Your Breast Augmentation Consultation
Your consultation is one of the most important steps in your plastic surgery journey.
During this time, you will learn more about our surgeons, our practice philosophy, and our unique approach to breast enhancement. More importantly, we learn about YOU…..your goals, your fears, your “likes” and “dislikes”, so we can really get into your head and design a plan that’s just right for you.
First, you will meet with one of our nurses, many of whom have had breast augmentation. Our nurses have a wealth of knowledge and are an invaluable resource for guidance and support. Your nurse will show you different types and sizes of implants and will explain the look each one will achieve. You will be able to feel the difference between saline and silicone gels implants and view before-and-after pictures. When looking at before and after pictures, it is very helpful to look at patients who started with breasts similar to your own. Remember the “breast-print”? The shape of your breasts, the location of your lower breast crease, asymmetries, and the shape and position of your nipples are unique to you and impact your final result.
You will then meet with your surgeon to discuss your medical history and your aesthetic goals. We want you to feel completely comfortable and able to discuss your desires and your concerns freely. Bring your “wish” pictures of breasts you like. Even dislike photos can be helpful. All of this information helps us to clearly understand your goals. Your surgeon will then do a complete breast exam to evaluate your breast size, shape, symmetry, nipple position and elasticity of your skin. Several precise measurements of your breasts and chest wall will be noted. The goal of breast augmentation is to enhance rather than overwhelm your frame, so these measurements are fundamental to a great result. Your surgeon will also discuss your unique “breast-print” and how it will affect your result. It’s also important to discuss any asymmetries because no woman’s breast is a mirror image of the other. In most cases, asymmetries are mild, and some patients have never even noticed them before, but finding and understanding these subtle asymmetries is very important.
Asymmetry can exist in any or all of these:
- breast volume
- breast shape (round vs. elongated)
- breast position on the chest wall (high vs. low)
- nipple position on the breast
- nipple or areola size
- location and/or length of the lower breast crease
All of the natural asymmetries listed above, with the exception of VOLUME, are hard to change using an implant alone. In cases of volume asymmetry, different size implants may be utilized. While the other types of asymmetries may be improved with surgery, some may be more pronounced after breast augmentation. In the end, it’s important to understand that your breasts will never be a perfect match, but we want them to be as close as possible.
You will then have the opportunity to “test drive” or try on the implants that your surgeon recommends for you. Your nurse will help you in this process. Photos may be taken to help you envision what you will look like after your breast augmentation and for your surgeon to use in preoperative planning. Vectra 3D imaging will be done at your pre-op appointment.
The procedure, risks, and recovery will be discussed in detail with you and all of your questions answered. You will then meet with your Patient Coordinator, who set up your consultation, to discuss scheduling, costs and financing. Once you pick a surgery day, we will schedule your pre-op appointment 1-2 weeks prior to surgery. At your pre-op appointment, we will review your surgical plan, finalize your range of implants, take photographs and do Vectra 3D imaging. During the visit, you will also sign consents and receive your prescriptions and specific instructions to get you prepared for before and after your procedure. We promise to make sure you are comfortable and well prepared.
