Breast surgery at a glance
- Procedures9
- Duration30 minutes to 4 hours
- AnaesthesiaLocal, sedation or general
- Hospital stayMost often day surgery or a one-night stay
- Time off work0 to 21 days
- Prices€2,500 to €10,000
Breast surgery changes the volume, shape or position of the breasts (augmentation, lift, reduction) and corrects breast malformations (tuberous breasts, inverted nipples, Poland syndrome). It also rebuilds the breast after cancer and treats gynaecomastia in men. Operations last from 30 minutes to 4 hours and take place at Clinique Oxford in Cannes, most often as day surgery or with a one-night stay. Several of them can be covered by French national health insurance (Assurance Maladie).
Prices: €2,500 to €10,000 for cosmetic surgery, on a written quote after a consultation (€100); where the procedure is covered, only the additional fees remain to be paid.
The procedures
Breast augmentation
Round breast implants, Anatomical breast implants, Implant behind the muscle (subpectoral), Implant in front of the muscle (prepectoral)
Silicone gel implants, lipofilling or composite augmentation: a plan built for each patient from the very first consultation.
Breast implant replacement
Rupture, capsular contracture, deformity or the wish for a different size: when and how to replace your implants, with the capsule and the pocket if needed.
Breast fat transfer
Increasing the volume of the breasts with your own fat, without implants, while refining your figure at the same time.
Breast lift (mastopexy)
Lifting sagging breasts and giving them back a round, projected shape, on its own or with implants or a reduction.
Breast implant removal (explantation)
Removing your implants without replacing them, with their capsule if needed, and keeping harmonious breasts thanks to a breast lift or fat transfer.
Breast reduction
Reducing and lifting breasts that are too heavy, relieving the neck and back; may be covered by Assurance Maladie.
Inverted nipples
Releasing the ducts that hold the nipple back, through an incision of about 1 cm, in 30 minutes, as day surgery.
Tuberous breasts
Releasing the gland, reducing the areola, restoring volume: a tailored correction of a recognised malformation.
Poland syndrome
Restoring the symmetry of the chest and breasts: implant, fat transfer or flap, depending on the form and the patient’s sex.
Breast reconstruction after mastectomy
Recreating a breast close to the other breast after cancer: implant, your own tissue or both, in three stages, covered by Assurance Maladie.
Gynaecomastia
Removing excess gland and fat to flatten the male chest, as day surgery, after a medical work-up.
Which procedure for which situation?
The choice is made in consultation, after an examination and measurements. This table shows the most common matches.
| Your situation | Procedure | Possible cover |
|---|---|---|
| Breasts small from birth, or deflated after pregnancy or weight loss | Breast augmentation with implants, breast lipofilling or both | No |
| Moderate augmentation without implants, with fat to reduce elsewhere | Breast lipofilling | No |
| Sagging breasts | Breast lift, with implants if the breasts are deflated | No |
| Breasts too heavy, neck and back pain | Breast reduction | Yes, from 300 g removed per breast |
| Asymmetric breasts | Breast augmentation, lift or reduction, depending on the case | No |
| Narrow breast base, wide and puffy areola | Tuberous breasts | Yes, after approval by the Assurance Maladie medical adviser |
| Nipple retracted into the areola | Inverted nipples | Yes |
| Breast absent or small on one side, pectoral muscle absent | Poland syndrome | Yes, after approval by the Assurance Maladie medical adviser |
| Breast removed for cancer | Breast reconstruction | Yes |
| Enlarged chest in a man | Gynaecomastia | Yes, for true gynaecomastia (excess glandular tissue) |
| Implants already in place: capsular contracture, double bubble, rotation, rippling | Capsular contracture, double bubble, rotation, rippling | No |
Comparison of breast procedures
Figures taken from the individual procedure pages.
| Procedure | Duration | Anaesthesia | Hospital stay | Time off work | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breast augmentation (implants) | About 1 hour | General, or local with sedation | Day surgery or one night | 7 to 10 days | €5,000 to €10,000 |
| Breast lipofilling | 2 to 3 hours | General | Day surgery or one night | 3 to 7 days | €5,000 to €10,000 |
| Breast lift | 1.5 to 3 hours | General | Day surgery or one night | 7 to 15 days | €4,000 to €7,500 (€6,000 to €8,500 with implants or lipofilling) |
| Breast reduction | 2 to 3 hours | General | Day surgery or one night | 7 to 15 days | €4,000 to €7,500; €3,000 to €5,000 if covered |
| Tuberous breasts | 2 to 3 hours | General | Day surgery or one night | 7 to 15 days | €6,000 to €8,500; additional fees of €2,500 to €5,000 if covered |
| Inverted nipples | 30 minutes | Local or general | Day surgery | 0 to 2 days | Additional fees of €300 to €1,500 |
| Poland syndrome | 1 to 4 hours, depending on the technique | General | Day surgery to 3 days | 1 to 3 weeks | On quotation |
| Breast reconstruction | 3 stages on average, over 18 to 24 months | General | Depends on the stage | Depends on the stage | Assurance Maladie; additional fees on quotation |
| Gynaecomastia | 30 minutes to 2 hours | Local with sedation, or general | Day surgery | 7 to 15 days | €2,500 to €5,000 |
Implants or lipofilling?
