically about $12,000 to $18,000 in total around San Diego, covering the surgeon's fee, implants, anesthesia, and the accredited facility. Financing is available, and your exact price comes in a written quote.
Procedure time
Roughly 2 to 3 hours, done as outpatient surgery under general anesthesia, so you go home to recover the same day. Complex revisions are sometimes staged.
Recovery
Desk work in about 1 to 2 weeks, full exercise around 4 to 6 weeks, and the final shape settling over 3 to 6 months as the implants soften.
Provider
Tim Sayed MD, MBA, FACS, a double board-certified plastic surgeon with more than 20 years in practice.
A lift alone raises your own tissue without adding size; implants alone add volume but can worsen droop. When you have both sagging and lost fullness, combining them corrects both at once.
The procedure
A breast lift with implants, or augmentation-mastopexy, is one operation that joins two procedures: a lift that removes stretched skin and raises the breast, and an implant that restores size and upper-pole fullness. Dr. Sayed tightens and reshapes your own tissue, moves the nipple and areola to a natural, forward-facing height, and places an implant to add the volume a lift alone cannot. It is done under general anesthesia as same-day outpatient surgery and usually takes about 2 to 3 hours.
Most San Diego patients choose the combined procedure because they have both concerns at once. Pregnancy and breastfeeding, major weight loss, or years of aging can leave breasts that sag and feel deflated. The lift corrects position and shape while the implant restores fullness, especially in the upper breast, so the result looks proportional rather than only lifted.
If your breasts sag but you like your size, a breast lift without implants may be all you need. If they sit well but lack volume, a breast augmentation alone may be the better fit. The combined procedure is for women who need both.
Candidacy
A breast lift with implants is likely right for you if your breasts droop and have lost fullness, and you want both a lifted shape and more size in one surgery. It fits San Diego women after pregnancy, weight loss, or implant removal and exchange who are healthy and holding a steady weight. At your consultation, Dr. Sayed checks your skin, nipple position, and tissue to decide whether a lift with implants, a lift alone, or augmentation alone suits your goals.
have breasts that sag and have also lost volume or upper-pole fullness
have nipples or areolae that point downward or sit at or below the breast crease
are at a stable weight and in good general health
are a nonsmoker or are willing to stop all nicotine for several weeks before and after surgery
are at least 18 for saline implants or 22 for silicone, have realistic goals, and can set aside time for recovery
are planning a future pregnancy, which can stretch the breasts and change both the lift and the implant result
are still breastfeeding or stopped less than 6 months ago
are actively losing a large amount of weight, in which case it is better to reach a stable weight first
mainly want a lifted shape at your current size, which points to a breast lift without implants instead
mainly want more size with little sagging, which points to breast augmentation alone
The combined procedure asks the breast to hold a lift and carry an implant at once, so Dr. Sayed is candid at your La Jolla consultation about whether one operation or a staged plan is the safer choice for you.
Your options
Your implant shapes the result as much as the lift does. Dr. Sayed sizes and selects it to your frame and your goals, aiming for fullness that looks natural on your body rather than the largest implant that will fit.
Silicone gel implants feel closer to natural breast tissue and are the usual choice in a lift with implants. Saline is an option, filled after placement through a smaller incision. Dr. Sayed weighs the trade-offs with you at the La Jolla consultation.
Profile is how far an implant projects for a given width. A moderate to high profile is common with a lift, adding upper-pole fullness without overwhelming the lifted tissue. Size is matched to your chest measurements, not a cup-size promise.
Many patients who have a lift with implants do well with dual-plane placement, where the upper part of the implant sits under the chest muscle and the lower part sits under the gland. It supports the implant, gives a smooth upper slope, and is linked to a lower risk of capsular contracture.
Beyond the implant, Dr. Sayed chooses the lift pattern based on how much the breasts sag, decides whether to reduce an enlarged areola, and recommends whether the lift and implant are best done in one stage or two, reviewing each choice with you using your own measurements.
A lift with implants is a balancing act: the implant adds volume while the lift removes skin and tightens the breast around it. Matching the implant and the incision to your anatomy helps the result look natural and last.
How it works
A breast lift with implants is performed under general anesthesia at an accredited San Diego surgery center and usually takes about 2 to 3 hours. After marking you upright, Dr. Sayed removes the stretched skin, places the implant in the chosen pocket, reshapes the tissue over it, repositions the nipple and areola, and closes in layers so the deeper tissue carries the tension. Three decisions shape the result: the lift pattern, how the implant is placed and sized, and whether it is done in one stage or two.
