Breast augmentation in Thessaloniki and Athens, Greece

Breast augmentation makes the breasts larger and corrects their shape, either with a silicone implant placed behind the breast or by moving fat from another part of your body. The aim is a size that suits your proportions. The plan is tailored to each woman.

I choose the implant, the plane in which it sits and the incision according to your breasts, and the operation can be combined with a breast lift or fat transfer.

Augmentation also corrects asymmetry, developmental breast deformities such as tuberous breasts, and the loss of breast volume (atrophy) that follows pregnancy or weight loss. Where the breast droops only slightly, the implant itself can raise the nipple a little, by about 1 to 2 centimetres.

Breast augmentation suits healthy adults with a stable weight and realistic expectations who want larger or fuller breasts. If the breasts have dropped significantly, an implant on its own is not enough, and augmentation needs to be combined with a breast lift. I confirm whether it suits you when I examine you at the consultation.

At the consultation I examine you, take measurements and try sizer implants with you, so that we agree on a size, shape, incision and implant position. You leave with a written plan and a quote. Before the operation you need blood tests and a check for general anaesthesia, and you must stop smoking for at least 4 weeks.

What happens at the consultation?

I examine your breasts and chest, the quality of your skin, the position of the nipple and the breast gland. I take measurements and use an algorithm to work out the range of implants that suit your build. We then try sizer implants together in a special bra, so that the choice matches what you have in mind. We discuss shape, incision and implant position, and whether an implant or fat suits you better. You leave with a written plan and a quote.

What tests and instructions apply before surgery?

You will need pre-operative blood tests and an assessment for general anaesthesia. Smoking raises the risk of complications, so stop for at least 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after surgery. If you take anticoagulants or antiplatelet medicines, tell me; they are only ever stopped in agreement with the doctor who prescribes them. The date of surgery is set once your tests are complete.

Breast augmentation is usually done under general anaesthesia, or under local anaesthesia when the Preservé technique is used, and takes up to 40 minutes. The implant goes in through a small incision, usually in the fold beneath the breast, and my most frequent choice is the dual plane position, partly beneath the chest muscle.

During the operation I infiltrate the area with a long-acting local anaesthetic, so that pain in the first days is minimal. No drains are used. I use Motiva and Mentor implants.

Should the implant go above or below the muscle?

There are four positions for the implant: fully beneath the pectoralis major muscle (submuscular), partly beneath the muscle (dual plane), above the muscle (subglandular) and beneath the muscle’s fascia (subfascial). In a fairly slim woman without particularly large breasts, I prefer to place the implant beneath the muscle: it is better camouflaged, especially in the upper part of the breast, and better supported against the chest wall over the years. Above the muscle, the implant is easier to feel, but the breasts sit closer to the centre and the upper part of the breast is more pronounced.

In practice, my most frequent choice is the dual plane no touch technique. It suits most women, who want a natural result. Where there is mild sagging (pseudoptosis), it also lifts the breast at the same time, without extra scars and with less pain.

Which implant is right for me?

Round implants give more fullness in the cleavage and the upper part of the breast. Anatomical implants give a teardrop shape, with the greatest projection at the level of the nipple, as in a natural breast. Ergonomic implants change shape with your posture. For a first augmentation I usually recommend an ergonomic or a round implant with a smooth surface.

Where are the incisions, and do stitches need removing?

An incision in the fold beneath the breast (inframammary fold) is the most common and my preference. Studies show it carries a lower bacterial load than an incision at the nipple or in the armpit, and therefore a lower risk of capsular contracture, and it allows every implant position, dual plane included. The scar is hidden in the fold.

An incision around the nipple does not allow dual plane placement and needs a large area of tissue to be freed, which over the years can lead to the implant sitting too low (bottoming out) or to visible rippling. An incision in the armpit leaves no scar on the breast, but it is done with an endoscope, allows the implant only fully beneath the muscle and usually only smaller implants.

