Breast augmentation surgery has changed the lives of countless women, giving them the fuller, shapelier breasts they have always wanted. It is one of the most sought-after cosmetic procedures and can provide women who want to increase their breast size numerous options for improvement.

At Plastic Surgery Group of Atlanta, our highly trained and experienced plastic surgeon combines precise skill with an artist’s touch to produce stunning, natural-looking results. If you are in Atlanta, GA, and want to improve the appearance of your breasts, contact our office today to schedule a preoperative appointment.

Quick Facts About Breast Augmentation Procedures

Sedation: General anesthesia
Potential Benefits: Fuller breasts, enhanced breast contours, rejuvenation with possible lifting
Longevity of Results: Often 10 years and beyond
Recovery: Generally a week before most normal activities can be resumed and several weeks before strenuous activity can be continued

Explore Topics on this Page

What Is Breast Augmentation?
Breast Augmentation Benefits
Breast Augmentation Candidates
Breast Augmentation vs. Lift
Complementary Procedures to Breast Augmentation
Breast Implant Varieties
Breast Augmentation Procedure
Breast Augmentation Recovery
Breast Augmentation Scars
Breast Implant Safety
Breast Augmentation Results
Breast Implant Longevity
Breast Augmentation and Breastfeeding
Breast Augmentation Cost
Breast Augmentation FAQs

What Is Breast Augmentation?

Breast augmentation is an aesthetic surgery that aims to add fullness to the breasts and enhance their natural appearance. With the help of either saline or silicone implants, this procedure can improve breast shape, size, and symmetry.

In addition to being safe and effective for the majority of patients, a breast augmentation performed by our double board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. John Connors, can create beautiful results that can last 10 years, and in many cases even longer. The recovery period is often relatively quick, and the procedure can produce natural-looking effects that flatter the patient’s physique.

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Breast Augmentation

Patient Results

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What Are the Benefits of Breast Augmentation?

When breast augmentation is performed by an experienced plastic surgeon, benefits often include:

Increased breast volume and enhanced curves
Restoration of shape after pregnancy, aging, or weight loss
Improved symmetry
Reconstruction after a mastectomy or injury
A boost in self-confidence and body image
Long-lasting, natural-looking results tailored to your goals
Rejuvenation of the breast with possible lifting of the nipple complex

Am I a Candidate for Breast Augmentation?

Those eligible for breast augmentation typically:

Desire enhanced volume and improved symmetry for a more proportionate appearance
Have experienced changes in breast size due to pregnancy or weight loss
Have naturally small breasts or minimal breast tissue due to a lean, athletic build
Have mild ptosis (sagging) of the nipple complex
Have fully developed breasts and are of an appropriate age for the surgery
Are in good overall health and do not smoke

Breast Augmentation vs. Lift

It is important to understand that while breast augmentation can dramatically enhance volume, it may not combat “sagging” on its own. Mastopexy – or breast lift surgery – is another breast enhancement procedure that was specifically designed to elevate the breasts and reduce the sagging effect that often accompanies age.

Furthermore, many of our patients opt to complement their breast augmentation with breast lift surgery. This procedure, known as a breast augmentation with a lift, can simultaneously restore fullness and provide a youthful, “lifted” quality.

Complementary Procedures to Breast Augmentation

Our patients frequently choose to combine breast augmentation with additional cosmetic surgeries – most often additional breast or body enhancement procedures. As discussed above, breast lift surgery is frequently incorporated into the breast augmentation procedure. Patients may also choose to undergo tummy tuck surgery to sculpt and tighten their abdominal muscles or liposuction to reduce unwanted pockets of stubborn fat. Facial enhancement solutions, such as facelift or eyelid surgery, can also be included in many cases.

A combination of these types of procedures is often referred to as a “mommy makeover.” While not performed exclusively on mothers, this treatment can help patients return to their pre-baby or pre-pregnancy appearance and reduce many of the less welcome aesthetic effects of motherhood. The treatment is extremely customizable, and the surgeries you choose to include are based on your unique preferences and needs.

What Types of Breast Implants Are Available?

Choosing the right breast implant is a crucial part of the breast augmentation process. Factors such as implant material, size, profile, and surface texture all play an important role in achieving optimal results. Dr. Connors will be glad to guide you through the available options and work with you to select the implant type best suited to your anatomy, lifestyle, and desired outcome.

