Questions to Ask a Breast Augmentation Surgeon

The questions

Open any question to see why it works.

1. 1

   What board are you certified by, and in what specialty?

   Certification matters less as a credential than as a description of training. Several boards have names that sound similar to the plastic surgery board, so ask for the exact name and check it yourself rather than accepting the word certified on its own.

2. 2

   How many breast augmentations do you perform in a typical month?

   Volume tracks with familiarity, particularly with the uncommon situations that come up mid-operation. A monthly figure is harder to round upward than a career total, and it also tells you whether this is a core part of the practice or something offered alongside other procedures.

3. 3

   Where will the surgery take place, and is that facility accredited?

   Operations happen in hospitals, licensed surgery centres and office-based suites, and the oversight differs. Ask what the plan is if something goes wrong during surgery in that setting, including which hospital you would be transferred to and whether the surgeon has admitting privileges there.

4. 4

   Who administers the anesthetic, and what type will I have?

   This can be an anesthesiologist, a nurse anesthetist, or in some settings the surgeon supervising sedation. Ask their name and credentials, and mention any previous reaction to anesthesia, any sleep apnea and any family history of anesthetic problems.

5. 5

   Looking at my anatomy, what limits the result I can get?

   Chest width, existing breast tissue, skin quality, nipple position and any asymmetry all constrain the outcome. A surgeon who describes the constraints before describing the possibilities is measuring you rather than selling to you, and the asymmetry point is worth raising even if you have not noticed one.

6. 6

   Would you recommend silicone or saline for me, and why that one?

   The two behave differently in feel, in how a rupture presents, and in how they are monitored afterward. Ask the surgeon to give reasons tied to your tissue rather than a general preference, and ask what they would use if you had less breast tissue than you do.

7. 7

   Do you recommend placing the implant above or below the muscle in my case?

   Placement affects the look, the recovery, mammogram imaging and the risk of visible rippling. If you have little breast tissue the answer usually changes, so ask what would make them choose the other option.

8. 8

   Which incision would you use, and where will the scar sit?

   Incisions under the breast, around the areola and in the armpit heal differently and leave the scar in different places. Ask how the scar tends to look at one year in someone with your skin, and whether your skin type raises the chance of thickened scarring.

9. 9

   How do you and I decide on size?

   Cup size is not a surgical measurement. Ask whether they use sizers, tissue-based measurements or imaging, and how they handle a patient who wants a size their tissue will not support well. The answer to that last part tells you whether they will push back when it matters.

10. 10

    Can I see before and after photographs of patients who started out like me?

    Galleries usually show the most favorable starting anatomy. Ask specifically for patients with your build, your existing breast size and any asymmetry you have, and ask how long after surgery the photographs were taken, since results at six weeks and two years look different.

11. 11

    What are the most common complications in your own practice, and how often do they happen?

    You are asking for their numbers, not the numbers from the literature. Infection, hematoma, changes in sensation, malposition and capsular contracture are the usual list. A surgeon who says complications do not happen in their hands is not a reassuring answer.

12. 12

    What is your reoperation rate, and what are the usual reasons?

    Reoperation is the outcome most people underestimate. Ask how many of their patients return to the operating room within a few years and why, separating problems from patients who simply wanted a different size.

13. 13

    What is the effect on nipple sensation, and how likely is that to be permanent?

    Numbness or heightened sensitivity is common early and usually settles, but not always. Ask for their sense of how many patients have lasting change, because this is often mentioned once in a consent form and not discussed again.

14. 14

    If I want to breastfeed in the future, does anything about this plan change?

    Raise it even if children are not in your plans now. Incision choice and dissection near the ducts are the parts that can matter, and the conversation is easier before surgery than after.

15. 15

    How will this affect mammograms and breast screening?

    Implants require additional imaging views and can obscure tissue, and the effect differs by placement. Ask what you should tell an imaging centre in future and whether you will need any routine monitoring of the implants themselves.

16. 16

    How long are implants expected to last, and what would prompt replacement?

    Implants are not lifetime devices, and planning for a future operation is part of the decision. Ask what usually prompts replacement in their patients and how a rupture would be detected in the type of implant they are recommending.

17. 17

    What does recovery look like week by week, and when can I lift, drive and return to work?

    Ask for specifics rather than a single number of days. Restrictions on lifting and on overhead movement often last longer than time off work, which matters if you have small children, a physical job, or nobody at home to help.

18. 18

    What pain control do you use afterward, and for how long?

    Plans vary from opioids to long-acting local anesthetic and non-opioid regimens. If you have a history of substance use, chronic pain, or a bad reaction to opioids, this is the conversation where you say so.

19. 19

    Who do I call at two in the morning if something looks wrong, and who sees me?

    Ask whether you reach the surgeon, a covering colleague or an answering service, and what happens if they are away the week after your operation. Also ask which signs should send you to an emergency department rather than waiting for a call back.

20. 20

    What is the total cost, and what is and is not covered if I need a revision?

    Quotes often separate surgeon fee, facility fee, anesthesia and implants. Ask what a revision would cost in the first year and after, what the implant manufacturer warranty covers, and whether that coverage includes facility and anesthesia charges rather than only the device.