The stitches are internal and do not need to be removed.

Can breast augmentation be combined with other procedures?

When the breasts have dropped more, augmentation is combined with a breast lift (augmentation mastopexy): the loose skin is removed, the nipple is moved to the right position and the implant fills the upper part of the breast. Fat transfer together with an implant is a hybrid technique that, in some cases, corrects a wide gap between the breasts and rippling.

What is the Preservé technique?

Preservé is an implant placement technique from Establishment Labs (Motiva) that aims to preserve the natural tissue of the breast, with a smaller incision and a faster recovery, and it can be done under local anaesthesia. I have trained in the technique.

Natural breast augmentation with fat transfer

I suggest natural augmentation with fat for women who have fat to spare elsewhere and do not want an implant; the best results are in young women aged 20 to 30 who do not smoke. The fat is harvested and injected with the MicroAire system through incisions of 2 to 3 millimetres. At least 200 to 300 cc per breast is needed, and up to 400 to 500 cc, and each session adds roughly one bra size. How much of the fat survives cannot be predicted, so a second session may be needed after 6 months. You wear a support bra for 2 to 3 weeks, return to work in 2 to 3 days and to sport after 1 month.

Do I need to stay in hospital?

No overnight stay is needed. You go home the same day, with someone to accompany you, wearing a special support band. You must not drive after a general anaesthetic.

The first 1 to 2 days are almost painless, thanks to the long-acting local anaesthetic. Most women return to desk work in 3 to 5 days and to exercise at 6 weeks, while exercises that work the chest muscle wait until 6 months. The breasts reach their final shape at 3 to 4 months.

Breast augmentation needs no overnight hospital stay: you leave the hospital on the same day with someone to accompany you. Plan to stay in Greece for 5 to 10 days before flying home. The stitches are internal, so there is no appointment to remove them.

Your stay usually looks like this:

• Day of surgery. You go home the same day wearing a support band. You must not drive after a general anaesthetic, so arrange a companion and transport.
• Before you fly. I check you in person the day before your flight. The earliest point at which you can fly home is day 5, with no limit on flight length after that.
• Stitches. They are internal and do not need to be removed.
• Follow-up once home. By video call at 10 days, 1 month, 6 months and 1 year.
• At home. Plan for 3 to 5 days off desk work, avoid lifting and sudden arm movements, and do not return to exercise until 6 weeks. Exercises that work the chest muscle wait until 6 months. Bring the support bra I recommend; nursing care at home can be arranged if you would like it.

The breasts reach their final shape at 3 to 4 months, and the scar in the fold beneath the breast fades after about 6 months. Implants are not lifelong, and your breasts keep changing with age and weight, so the result changes with them over the years.

SliderSide by side

Before

After

These photos include nudity.

View

Case 1 / 3

Breast augmentation

Woman, 25 · 12 months after

Results vary from patient to patient.

Nipple sensation and breast function usually stay normal. There is no fixed time to change implants: they are replaced when a problem appears, and after 15 to 20 years we discuss changing them preventively. A pregnancy or a large change in weight can alter the shape.

Serious complications after breast augmentation are rare. The most common reason for further surgery over the years is capsular contracture, a tightening of the scar tissue around the implant. The table shows each risk and how I reduce it; I explain the risks that apply to you at the consultation.

Smoking. Stop for at least 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after surgery; smoking increases healing complications and lowers the success of fat transfer.

Blood thinners. Tell me if you take anticoagulants or antiplatelet medicines. They are only ever stopped in agreement with the doctor who prescribes them.

The cost depends on the method, the implant and whether augmentation is combined with another procedure. I give you a written quote after the consultation and examination, once we have agreed the plan that suits you, so the figure reflects your own operation rather than a general price.

• The method: implant, fat transfer or Preservé.
• The type of implant.
• The anaesthetic, general or local.
• Combining it with a breast lift or fat transfer.
• The amount of fat harvested, for natural augmentation.