Saline vs. Silicone Breast Implants

Both saline and silicone implants are popular choices among surgeons and patients. Saline implants are filled with sterile saltwater after placement, while silicone implants are pre-filled with a cohesive silicone gel. Both are safe and long-lasting options.

At Plastic Surgery Group of Atlanta, we are proud to offer Motiva^® silicone filled nano-textured implants, a newer generation of silicone implants known for their advanced design and natural feel. Motiva^® implants feature a highly cohesive silicone gel and a surface engineered to promote softness, flexibility, and natural breast dynamics. These implants can be an excellent option for patients seeking a refined, modern approach to breast augmentation with an emphasis on aesthetics and innovation.¹

Profiles

An implant’s “profile” refers to how far it extends outward from the chest. Various profile options are available, such as low, moderate, high, and extra-high.

Smooth vs. Textured Breast Implants

At Plastic Surgery Group of Atlanta, we offer many options and we will guide through your decision making process every step of the way!

During your preoperative appointment, Dr. Connors and his nurses will allow you to “try on” implants of different types and sizes before surgery. Additionally, if you are a candidate, our nurses will use the state-of-the-art VECTRA^® 3D imaging system, helping you see how the implants may look on your body. This can help you obtain a truer sense of what size, shape, and style of implants would best satisfy your goals. Then we can help design a breast augmentation plan for you.

How Is Breast Augmentation Performed?

Breast augmentation is an outpatient procedure performed under general anesthesia in a fully accredited surgical center. The surgery usually lasts between one and two hours.

Implant Placement Options

There are several techniques that may be used for implant placement. These include either under the pectoral muscle or submammary/subglandular placement (over the pectoral muscle). Implant placement depends on numerous factors, including the overall type and size of implant and the patient’s activity level and body type.

Dr. Connors may recommend the biplanar (or dual-plane) breast augmentation technique, which combines placement both beneath the pectoral muscle and within the breast tissue. This approach allows the implant to benefit from the support and coverage of the muscle while also enhancing natural breast shape and contour in the lower portion of the breast. The biplanar technique can be especially effective for creating a more natural slope, improving implant positioning, and reducing the visibility of implant edges in appropriately selected patients.²

Before Surgery
Subglandular Implant
Subpectoral Implant

The Keller Funnel

Dr. Connors uses a special funnel device during surgery, which assists in the placement of silicone gel implants. Introduced in 2009, this method is a “no touch” technique that can prevent potential contamination and make the placement and insertion of gel implants easier. It can also reduce potential risks and long-term implant rupture. Dr. Connors has been using this game-changing technique for many years in nearly all of his silicone breast augmentation surgeries.

The Funnel’s specific advantages can include:

Shorter incisions (and thereby shorter scars)
Reduced risk of contamination and infection
Reduced tissue trauma (therefore less bruising) due to less force on the implant
Improved comfort and faster healing
Less damage to the gel implant wall

Breast Augmentation Incisions

Incision type, as well as implant placement, are decisions that will need to be made before surgery. During breast augmentation, the chosen incision is created and then the appropriate breast implant will be slipped into its position. Regardless of incision placement, scarring is generally unnoticeable.

Our breast surgeon typically favors these strategies when placing implants:

An inframammary incision is placed within the breast (or inframammary) crease
A periareolar incision is made along the natural border of the areola

How Long Is Recovery After Breast Augmentation?

Following breast augmentation surgery, patients should plan for a few days of rest, though light movement is encouraged to support healthy circulation. Some tightness in the chest is expected as the skin adapts to the implants. Most individuals can gradually return to their usual exercise routine within four to six weeks. Over the next several months, the breasts should settle into their final shape, with full results typically visible around the six-month mark.

Does Breast Augmentation Cause Scarring?

Scarring is a natural part of the healing process after breast augmentation; however, Dr. Connors uses precise techniques to place incisions in discreet locations whenever possible, and any scars that do appear should fade to a flesh color in time. Moreover, proper aftercare and following your surgeon’s recommendations can reduce scar visibility.

Are Breast Implants Safe?

