3 Tips to Avoid Having Regrets About Getting Breast Implants

Any woman considering getting breast implants might be having second thoughts, given the recent spate of stories about celebrities deciding to remove their implants. Breast augmentation remains one of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures performed in the U.S., but these highly publicized implant removal stories can be disconcerting if you’re thinking about a boob job.

Most recently, actress Stephanie March went public with her breast augmentation story. The Law and Order: SVU star says she made the decision to get implants for the wrong reasons. She then went through a medical crisis because, as it turns out, she was allergic to the implants. What doctors have dubbed “explant” procedures, such as March’s, have increased by about 10 percent from 2010 to 2014, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Why? There are a variety of reasons, including the fact that breast implants aren’t designed to last forever, and when it’s time to replace them, some women are deciding to take them out entirely instead. But for women who elect to have their implants removed within a few years of their procedure, the reasons are often more related to their expectations before the procedure.

March’s story, for example, highlights the most important thing to consider if you’re thinking about breast enhancement surgery: your motivation for wanting implants in the first place. March says her life was disintegrating and she believed breast implants would help fix it. They won’t.

Some encouraging numbers: The vast majority of women are very satisfied with the results after getting breast implants. On the popular RealSelf forum for plastic surgery patients and surgeons, users give breast augmentation a 97% “worth it” rating, and the number of women getting implants removed is just a fraction of all breast augmentation patients.

If you’re thinking about getting breast implants, here are some tips that will help ensure you are happy about the outcome:

• 1) Do It Because You Want To: Consider thoughtfully the reasons you want implants. Patients who want to feel more confident in a bathing suit or curvier clothing styles usually enjoy their new shape. But think twice, or even thrice, if you’re looking for plastic surgeons because of a husband or boyfriend.

“I think the motivation for doing it is really important,” says Dr. Mia Talmor, a faculty member at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. “I’m always a little bit nervous if someone comes in and their boyfriend or husband is doing most of the talking. You feel like they’re being a bit unduly influenced, and I think that it’s a very individual and independent decision that has to be made without too much external influence.”

• 2) Do Your Homework: Learn about the procedure and consult with at least 2 or 3 board-certified plastic surgeons. That means plastic surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), the only organization recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Use the ABPS website to confirm a surgeon’s certification.
• 3) Size Does Matter: Many of the women who have implants removed complained that overly large breasts interfered with exercise, looked unnatural, and caused back and shoulder pain. Plastic surgeons are seeing more patients who want implants that look natural and in balance with the proportions of the body. A good consultation should include trying on “sizers” in a sports bra to find the best size for your body type. Dr. Alfred Sofer, a breast augmentation specialist in Fairfield, Connecticut, takes it a step further, using VECTRA® 3D imaging to help patients envision the potential shapes and sizes from all angles.

“Patients can view outcomes not only related to their breasts, but to the entire body as well,” says Dr. Sofer. “The major appeal of this imaging system is its ability to provide patients with realistic expectations regarding their appearance.”

It’s also good to review a plastic surgeon’s photo gallery for before-and-after pictures of actual patients. You’ll get a good idea of the surgeon’s style, especially if the majority of patients tend to have implants that look too large for their body types.