If you’ve started researching breast augmentation, you probably have more questions than answers right now. Most patients arrive at their first consultation with a clear sense of the look they want but less certainty about how to get there safely, which decisions carry the most weight, and how to weigh trade-offs.
To make that early research easier, Dr. Nathan Leigh, a board-certified plastic surgeon at Edina Plastic Surgery, recently hosted a live webinar on planning for a natural result. Our practice has focused only on cosmetic surgery for almost 50 years, and our surgeons performed more than 500 breast augmentations in 2025 alone. Here are the questions patients asked most, along with Dr. Leigh’s answers, so you can walk into your consultation prepared.
What Should You Think About Before Choosing Breast Augmentation?
Before any conversation about implant size, Dr. Leigh begins with your goal. “Every breast augmentation starts with one question: what is your goal?” he explains. “That sounds simple, but it’s the most important part of the consultation.”
Your reasons shape the recommendation. Some patients want to restore volume lost after pregnancy, breastfeeding, or weight loss. Others want more fullness, better balance with their hips and shoulders, or a correction for natural asymmetry.
“I want to understand what the patient is trying to accomplish. I also want to understand what they’re trying to avoid. Sometimes that’s just as important.”
From there, your height, weight, skin quality, and existing breast tissue all factor in, which is why the same implant can look very different on two people. If sagging is part of the picture, your plastic surgeon may discuss pairing your procedure with a breast lift.
Saline or Silicone: What’s the Difference?
Every implant has a silicone outer shell, and the difference lies in the filling. A saline implant holds sterile salt water. If it leaks, your body absorbs the fluid and the implant empties fairly quickly, so a change in size or softness is easy to notice.
A silicone gel implant is filled with a cohesive gel that many patients find softer and more natural, especially for those with less breast tissue. Silicone implants also tend to ripple less. A leak is harder to spot on its own, so silicone calls for occasional monitoring.
Edina Plastic Surgery uses only FDA-approved saline and silicone implants, and the right choice depends on your anatomy, your preferences, and your comfort with long-term monitoring.
How Is the Right Size and Shape Chosen?
Cup size is a starting point, not a plan. Surgically, Dr. Leigh thinks in terms of volume, diameter, and profile. The width of the implant needs to fit the width of your breast and chest, and the profile determines how far it projects forward.
This is especially relevant on a smaller frame. “As long as the diameter of the implant matches the diameter of your breast, you won’t look too big,” Dr. Leigh says.
Edina Plastic Surgery uses Vectra XT 3D imaging to build a simulation of different sizes and shapes on your own body. We are the only practice in Minnesota to offer it. As Dr. Leigh describes it, Vectra isn’t a crystal ball, but it’s a reliable way to get on the same page before surgery.
Should the Implant Go Over or Under the Muscle?
You have two placement options, and each comes with trade-offs. Placing the implant partly under the chest muscle is the more common approach. It adds soft-tissue coverage in the upper breast, creates a smoother transition from the chest, and hides implant edges well, which helps thinner patients look natural. The trade-off is a bit more tightness or soreness early on, something very active patients tend to notice.
Placing the implant over the muscle can shape the breast nicely in the right patient and often comes with an easier recovery. “They’re each very good options, but it’s really personalized,” Dr. Leigh says.
Where Do the Incisions Go, and Will the Scars Show?
There are three incision options: along the lower breast fold, around the edge of the areola, and through the armpit. Dr. Leigh most often uses the lower breast fold (inframammary incision) because it hides well, gives the cleanest control over the implant pocket, and carries a lower risk of scar-tissue tightening.
Scarring worries almost everyone, and the plan is created with your concerns in mind. Dr. Leigh explains how he closes incisions with absorbable sutures, so there are no external stitches or staples, then supports the site with protective tape. Kept taped for roughly two months while the scar settles, most incisions heal to a thin, fine line.
What Does Recovery Really Look Like?
Breast augmentation is an outpatient procedure done under general anesthesia, and you go home the same day. Most patients are sore but up and moving within hours.
Plan on five to seven days before returning to work and everyday routines. You’ll need to wait longer for running, heavy lifting, and chest workouts. “There’s a difference between being back to normal and being back to everything,” Dr. Leigh says. The pocket needs about six to eight weeks to heal, and it can take close to two months to feel fully like yourself again. Early on, your implants may sit high and feel tight, then settle into a softer, more natural position over the following weeks.
Will Breast Augmentation Affect Breastfeeding?
For most patients, no. The implant sits behind the breast or behind the muscle, not inside the breast itself. When the incision is placed in the lower breast fold, the breast tissue is left intact, and most patients are able to breastfeed afterward.
What Should You Expect at Your First Consultation?
At Edina Plastic Surgery, you’ll meet one-on-one with a board-certified plastic surgeon, talk through your goals, and have measurements taken. You’ll also see your Vectra simulation and can try on sizers.
One practical tip from Dr. Leigh: wear a fitted, light-colored tank top to your consultation. Darker colors are slimming and make the result harder to judge. Keep in mind that sizers worn in a bra tend to look slightly larger than the final result, since the muscle and breast tissue settle over the implant once it’s placed.
Request a Consultation With Edina Plastic Surgery
The best way to get answers for your body and your goals is a one-on-one visit with one of our board-certified plastic surgeons. To learn more about breast augmentation or schedule your consultation, call Edina Plastic Surgery at 952-925-1765 or reach us through our contact form.
