Breast Augmentation Pre-Consultation Information on CosmeticSurgeryForums.com

Preparing for your Consult

Pre-Consult Information:

Licensed image for CosmeticSurgeryForums.com

The Ideal Candidates:

There are a few ideal candidates for breast augmentation. One is the young woman with small, but otherwise attractive breasts. Most of the time, women who are starting out with an A or a B cup breasts are the most common patients, and it’s important to know that both types can limit the size of the implant they can handle. Another ideal candidate is the woman who is looking to restore volume that has been lost after pregnancy or weight loss without the need for a lift. However, if you are marginal in the lift area, and your plastic surgeon is suggesting one – listen to his or her advice, as this will definitely give you the longest result for your money.

Remember that getting implants is nothing more than enlarging what you have beforehand, flaws and all. So, if you have droopy breasts to begin with and decide to forgo a lift, you will end up with a larger version of what you had. Implants typically do help lift the breasts somewhat, but if your ptosis or sag is considerable, definitely listen to your plastic surgeon and their advice. It is the surgeon’s job to help you with obtaining the best long term outcome with the least risk of more surgery.

In certain areas of the country, there appears to have a focus on large implants for the first time breast augmentation. You should be aware that they can produce changes in the breast tissues like thinning, rippling, or the need for more surgery due to complications. If your plastic surgeon is suggesting a certain size for you, listen to his reasoning for the size he picked. If you have your heart set on another size, then you will need to discuss your options with him or her openly.

How it Works:

When planning breast implant surgery, it is important to consider both the your expectations and body measurements. Good decisions made by both patient and surgeon in the beginning stages of the consultation will produce better long term outcomes with a low risk of re-operation. The main goal is to assess your goals and your breast anatomy to get an outcome that fits proportionately with the rest of your body.

Before the Consultation:

Start inquiring about all the local board certified Plastic Surgeons in your area that you can. Start your research into their backgrounds before the actual consultation date. This will help you narrow down the ones you actually want to see and the ones you would like to eliminate as possible surgeons. You can start your research here.

Finding a plastic surgeon that is within your area definitely has its advantages. Most importantly if there is ever a chance or post operative complications, that the surgeon is local and accessible to you. There are many patients that do travel to have their surgery across the country and everything has worked out alright for them. However, there is a level of comfort knowing your surgeon is not too far away if you should need him or her in an emergency situation. Everyone has their own need to fulfill, so if traveling is okay with you, just know that this can be done safely.

Trying to find the right plastic surgeon is time consuming and can be overwhelming. Trying to get recommendations from friends, family, physicians, hairdressers, or members of an internet forum can help direct you. If you need help with trying to find the right Plastic Surgeon for yourself, please check out our section on finding a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon for more information.

Pre-Consult Check List

Having an open line of communication will help tremendously with your spouse or significant other in regards to your plans with getting this procedure. Keeping your partner involved in the process will allow him to become more comfortable with your decision. It is normal for most men not to fully understand the motivation you might have behind getting this procedure. Try to educate your partner as much as you can, as the more he understands the less anxiety he will have about you doing this.

Start looking through magazines and websites for photos that you would like to bring with you to show the physician what your desires are. But just like everything else, you need to remember that it is very easy for a photo to be airbrushed with Photoshop or some other program. What you might be seeing is not exactly completely factual, however it will give you an idea of what you would like to achieve.

Writing down your own medical history along with the dates of any illness and procedures you have had in the past. If you have ever had a bad reaction to anesthesia make sure you bring this up to your plastic surgeon. Also, make sure you remember all the medication you are taking on a regular basis, including over the counter vitamins, analgesics and dietary supplements. If you have ever experienced any kind of bad reaction to a medication, make sure you notify the doctor of this as well. Having all of this written down will help you when the physician is asking you your medical history. Read our section on medication to avoid before surgery.