Donut. The smallest scar, for mild sagging with a smaller implant.
Lollipop. A vertical scar for moderate sagging, a common pattern with implants.
Anchor. The most reshaping, for significant droop or loose skin after weight loss or implant removal.
Pedicle. The nipple stays attached to its own blood supply and nerves as it is lifted, which helps preserve sensation and, in most cases, the ability to breastfeed.
Areola size. A stretched areola can be reduced to match the new, higher, fuller breast shape.
Symmetry. Each side is planned to its own measurements, since few breasts start out matched.
Dual-plane pocket. The implant sits partly under the chest muscle for support and a smooth upper slope, with a lower risk of capsular contracture.
Implant choice. Material, profile, and size are selected to your frame, usually silicone gel at a moderate to high profile.
One stage or two. Most patients have the lift and implant in one operation; a staged plan is sometimes safer when the lift is extensive, to protect the blood supply to the nipple.
If you are removing or exchanging implants first, Dr. Sayed often performs the lift and new implant during breast implant surgery. For a lift without added volume, see breast lift in La Jolla, or explore the full range of breast surgery.
Cost
A breast lift with implants around La Jolla and San Diego generally costs about $12,000 to $18,000 in total, including the surgeon's fee, the implants, general anesthesia, and accredited facility fees. It costs more than a lift or an augmentation alone because it combines both, though doing them together usually costs less than two separate surgeries. The exact figure depends on your implant and the complexity of the lift, so your written quote after the consultation is the only exact figure.
Plan on roughly $12,000 to $18,000 for a breast lift with implants in the San Diego area. Combining the lift and implant in one operation usually costs less than two separate surgeries, and your written consultation quote is the only exact figure.
Implant choice. Silicone gel implants cost more than saline, and the specific implant you select affects the total.
Lift complexity. A full anchor lift involves more surgery and operating time than a modest lollipop lift, which affects the fee.
Anesthesia and facility. Surgery is performed with board-certified anesthesia care at an accredited surgical facility, and both are included in your quoted price.
Surgeon experience. The fee reflects the experience of a double board-certified plastic surgeon with more than 20 years in practice, and experience can help make results more predictable.
A breast lift with implants is an elective cosmetic procedure, so it is not usually covered by insurance. Financing options let you spread the cost over monthly payments, and you can review typical plastic surgery pricing before your visit.
Recovery
Most patients are back at desk work in about 1 to 2 weeks, ease into light activity soon after, and resume full exercise around 4 to 6 weeks. The implants sit high and firm at first, then drop and soften into place over the following weeks, with the final shape across 3 to 6 months. Dr. Sayed provides a written recovery plan and follows you at every stage.
Day of surgery
You go home the same day in a supportive surgical bra, with mild to moderate soreness and tightness managed by medication.
First week
Rest with limited arm motion; soreness, swelling, and bruising peak and then begin to ease.
Weeks 2 to 4
Return to desk work and light daily activity, and wear the surgical bra Dr. Sayed recommends, with no underwire.
Weeks 4 to 6
Gradually resume full exercise and heavier lifting as cleared at your follow-up.
3 to 6 months
Swelling largely resolves, the implants settle, scars begin to fade, and your final lifted, fuller shape appears.
Sleeping. Sleep on your back, slightly elevated, for the first few weeks to protect the healing breasts and settling implants.
Driving. Resume driving once you are off prescription pain medication and can move comfortably, usually after about 10 days.
Exercise. Walking is encouraged early; chest and upper-body workouts wait until you are cleared around 4 to 6 weeks, to protect the implant pocket.
Scars. Incision lines look pink and firm at first, then soften and fade over 6 months to 2 years; Dr. Sayed guides scar care throughout.
Breastfeeding. Because the nipple stays attached to its tissue, many patients can still breastfeed, though it cannot be guaranteed for anyone.
The surgeon
A breast lift with implants rewards judgment as much as hands, balancing the implant's volume against the skin the lift removes, and Tim Sayed MD brings both. He is double board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Surgery, trained at UCSF, Harvard, and Massachusetts General Hospital, with more than 20 years in practice. The surgeon who plans your procedure at the La Jolla office is the one who performs it and sees you through recovery.
Dr. Sayed is known nationally for breast implant removal and breast implant illness care, so he routinely reshapes and re-implants breasts stretched by previous implants. That experience informs how he handles tissue, sets the pocket, and places every incision. Review his credentials and results before you decide.
