Determining Candidacy: Is Breast Augmentation Right For Me?
- Dr. Brooks
- Apr 13, 2015
- 5 min read
Updated: Dec 15
Deciding to have any cosmetic surgery requires lots of research. If you’re unhappy with the appearance of your breasts and you’ve been thinking about changing your breast size or shape, you may be asking yourself, is breast augmentation right for me?
The answer depends on medical safety, logistical planning, and realistic long-term expectations, as well as your aesthetic desires.
Foundational Criteria for Consultation
While the decision to pursue breast augmentation is personal, it begins with medical criteria and guidance. The first step is consulting with a board-certified plastic surgeon, such as Dr. Trevor Brooks at Essentials Medi Spa, to ensure you’re a good candidate for surgery and that your goals can safely be achieved.
Typically, two different groups of people consider breast augmentation. The first is women generally in their 20s, because they are unhappy with the natural size of their breasts and desire a fuller look. The second group is generally women in their 30s and 40s who want to recapture the look of their breasts before they had children or lost a significant amount of weight. For either goal, breast augmentation can help you feel more confident in your appearance.
Most people can qualify for breast implants if they meet basic health and age requirements. Candidates should be in good physical health, non-smokers, able to maintain a stable weight, and should have realistic expectations about the outcome. Breast augmentation is highly customizable to satisfy the patient’s aesthetic needs.
Beyond adding volume, this procedure can help to correct asymmetry, providing balance and proportion to the overall torso.
Benefits of breast augmentation:
Increased volume and a more proportional figure.
Corrected asymmetry or shape differences.
Restored volume following pregnancy or weight fluctuation.
Improved clothing fit and increased self-confidence.
Dr. Brooks will discuss implant options and placement with you and answer all of your questions during your consultation, so it is a good idea to write down your questions before coming in.
Choosing the Implant: Saline or Silicone Materials
Part of deciding if breast augmentation is right for you includes understanding your implant options. There are two main types of breast implants: saline and silicone.
Saline Implants Saline implants are rarely used by most plastic surgeons and are not typically offered by Dr. Brooks. Saline implants have an outer silicone shell filled with a sterile saltwater solution. This style permits smaller incisions because the shell can be inserted empty and then filled. Saline implants feel noticeably firmer than natural breast tissue and make ruptures easier to notice.
Silicone Implants Dr. Brooks offers silicone implants, which are often preferred for their more natural feel and movement. They come pre-filled with a cohesive silicone gel, which holds its shape well. Ruptures can be harder to detect, so regular check-ups are essential to monitor implant health.
Safety and Monitoring
Safety is the most important priority for anyone considering breast augmentation. Health Canada monitors all breast implants for quality and safety.
Although rare, long-term risks or complications like BIA-ALCL (a type of lymphoma caused by textured breast implants, which Dr. Brooks does not use), or BII (Breast Implant Illness, which has symptoms similar to many other diagnoses) highlight the necessity of discussing the risks vs. benefits of surgery for each patient, choosing implants from reputable manufacturers, having your procedure performed by a board-certified surgeon like Dr. Brooks, and maintaining regular follow-ups. This is the best strategy against potential complications.
Surgical Technique and Placement
The next step to determine if breast augmentation is right for you focuses on surgical technique, including incision location and implant placement.
Implant Placement
Dr. Brooks will determine whether to place the implant above the pectoral muscle (subglandular) or below the pectoral muscle (submuscular/subpectoral).
Subglandular (above muscle): Provides projection but requires ample natural tissue coverage (at least a B or C cup) to avoid visible rippling.
Submuscular (below muscle): Offers improved soft tissue coverage and support, typically preferred for thinner patients or those needing greater coverage of the implant edge.
The choice of incision site is strategic for minimizing visible scarring. Incisions can be placed around the areola, in the fold beneath the breast (inframammary fold), or through the armpit (transaxillary). Dr. Brooks will almost always choose the fold for many reasons that he will discuss during the consultation.
It’s important to know that the incision for silicone gel breast augmentation will be slightly larger than when compared to saline breast augmentation due to the silicone implants being pre-filled.
Recovery Expectations
Understanding the recovery phase is important to determine if breast augmentation is right for you and fits your lifestyle. Most breast augmentation patients return home the day of surgery, with recovery in stages.
Recovery Timeline
Days 1–5: Post-op
Expect soreness and tightness. Medication to manage pain. Limited activity to prevent complications.
Weeks 1–2: Early recovery
Most patients can return to work in one to two weeks, depending on the nature of their job. Avoid heavy lifting.
Weeks 6–8: Intermediate recovery
Avoid strenuous activity for six to eight weeks. Massage techniques may be advised to keep the breasts mobile.
Months: Long-term results
Swelling fades and the implants "drop" into their final, natural position.
Dr. Brooks provides detailed aftercare instructions with follow up appointments to help your recovery.
Long-Term Considerations and Follow-Up Care
When asking is breast augmentation right for me?, it’s important to think about long-term care. Breast implants are long-term medical devices designed to last many years, but may eventually need replacement. The average lifespan of an implant is 15 years.
Implant longevity and replacement
Breast implants are not designed to be lifetime devices and may require replacement surgery (breast revision or implant replacement) in the future. Reasons for revision include a desire for a different size, natural body changes, or rare complications like capsular contracture or rupture.
Life events
For people considering future family planning, research confirms that breastfeeding is still possible after breast augmentation, provided the procedure was performed correctly. It’s essential to discuss your long-term plans with Dr. Brooks during the consultation.
Mammography and screening
Post-augmentation care includes regular breast screenings. Implant placement can affect visibility on mammograms, so always inform the technician. Special "implant displacement" views are often used to get a comprehensive screening. If you have silicone implants, periodic ultrasounds may be recommended to make sure everything looks healthy.
FAQs
Am I too old for a breast augmentation procedure? There is no upper age limit for breast augmentation. It depends on a patient’s overall health, weight stability, and realistic expectations, rather than age. Dr. Brooks has successfully treated patients into their 50s and 60s, though he may also recommend a breast lift concurrently to address skin laxity common with age.
Will I need to replace my implants in the future? Yes, because breast implants are not considered lifetime devices. While they are durable and can last for decades, they may eventually require replacement or removal if you desire a size change or if complications such as capsular contracture or rupture occur. Regular monitoring is necessary to check the implant condition.
What’s the difference between subglandular and submuscular placement? Subglandular placement positions the implant directly behind the mammary gland, resting on top of the pectoral muscle. Submuscular placement positions the implant either fully or partially beneath the pectoralis major muscle. Submuscular placement is often favoured for its higher rate of soft tissue coverage, which results in a more natural look and feel, particularly for thinner patients.
Will breast implants interfere with my mammograms? It’s crucial to inform the screening facility that you have implants so they can use specialized techniques, such as implant displacement views, to ensure all breast tissue is adequately examined.
Ready to learn more about breast augmentation? Consult with Dr. Trevor Brooks at Essentials Medi Spa.
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