Purchase a bra in the size you are considering of going to, this will help give you an idea of what you might expect and also give the physician an idea of what size you might be anticipating. Having a larger bra will also enable you to do the Rice Test or Water Test more comfortably. Also, getting to know how to read the specs on implant size will help tremendously when choosing the right size.

Take into accountability your life style and what you do on an everyday basis. Having larger breast can affect your hobbies and or activities. Tell your plastic surgeon how important a certain activity is for you, so he will know how to advise you in terms of size.

Complications and Risks happen, as this is major surgery and you are altering your body. We have to be aware of the good, the bad, and the ugly. No one wants to rain on your parade with negativity of the possibility of having a complication, but it is very important that you understand that things can and do happen. More than likely, you will never have a problem at all and will come through this surgery with flying colors. But you need to be informed of the possible problems that could occur.

If the plastic surgeon you are consulting with starts pointing out other flaws and how he or she can fix them for you, then you really need to consider whether or not this is a good match. Most plastic surgeons are very professional and will only address the part of the body in which you intended to have the consult about.

However, if you have some ptosis (sag) to your breasts, most doctors will probably suggest some type of Breast Lift in order to get the look you are after.

Trust your intuitive mind and good instincts. You ideally need to find a plastic surgeon that is a good match for you. Having a bad feeling about a physician is not going to help with building a good patient-doctor relationship, so make sure you take everything in while you are consulting to see if this is the right surgeon for you. And most importantly, do not feel intimated when speaking to the plastic surgeon. You need to feel comfortable speaking about your fears and or concerns of this procedure and know you can receive some reassurance in return.

Scheduling your Consultation

It is normally suggested that you go on at least three separate consultations, so you can ascertain all the information from the various plastic surgeons, and see which one will be fitting your needs the best. Finding a plastic surgeon that is within your area would of course be ideal, as it is best to find one that you can have easy travel time to incase of an emergency or complication. However, sometimes this is not choice for everyone, and some do travel for their breast augmentation surgery.

Before picking up the phone to make that first appointment you should really start doing your homework first with researching your plastic surgeon to make sure the one you are considering doesn’t have any disciplinary actions or malpractice lawsuits. Also check board certification with the vital doctor checklist and what qualifications you should be looking for as well as telling you what medical board your surgeon is board certified with. The breast augmentation forum and meeting other members who have shared the same plastic surgeon will help tremendously, as they bring a real life experience to the forefront and information like this can be valuable.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t find a plastic surgeon you are not comfortable with, as this entire journey is a process of elimination. You are not going to mesh with every single physician you meet, so the most important thing to remember is to take your time with your selection. Remember you do not have to rush into this as this is your body and major surgery you are considering. So take all the time you need to come to decision. There have been women who have had to go on eight or nine consultations to find the right plastic surgeon, and there are others who find their match immediately.

If you feel you need to bring someone along with you to the consultations this is perfectly normal. Most of the time your significant other wants to take part in this process with you. Your plastic surgeon will not only answer your questions but also anyone else that might have concerns about this procedure. Education is the key to understanding this procedure, so the more chances you have of enlightening your partner of what you are going through, the better off he will be with being prepared with what to expect.

Trying to gather as much information as you can about this procedure will help you make an informed decision on what is going to be right for you. There are many books, magazines, and also forums like this that have women sharing their experiences so you know what to expect with breast augmentation. Do not be afraid to ask questions and also to ask for referrals from friends, family, your own physician, the gym, hairdresser, or from the Breast Augmentation Forum. Word of mouth referrals are the best kind of advertising a plastic surgeon can get.

Check out and read all of your options available with this procedure. Size of implants, smooth or textured shell, under or over the muscle placement and incision placement. As there are many choices that are available for you, and the more you understand about what you are getting the better off you will be. The ultimate decision of course is up to the plastic surgeon that will be performing the procedure on you, as he is the medical expert. It helps tremendously to understand why your surgeon is recommending a specific type or style of implant and what will look best on your body stature.