American Board of Plastic Surgery
American Board of Surgery
Fellow, American College of Surgeons
20+ years in practice
The area
Tim Sayed MD's La Jolla office sits near Westfield UTC and the University City line, drawing patients from across San Diego County, including Torrey Pines, Del Mar, Carmel Valley, Encinitas, and Carlsbad. For the regional picture, see breast lift with implants in Southern California, or explore the full range of breast surgery.
San Diego living keeps your results in view, from La Jolla Cove and Torrey Pines to year-round beach days, Pilates, and coastal hikes, and a breast lift with implants is planned for fullness that looks natural under swimwear once you heal. Because the coastal sun can darken fresh scars, Dr. Sayed has every La Jolla patient keep incisions covered and out of direct UV for the first several months, easy to manage here with good sunscreen.
4510 Executive Drive, Suite 210
San Diego, CA 92121
Get directions to the La Jolla office on Google Maps
Typical drive times to the office
La Jolla Village
5 min
University City / UTC
4 min
Del Mar
12 min
Carmel Valley
13 min
Carlsbad
35 min
Encinitas
25 min
Sit down one-on-one with Tim Sayed MD at the La Jolla office to go over your options. You will leave with a clear recommendation, a straight answer on whether a lift, implants, or both fit your goals, and a written quote for your breast lift with implants.
Questions
A breast lift with implants around La Jolla and San Diego usually costs about $12,000 to $18,000 in total, covering the surgeon's fee, the implants, general anesthesia, and accredited facility fees. It costs more than a lift or an augmentation alone, though combining them usually costs less than two separate surgeries. It is elective and rarely covered by insurance; financing is available, and your exact price comes in a written quote after the consultation.
It depends on what bothers you. If your breasts sag but you like your size, a lift alone is usually enough. If they sit well but lack fullness, an augmentation alone may fit. If you have both sagging and lost volume, a breast lift with implants handles both in one operation. Dr. Sayed gives you a clear recommendation after examining your skin, nipple position, and tissue.
Scars sit around the areola and, depending on the lift pattern, run vertically to the breast crease and sometimes along it. They look pink and raised at first, then usually soften and fade over 6 months to 2 years. Dr. Sayed places incisions where bras and swimwear are more likely to hide them and guides scar care throughout, though scars never vanish completely.
Most patients are back to desk work in about 1 to 2 weeks and cleared for full exercise near 4 to 6 weeks. The implants sit high at first and settle over the following weeks, with the final shape across 3 to 6 months. You go home the same day, avoid driving for about 10 days, and receive a written recovery plan.
Many patients can still breastfeed because the nipple stays attached to its tissue, ducts, and blood supply, and the implant is placed without detaching it. Even so, no breast surgery can guarantee breastfeeding, and sensation or supply can change. If future breastfeeding matters to you, tell Dr. Sayed so he can plan for it.
The lifted, fuller shape is long-lasting but not permanent, and many patients enjoy it for years with a steady weight and good support. Modern implants are designed to be durable and carry manufacturer warranties, though they are not guaranteed for life and may eventually need exchange. Aging, gravity, pregnancy, and weight change continue to affect the breasts, so some settling is normal.
Most patients have the lift and implant in a single operation, which is more convenient and usually costs less. When the lift is extensive, staging the two steps a few months apart can be safer because it helps protect the blood supply to the nipple and lets Dr. Sayed fine-tune the result. He recommends whatever is safest for your anatomy.
Yes. Pairing a lift with a new implant is common when exchanging old implants or after removing them, and Dr. Sayed often does it in one operation. Once the old implants are out, the tissue is reshaped and lifted and a new implant restores a natural, proportional shape. He is known nationally for breast implant removal and BII care.
Most patients keep normal nipple sensation because the nipple is moved while still attached to its nerves and blood supply. A temporary change while healing is common, and a small, lasting change is possible, as with any breast surgery. An experienced, board-certified surgeon may lower that risk.
Recovery is broadly similar, with tightness and soreness rather than sharp pain in the first several days, usually managed with the medication Dr. Sayed prescribes. Because the implant sits partly under the muscle, some patients feel a little more tightness than a lift alone, which eases over the first week. Most are off prescription pain medicine within a few days.
Look for a surgeon board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery who performs lifts with implants regularly and can show their own patients' before and after photos. Ask who does the surgery and who handles follow-up. Tim Sayed MD is double board-certified, has practiced for more than 20 years, and personally sees each patient from the La Jolla consultation through healing.
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