Breast Augmentation: How Much Research Is Enough?

I’ve got some good news. If you’re thinking about getting breast augmentation at our Fort Worth practice, you can skip much of the homework you may be planning. Many patients research exhaustively before their breast augmentation consultations. When it comes to breast implants, it’s best to have an open mind when you meet with your plastic surgeon.

However, with so much information available online, doing a little research can help you get the results you want. Here are some suggestions for what you may want to look into before your consultation:

Find a board-certified plastic surgeon. That means a surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), the only board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. An ABPS-certified plastic surgeon must complete years of advanced training and meet much more rigorous standards than physicians who refer to themselves as cosmetic surgeons.

Browse the before-and-after photo galleries of various surgeons’ websites. This can give you a pretty good idea of the types of breast augmentation results that represent their best work. Try to find patients with body types similar to yours.

Visit sites such as RealSelf. You can read about the real-life experiences of other patients, see patient reviews of plastic surgeons, and find answers from board-certified plastic surgeons to many common questions that patients ask.

Ultimately, your choice of a plastic surgeon shouldn’t be confined to a single geographical area. Women in Abilene considering breast augmentation, for example, often travel to our Fort Worth practice for their procedures.

Wait Until Your Consultation

The consultation is really a collaboration between you and your surgeon. During the appointment, patients describe the look they want, what types of clothes they want to wear after getting implants, and whether their lifestyle may influence their choice. Runners, for example, probably don’t want overly large implants. Women considering Mommy Makeover surgery after having children may need to combine a breast lift with augmentation.

The plastic surgeon’s job is to listen carefully to the patient and then use their experience and expertise to recommend the type and size of implants that are best suited to meet the patient’s goals. Even though a patient may want a specific size of implant, her body type, the amount of existing breast tissue, and her lifestyle may lead the surgeon to recommend something different.

I know many of my patients are surprised to hear me recommend something different from what they had in mind. But as a double board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in cosmetic breast surgery, I might explain to a patient, for example, that the 400 cc implants that she says look great on her friend will produce results that look unnatural on her because of different body frames. At my practice, patients also have the chance to preview what their results may look like by using the VECTRA® 3-D imaging system. The system can show how different sizes and shapes of implants may look on the patient.

You can start your research by looking at the before-and-after photos of my breast augmentation patients. If you have additional questions, contact us using the online form to request a consultation, or call our office at (817) 228-4315 to schedule an appointment.