How to Choose a Trusted Plastic Surgeon for Your Breast Surgery
Published by Dr. Jay Lucas, MD, a board-certified surgeon with over 20 years of experience.
Key Takeaways:
- Choosing a trusted, board-certified plastic surgeon for your breast surgery should be your top priority.
- The right breast procedure should be tailored to your body, goals, and health needs.
- Look for experience, strong credentials, positive reviews, and accredited surgical facilities.
- Understanding recovery, costs, and financing options can help you plan with confidence.
If you’re seriously considering breast surgery, you’ve probably got a lot of thoughts and questions running through your mind. Surgery types, recovery times, size, shape, position, costs, implants, and maybe even post-procedure childcare might be a few.
As you continue your research, we recommend moving this to the top of your priorities list: finding the right plastic surgeon for you.
Because when you choose a trusted practitioner for your breast surgery — one with decades of experience, thousands of satisfied patients, and a personal approach to your care — you’ll have access to the answers and peace of mind you need!
To help you choose (and to address some of your burning questions!), we’ve put together a mini-guide below. We’ll cover breast surgery types, how to choose the best plastic surgeon, what you can expect during your procedure and in recovery, and even a few financial details.
What is Breast Surgery, and Which Procedures are Offered by Trusted Plastic Surgeons?
Breast surgery is a broad category that includes many different specific cosmetic surgeries. Patients from diverse walks of life seek it out for many different reasons: weight changes, the effects of aging, changes due to pregnancy and/or breastfeeding, asymmetry, lack of confidence, size concerns, and more.
A trusted plastic surgeon can typically perform a variety of breast surgeries to address any of those concerns and should be able to customize your surgery to fit your specific body, goals, and health needs.
Key Types of Breast Surgery: Augmentation, Lift, Reduction, and Revision
Let’s take a look at a few of the most popular breast procedures:
Breast Augmentation
If you’d like to have larger or more symmetrical breasts or restore volume loss, a breast augmentation (aka “a boob job”) may be what you’re looking for. In this procedure, the surgeon typically inserts implants made of saline or silicone, enhancing the volume and shape of the breasts.
Many times, an augmentation is combined with the next breast surgery type we’ll discuss: breast lift.
Breast Lift
A mastopexy, or breast lift, is more about position and shape than size. Since many women experience sagging breasts with age, especially after pregnancy and breastfeeding, this procedure is quite popular and can be a huge confidence lifter (pun intended).
During a breast lift (or an augmentation + lift combo), the surgeon removes excess/sagging skin and tightens the surrounding tissue. The result: perkier, firmer-looking breasts.
Breast Reduction
This one is what it sounds like: in a breast reduction, the surgeon removes extra fat, skin, and breast tissue to give the patient more proportional breasts. At the same time, shape and symmetry can be enhanced too, with many patients finding they feel more comfortable and confident afterward.
Breast Revision
Patients who undergo a breast revision have already had breast surgery of some kind (typically an augmentation) and are unhappy with their results, so they want to correct or change what has already been done. Revision can involve repositioning, removing, or swapping out existing breast implants.
Want to Go a Little Deeper?
- If you’re still not sure which procedure might be the best fit for you, check out this blog.
- To see real before-and-after pictures from Dr. Lucas’s breast surgery patients, take a look at our gallery.
Choosing the Best Plastic Surgeon for Your Breast Surgery
Remember how we said choosing the right surgeon should be at the top of your mental (or literal) priority list? Your safety, your results, and, ultimately, your self-confidence (all of which add up to a successful surgery!) are direct functions of working with an excellent, board-certified plastic surgeon.
So, here’s what you should look for…
What Credentials and Certifications Should a Trusted Breast Surgeon Have?
At a minimum, a trusted breast surgeon will have:
- Board certification from The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS)
- Many years of experience
- A great reputation proven by many real-world testimonials and reviews
- A clean, welcoming clinic
- Hospital operating privileges at a reputable, accredited hospital or surgery facility
For more, check out this helpful list of 10 things to ask before having plastic surgery.
How Do Board-Certified Surgeons Ensure Safety and Natural Aesthetic Outcomes?
To ensure your safety, you should expect a board-certified surgeon to run their plastic surgery practice with the highest levels of professionalism, sanitation, and patient-centered care. We’ve written more about safety protocols and standards to expect here.
