Who’s the Best Candidate for Breast Augmentation?

Expert Author
Raja Mohan Plastic Surgeon | Facial Plastic Surgery Irving, TX

Dr. Mohan is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he majored in mathematics. MIT is consistently ranked as one of the top universities in the United States. He became interested in plastic surgery in his final year of undergraduate studies and performed a prestigious research fellowship at... more

Breast augmentation is the surgical process of enhancing your breasts with implants or fat transfer. Before any breast augmentation surgery, it is imperative that you meet with your plastic surgeon for a consultation appointment. At this appointment, your surgeon will determine if you are a quality candidate for this type of surgery. To be sure, not everyone will qualify.

To start with, most people who are interested in breast augmentation will face one or more of the following challenges:

  • Asymmetrical breasts
  • Breasts you feel are too small
  • Breasts that have lost their shape (perhaps after a significant weight loss or pregnancy)
  • Breasts that have lost volume and may appear to sag or droop
  • Breasts that never developed normally

Those who face one (or several) of these challenges will also need to qualify in other ways as well. The following comprises a list of qualifications your surgeon will typically want to see before scheduling you for breast augmentation surgery.

The optimal candidate should:

Be at least 18 years old and have fully developed breasts.

The patient must have fully developed breasts before surgery can take place. This age will be different for every individual. Most people continue to develop until at least their late teens. Sometimes, individuals may continue seeing growth in their breasts and other parts of the body until their early 20s. For these reasons and because of the seriousness of the surgery, the FDA requires that all individuals interested in breast augmentation be at least 18 years old.

Be in good overall physical health.

At your consultation appointment before surgery, your surgeon will speak with you about your medical history and physical health. They will go over any medications and dietary supplements you may be taking, and you should be honest with them about everything you take. Furthermore, if you have any illnesses or are undergoing any specific medical treatments, it's important you disclose these to your surgeon.

It is important that you are not currently battling an infection or otherwise ill. Finally, if you have recently had an abnormal mammogram or are going through breast cancer (or have untreated breast cancer or cancer of any kind), you will need to forgo breast augmentation surgery until you are well again. Certain conditions may prohibit you from being a good candidate for breast augmentation surgery altogether.

Not be pregnant or breastfeeding.

Women’s breasts will be affected by pregnancy and, of course, during breast-feeding. In fact, they will be in a constant state of change during these periods. Therefore, during pregnancy or while breastfeeding is not optimal times to get breast augmentation surgery. If you would like to have your breasts augmented after you are pregnant and after breastfeeding, you can certainly qualify as a candidate at that time.

Be at a healthy weight.

Many surgeons believe that certain risks may be mitigated when the patient is at a healthy weight. Overall, it has certainly been established that potential complications of any surgery will be reduced when the patient is within the “normal” weight range. Every surgeon has different guidelines concerning the optimal healthy weight for their patients. As a general rule, it is best to be at a healthy weight that is within the “normal or healthy weight” BMI parameters, presented by the CDC.

For some patients, this may mean losing weight prior to surgery. You are, of course, welcome to speak with a plastic surgeon at any time about your candidacy for breast augmentation. With this in mind, even if you are not at your absolute ideal weight, you may still find that you are a qualifying candidate in the eyes of your surgeon. Furthermore, if you do need to lose some weight prior to surgery, your surgeon will be able to tell you exactly how much you need to lose before at your consultation appointment so that you can prepare and put in the diet and exercise work necessary to achieve these results.

Have realistic expectations.

As a surgery, breast augmentation is meant to do only a finite number of things — namely, it is meant to increase and/or alter your breasts’:

  • Size
  • Shape
  • Volume
  • Symmetry
  • Projection
  • Balance
  • and/or fullness

In this way, it is important to have the right expectations about the outcome of your surgery. There are certainly some limitations involved in breast augmentation, and a limited amount of scarring may occur. There are also cases in which the individual may need to undergo supplementary surgeries. Heading into the procedure with a healthy attitude and realistic expectations is of the utmost importance.

Other Considerations Before Getting Breast Augmentation Surgery

Finally, if you want to be an exceptional candidate for breast augmentation, you might also think about the following:

  • You’ll likely need to quit smoking before surgery. If you are currently a smoker and can quit for good as soon as possible, that’s best for surgery and for your overall health in general.
  • Optimal breast augmentation results are achieved when you lead a healthy lifestyle. In this way, those patients who are committed to eating healthy, exercising moderately, and maintaining a healthy weight will experience the best results.

Bring Questions to Your Consultation Appointment

A multitude of factors will go into determining whether you are a quality candidate for breast augmentation surgery or not. Your surgeon will do their best to assess your current physical state, medical history, and procedure goals at your consultation appointment. At the same time, it’s up to you to ask the right questions.

For this reason, don’t forget to bring a pad of paper to your appointment, and have your most pressing questions written inside. Leave space beneath each question, and have a pen handy during your appointment. As you speak with your surgeon, be sure to ask your questions, and write down any important points your surgeon mentions so you don’t forget them later. Playing an active role in your breast augmentation procedure can help you achieve the optimal results you desire.

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