Written or reviewed by David Bogue, MD, board-certified plastic surgeon.
A useful breast augmentation consultation should help you decide more than implant size. It should clarify the look you want, whether an implant alone can achieve it, which implant and placement fit your anatomy, what recovery involves, and how implants will be monitored over time.
Arriving with thoughtful questions makes it easier to compare choices and understand their tradeoffs. Dr. David Bogue has performed thousands of breast implant procedures and uses each consultation to learn what a patient wants her breasts to look like—not to steer every patient toward the same result.
1. Can an Implant Alone Create the Shape I Want?
An implant adds volume, projection, and upper-breast fullness, but it does not correct every degree of sagging. If the nipple remains in a good position and the main concern is lost volume, breast augmentation alone may be sufficient. When the breast tissue and nipple have dropped, a breast lift may be needed with or without an implant.
Ask the surgeon to explain what an implant can accomplish in your breasts and what would require a lift. Trying to avoid a necessary lift by choosing an excessively large implant can produce a less stable or less attractive result.
2. How Will We Choose the Implant Size and Profile?
Implant selection should account for more than a desired cup size. Bra sizing varies, and two implants with the same volume can look different because their widths and projections differ.
Dr. Bogue uses a biodimensional approach that considers your breast width, existing tissue, chest proportions, and desired appearance. During consultation, the Mentor sizing system and Arbrea 3D Simulator can help you compare options and communicate whether you prefer a subtle enhancement or more visible fullness and projection. A simulation is a planning tool, not a guarantee of an exact result.
3. Should I Choose Silicone or Saline Implants?
Both options have a silicone outer shell, but they feel and behave differently. Silicone gel implants are generally softer and tend to feel more like natural breast tissue. Saline implants typically feel firmer, may show more rippling, and usually deflate visibly if the shell develops a leak.
Modern cohesive silicone implants hold their shape well and are the choice most patients prefer for softness and reduced rippling. Because silicone rupture may be silent, patients should also understand the FDA’s recommendations for ultrasound or MRI monitoring.
4. Will the Implant Be Above or Below the Muscle?
Placement depends on your breast tissue, implant choice, activity level, and desired result. Dr. Bogue uses both dual-plane placement, which places an implant partly beneath the pectoralis muscle, and subfascial placement, which positions it above the muscle beneath its fascial covering.
For many patients using modern cohesive silicone implants, Dr. Bogue favors subfascial placement because it avoids muscle-related implant movement, permits normal chest exercise after recovery, and often allows a faster recovery. Dual-plane placement can still be useful when a patient has very little natural breast tissue or needs additional implant coverage.
5. Where Will the Incision and Scar Be?
Dr. Bogue most often uses an incision in the fold beneath the breast or along the edge of the areola. The better choice depends on your anatomy, implant, and where a scar can be placed most discreetly. Ask which incision he recommends for you, why he recommends it, and what scar care will be needed after surgery.
6. What Should I Expect During Recovery?
Most patients describe the recovery as manageable. Activity should remain very light for the first two weeks. Cardio, light lifting, and full arm range of motion can usually resume at about two weeks, while unrestricted exercise generally waits until approximately six weeks. A supportive or compression bra is typically worn around the clock for six weeks.
Your personal plan may differ, so ask about work, driving, childcare, travel, exercise, and any other activities that matter to your schedule.
7. What Long-Term Follow-Up Will I Need?
Breast implants are not lifetime devices, but they do not automatically need replacement after ten years. Some patients require revision earlier, while others keep comfortable, intact implants much longer. Ask which symptoms should prompt an examination and how silicone implants should be monitored even when they feel normal.
You should also continue routine breast-cancer screening and tell the imaging facility that you have implants. Keep your implant identification card with your medical records.
What Should I Bring to the Consultation?
Bring a list of medications and prior operations, information about any previous breast imaging, and examples that help communicate the look you like. It is equally useful to show appearances you do not want. Think about future pregnancy, breastfeeding, exercise, and whether your priority is subtle enhancement, upper-breast fullness, symmetry, or another specific change.
Schedule a Breast Augmentation Consultation in Boca Raton
Cosmetic surgical consultations are $100 and the fee is credited toward surgery when booked. Call 561-886-1000 or request a consultation online at Dr. Bogue’s Boca Raton office.