To ensure a successful aesthetic outcome for your breast surgery, you should expect your surgeon to:
- Analyze your unique anatomy
- Provide expert advice regarding timeless vs. trendy results
- Create a customized surgical plan based on your body and your desired results
- Employ the best, most discreet surgical techniques to minimize scarring
- Utilize up-to-date, evidence-based technology
- Provide specific advice regarding rest and recovery, so you can get the best results!
To ensure the best aesthetic outcomes for our breast augmentation patients here at The Lucas Center, we use a state-of-the-art technology called VECTRA 3D Imaging. With it, patients can see their simulated breast augmentation, including multiple options for size, shape, and position. Once they like what they see, they can use the simulation to create a very specific surgical plan with Dr. Jay Lucas — so they can confidently move forward with a natural-looking breast augmentation!
Here’s What to Expect During Your Breast Surgery Procedure
Whether you opt for a breast augmentation, lift, reduction, or revision, it’s natural to want to know more about the steps involved. Each surgery has its own specifics, and you can read a high-level description of how Dr. Lucas performs each breast procedure here.
For breast surgery in general, here are some key things to expect:
- You’ll need a loved one or someone you trust to bring you to the hospital.
- Surgery prep will include an IV and anesthesia.
- Dr. Lucas will arrive and mark the surgical site.
- You’ll be taken to an operating room and put under anesthesia.
- After surgery, you’ll be in a recovery room as you wake up, with monitoring to make sure all is well.
- You’ll receive specific post-op and recovery instructions.
- Your friend or loved one will need to drive you home.
We’ve written about this a little more here.
How Does the Breast Surgery Recovery Process Unfold?
Immediately after your loved one drives you home, rest and recovery should become your main priorities for a few days.
Typical Recovery Milestones Following Breast Surgery
While every patient heals a little differently, here is a basic timeline you might expect as you heal:
Five to Seven Days After Surgery: For many people, this is when you can return to a desk job and light daily activities.
First Two Weeks: Limit lifting to 10 lbs. or less to allow your internal tissues to properly heal.
Four to Six Weeks: You can return to full lifting and activity.
Six Weeks: Most patients are fully recovered at this point. You no longer have to wear a sports bra to bed, and you can go bra shopping!
Whichever breast surgery you choose, Dr. Lucas will provide a detailed, step-by-step recovery plan to ensure you feel supported throughout the entire healing process.
Managing Pain and Activity Restrictions While Recovering
After a few days, light movement (i.e., gentle walks) can help you feel better and help prevent restlessness. For pain, initially your surgeon may give you a prescription medication. Within a few days, however, you can manage your pain as needed with over-the-counter medicines, and discomfort should be minimal.
If you’re not sure what medicine is safe and whether the level of pain or discomfort you’re experiencing is typical, always reach out to your doctor’s office with your concerns. As a patient of The Lucas Center, your safety and comfort will always be top priorities for our team!
How Much Does Breast Surgery Cost and What Financing Options Are Available?
Your cost will be highly dependent on which procedure(s) you choose, and of course costs can also vary by doctor and region. To help with planning, we’ve put together a list of starting fees for some of our most popular cosmetic surgeries at The Lucas Center.
Financing Options & Payment Plans for Breast Surgery at The Lucas Center
The Lucas Center offers procedures on a self-pay basis only (and most cosmetic breast surgery is not covered by insurance, regardless). However, we can connect patients with a couple of third-party financing organizations, so they can go ahead and receive the treatment they want, then pay for it over time.
You can learn more about these financing options here.
Choose One of Knoxville’s Most Trusted Surgeons for Your Breast Procedure
Now that you know the general ins-and-outs of breast surgery, it may be time for answers specific to you. Which surgery will give you the greatest confidence boost? What questions do you still have? Can you envision the results you want?
These questions and more are best addressed in a personal consultation with a caring surgeon ready to create a customized surgical plan for your body and your needs. When you meet with Dr. Lucas, he takes the time to get to know you, learn your goals, answer your questions, and assess your overall health. That way, you can decide what’s right for you and proceed with confidence with one of East Tennessee’s most experienced, trusted plastic surgeons.
When you’re ready, give us a call at (865) 217-0572 or schedule a consultation to get started. We can’t wait to help you achieve the confidence you deserve!