Silicone gel implants give the chosen volume in a single operation lasting about 1 hour; the volume is determined through measurements, trial sizers and a 3D simulation. An implant lasts 12 to 15 years on average; it is not replaced as a matter of routine, and regular monitoring is enough as long as imaging shows no rupture.
Lipofilling uses the patient’s own fat, harvested by gentle liposuction: it adds about one cup size per session and refines the figure at the same time. Composite augmentation combines the two. See how to choose the volume of your implants.
Which procedures are covered?
Assurance Maladie may cover procedures that correct a malformation or a functional problem; Dr Médard de Chardon practises in Sector 2 (fees above the national health insurance rate), so additional fees remain payable:
- breast reduction, if at least 300 g are removed per breast;
- tuberous breasts and Poland syndrome, after approval by the medical adviser;
- inverted nipples;
- true gynaecomastia (excess glandular tissue confirmed by examination and tests), without prior approval;
- breast reconstruction after cancer, which is also covered by the mutuelle (top-up health insurance).
Can several procedures be combined?
Yes, often in the same operation:
- breast lift and implants, when the breasts are sagging and deflated;
- implants and lipofilling (composite augmentation);
- breast lipofilling and body contouring: the injected fat is harvested where there is an excess;
- breast reduction: it corrects sagging and asymmetry at the same time.
Dr Médard de Chardon’s experience in breast surgery
- MD thesis on cosmetic breast augmentation (Nice Faculty of Medicine, 2008);
- more than 3,000 breast implants placed since 2011, more than 4,000 breast lipofilling procedures, more than 1,500 mastopexies and breast reductions;
- management of complications and revision surgery: capsular contracture, double bubble, rotation, rippling;
- member of SOFCEP (French Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery), SOFCPRE (French Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery) and ISAPS (International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery).
How does breast surgery work?
- ConsultationAt the practice, 101 rue d’Antibes in Cannes (€100): examination, measurements and, for an augmentation, trial sizers and a 3D simulation.
- Quote and cooling-off periodAt least 15 days between receiving the quote and the operation.
- Anaesthetic consultationWith an anaesthetist at Clinique Oxford; valid for 1 month.
- OperationAt Clinique Oxford in Cannes, most often as day surgery or with a one-night stay.
- Follow-upDr Médard de Chardon sees you again at the practice; follow-up consultations are free of charge.
Before and after photos
Mondor's disease after breast augmentation through the armpit
A cord under the skin, running from the armpit towards the chest
Right-sided Poland syndrome
Reconstructive surgery by breast augmentation and fat transfer (lipofilling) in two stages
Adipomastia
Liposuction alone
Glandular gynaecomastia
Removal of the gland through a periareolar incision
Mixed gynaecomastia
Liposuction and removal of the gland beneath the areola
Mixed gynaecomastia (gynaeco-adipomastia)
Man aged 20: areola reduction, removal of the gland and liposuction of the fatty component
See all before and after breast photos
Frequently asked questions
How much does breast surgery cost?
From €2,500 (gynaecomastia) to €10,000 (breast augmentation, breast lipofilling) for cosmetic surgery. The price is set on a written quote after the consultation, which is charged at €100.
Which breast operations are reimbursed?
Breast reduction (at least 300 g removed per breast), tuberous breasts and Poland syndrome (after approval by the medical adviser), inverted nipples, true gynaecomastia and reconstruction after cancer. Additional fees remain payable.
From what age can you have breast surgery?
Breast augmentation is performed on adult women. Breast reduction and correction of tuberous breasts are most often carried out from the age of 18, once the breasts have finished developing.
Can you breastfeed after a breast augmentation?
Yes, breastfeeding remains possible in the vast majority of cases after breast augmentation with implants, whatever the incision used.
Do breast implants need replacing every 10 years?
No, not as a matter of routine. A silicone gel implant lasts 12 to 15 years on average; if imaging shows no rupture and the result is still satisfactory, regular monitoring is enough.
How much time off work should you plan after breast surgery?
0 to 2 days for inverted nipples, 3 to 7 days for breast lipofilling, 7 to 10 days for augmentation with implants, and 7 to 15 days for a lift or a reduction.
Do breast implants interfere with mammograms?
No, mammograms are still possible with breast implants; simply tell the radiologist that you have them, and the views will be adapted.
Where do the consultation and the operation for breast surgery take place?
Consultations are held at the practice, 101 rue d’Antibes in Cannes, Monday to Friday. Operations take place at Clinique Oxford in Cannes.