Breast augmentation.
The conversation we have in consultation is about proportion — which implant matches your frame — not about how much volume can be added. The brief is restraint, not size.
What breast augmentation actually is, in our hands.
Breast augmentation is the placement of a silicone implant beneath the breast tissue or beneath the chest muscle, through one of three small incisions. The technical part is well-rehearsed and predictable. The part that matters — the part that decides whether you will be pleased with the result in five years — happens before the operation, in the conversation about which implant suits your frame. We measure your chest width, the position of your existing breast tissue on the chest wall, the elasticity of your skin, and the proportions of your shoulders and torso. Those measurements decide the implant. Not a number you arrived with.
The incision is made in one of three places: under the breast in the inframammary fold (most common, best access, smallest scar in most patients), around the lower edge of the areola, or in the armpit. The implant sits either directly under the breast tissue (sub-glandular) or partly under the pectoral muscle (sub-muscular), depending on how much natural breast tissue you have to drape over it. We choose for you, in consultation, after seeing your anatomy. We do not pre-commit to a technique on the website — the right plan depends on the body the operation is for.
The conversation in consultation is which implant matches the patient's frame — not how big can we go. Restraint is the harder answer, and almost always the right one.Aesmax
This page is about augmentation specifically — the most common breast procedure we perform — but the practice also handles breast lift, reduction, implant replacement, and removal. Some patients arrive thinking they want augmentation and leave consultation having decided that a lift, or a smaller revision, is what their anatomy is asking for. We will tell you which one we think you need. The honest version of this conversation is sometimes the one where we suggest something different from what brought you to the clinic.
The procedure in numbers.
From the day of surgery to the final result.
Day one to two
You wake in your hospital room with a supportive surgical bra in place and a feeling of tightness across the chest — that is the implant settling, not pain in the surgical sense. Most patients use prescribed pain medication for the first 48 hours and then taper off. We see you the morning after surgery before discharge, usually after a single overnight stay.
Hospital → home
The first week at home
Days three through five are the most uncomfortable — the chest feels tight, sleeping on your back is required, and reaching above the head is restricted. Pain decreases noticeably each day. The surgical bra stays on day and night. We see you for a check at five to seven days to inspect the incisions and confirm everything is healing as expected.
Tightness, restricted reach
Return to daily life
Around day five to seven you can return to most ordinary activities — office work, light walking, driving short distances, and dinners out. The chest still feels firm and high; this is normal and resolves over the following weeks as the implants drop into their final position. No lifting heavier than two kilos. No exercise.
Daily life, no exercise yet
Drop and settle
Over weeks two through six the implants "drop and settle" — the breast tissue softens around them, they descend slightly into a more natural position on the chest, and the upper-pole fullness moderates. This is the phase patients sometimes worry about; it is the phase where the result becomes the result. Light cardio is reintroduced from week four; chest exercises wait until week six to eight.
Implants find their position
The shape settles
Between months three and six the breasts read as fully soft and natural in motion. The scar continues to mature over the following six to twelve months — pink at first, then fading to a fine line. We see you at one week, one month, three months, and twelve months. Photographs at the twelve-month visit are how we judge a result, not how we judge it at three weeks.
Final shape, scars mature
The questions we hear most often.
How do I know what size to choose?
You don’t — that’s our job. In consultation we measure your chest width, the position of your existing breast tissue, your skin elasticity, and your shoulder-to-waist proportions. Those measurements narrow the implant volume to a small range. We then have you try sizers in a supportive bra to confirm the choice. Volumes that look right on someone else may look wrong on you, and the reverse. The number on the implant is less important than how it sits on your frame.
Sub-glandular or sub-muscular — which one will I have?
We decide together in consultation, after looking at your anatomy. Sub-muscular (partially under the chest muscle) is the most common choice for patients with thin breast tissue or low body fat — it gives a more natural transition at the upper edge of the breast. Sub-glandular is used selectively when there is enough natural tissue to drape over the implant and a faster recovery is preferred. Neither approach is "better" in the abstract; the right one depends on what you have to work with.
Where will the scar be?
One of three places: along the inframammary fold (under the breast, where the bra wire sits — the most common, and the scar that is most reliably hidden), around the lower edge of the areola, or in the armpit. The fold incision heals to a fine line that is invisible in clothing and largely invisible in a bikini within a year. We discuss the trade-offs in consultation; the choice depends on your anatomy and on which placement we are choosing.
Will I be able to breastfeed afterward?
The literature shows that most patients retain the ability to breastfeed after augmentation, particularly when the inframammary or transaxillary approach is used. The periareolar approach has a slightly higher risk of affecting milk-duct function. If breastfeeding is a priority for you, tell us in consultation — it changes which incision we choose.
How long do implants last?
Modern silicone implants are not a lifetime device, but they are not on a fixed clock either. Most patients keep their implants for fifteen to twenty years before considering replacement; some keep them longer, some replace earlier for a change in size or in response to an issue. Replacement, when it is needed, is a smaller operation than the original. We discuss the long-term horizon openly in consultation.
What if I think I might want a lift instead?
That conversation happens often, and we will be honest with you about it. If your breast tissue has descended below the level of the inframammary fold, an implant alone will not lift it — it will only add volume to a shape that is already lower than you want. Some patients need a lift; some need a lift plus a small implant; some need only an implant. We will tell you which group you are in.
How soon can I fly home if I am coming from abroad?
We ask international patients to plan seven to ten days in Istanbul. We see you the morning after surgery, again at five to seven days for the post-op check, and once more before you fly. Long-haul flights are safe from day seven; we will write any documentation airlines need. The supportive surgical bra continues for several weeks after you fly home.
Önceki hastalardan fotoğraflar.
Breast augmentation before-and-after pairs are photographed at the three- and twelve-month follow-ups and processed for KVKK compliance before publication. They will appear here — not stock images, not ours.
The best version of this conversation happens across a table.