The FDA has approved both saline and silicone implants for breast augmentation, and advancements in design have improved their durability and performance. Like any medical procedure, however, breast augmentation does carry some risks, such as rupture, capsular contracture, and changes in sensation. More serious (but much less common) complications exist, as well.3

Regular monitoring, follow-up appointments, and imaging can help ensure implant integrity and overall health. In addition, for this and countless other reasons, we advise you to entrust your care only to a seasoned, reputable breast surgeon.

Will the Results of My Breast Augmentation Look Natural?

When the procedure is performed by a skilled, experienced board-certified plastic surgeon, breast augmentation results should look seamlessly natural and enhance the overall physique. Achieving a natural look is both an art and a science, requiring a careful assessment of your body frame and the specific characteristics of the implants. Our surgeon will keep these variables in mind when developing your personalized treatment plan.

How Long Do Breast Implants Last?

As implanted medical devices, breast implants do not last forever; however, with newer technology and long-term surveillance, they can last for decades. That said, implants are not completely impervious to becoming “worn” after long periods, nor are they impervious to complications such as leaks, ruptures, rippling, or deflation. When these issues are not present, secondary breast surgery (also known as “revision breast surgery”) is relatively uncommon, though patients occasionally wish to “upgrade” implants from an augmentation performed in the past.

Can I Breastfeed After Breast Augmentation Surgery?

Contrary to popular belief, the placement of breast implants does not always interfere with breastfeeding. Future ability to breastfeed can often be preserved if the patient so desires, as the surgeon can usually tailor the course of surgery to allow for the best chance of breastfeeding. Typically, this involves placing the breast implant below the muscle and inserting the implant from an incision below the breast.⁴ With this in mind, it is worth noting that certain patients will be naturally unable to breastfeed regardless of the presence of implants.

How Much Does Breast Augmentation Cost?

At Plastic Surgery Group of Atlanta, the cost of breast augmentation can be influenced by factors such as:

The type of implants being placed – saline or silicone, smooth or nano-textured
Additional procedures performed during augmentation surgery
Anesthesia and surgical center fees
Postoperative care and medication

We encourage you to direct any financial questions to our staff. Please also feel free to explore our plastic surgery financing page for details about our programs through CareCredit^® and ALPHAEON^® CREDIT. If you are interested in financing your treatment through one of these parties, we would be happy to provide more information.

“I got a breast augmentation with dr. Connors 6 weeks ago and it was the best decision I could’ve made. They look so amazing and natural, everyone in the office is very nice and welcoming. I loved my experience and would definitely recommend this office to anyone looking to get a breast aug!"

- Andrea H.

Breast Augmentation FAQs

Is breast augmentation painful?
Because breast augmentation involves the use of general anesthesia, patients do not usually experience pain during the procedure itself. Mild postoperative discomfort or tightness may occur, but should fade in the weeks following the surgery. For optimal recovery, patients will refrain from strenuous activity for several weeks after surgery.
How long does breast augmentation take?
Breast augmentation surgery is typically completed in one to two hours. The exact length of the procedure can vary depending on factors such as the type of implants selected, implant placement technique, and whether breast augmentation is being combined with another procedure, such as a breast lift.
What kind of bra should I wear after breast augmentation?
During initial breast augmentation recovery, we generally recommend patients wear a loose-fitting and comfortable bra or bralette. Our office will provide you with a surgical bra following the surgical procedure. As the healing period progresses, we will then switch to a specialized sports bra; these bras are designed to minimize movement and can provide a secure fit without irritating incisions. The ideal type of postoperative bra may vary between patients based on individual goals and procedural specifics.
How should I sleep after breast augmentation?
For the first few weeks after breast augmentation surgery, patients should generally plan to sleep on their back – preferably in an elevated position. Doing so can reduce swelling and pressure on the incision areas and implants, thereby preserving surgical results. As you become accustomed to this position, you might find additional comfort by placing a pillow under your knees or temporarily using a recliner.

Plastic Surgery Group of Atlanta is proud to provide this proven surgery, and we invite you to learn more. Contact our team to plan your preoperative appointment with Dr. Connors. Let us help you reach your aesthetic goals and achieve the look you have always wanted!

Medical Resources*

Motiva^®¹
Mayo Clinic³
Johns Hopkins Medicine⁴