Breast augmentation, often referred to as a boob job, is one of the most popular procedures performed in North America and involves lifting the breasts, inserting breast implants, or reducing the size of the breasts to enhance the shape, projection, and often volume of the chest to create a more balanced, hourglass figure.
Breast augmentation surgery gives people a more youthful appearance and restores confidence by increasing or decreasing the breast size in proportion to the patient’s body frame. Augmentation benefits people who want to enlarge their naturally small breasts, fix volume lost through pregnancy, reduce larger breasts for more comfort, or correct asymmetry.
Some benefits of breast augmentation can include:
While the cost of a breast augmentation in Toronto typically starts in the $10,000-$12,000 range, the price of your procedure depends on various factors, including the type of augmentation you are receiving, the severity of your concerns, the treatment method, and the length of the procedure. To find out how much your boob job at SpaMedica will cost, discuss the various factors with our team during your consultation.
Recovering from breast augmentation (a breast reduction, lift, or fat grafting) will have you experiencing some breast pain for the first 2 days, but recovery is extremely easy afterwards. With breast implants, it will take 2-3 weeks for them to drop down into the pocket of the breast tissue and form a natural-looking appearance. On average, you should be ready to recover for 4-6 weeks to heal fully and achieve optimal results.
Dr. Bell has spent years honing and perfecting his technique into a very accurate and refined breast augmentation procedure, no matter the desired results or concerns. Your operation will take approximately 2 hours and most patients are able to return home two hours after completion of the augmentation.
You are an ideal breast augmentation surgery candidate if:
Correct Uneven Breasts
Balance out naturally uneven breasts to fit well into bras and clothing.
Added Volume and Curve
Add volume and curve to naturally small and flat breasts.
Post-Pregnancy and Anti-Aging
Counteract the adverse effects that aging and pregnancy can have on breasts.
Comfort and Lifting
Reduce the size of breasts that can cause stress on the neck and shoulders while lifting the skin to give them a perky look.
Improve Self-Confidence
Making women feel more comfortable in their bodies by boosting confidence.
Small Skin Infection
If this rare side effect occurs, it will be treated with an antibiotic prescribed by our team of nurses.
Hardening of Tissue Around the Breast Implant (Capsular Contracture)
This rare occurrence is easily managed, usually under local anesthesia, with a revision breast procedure to remove the hardened capsular tissue.
Softening/Enlargement of the Breast Implant Pocket (Pocket Expansion)
Additionally, this issue can be easily managed with an enhancement breast procedure, often under local anesthesia, where the pocket is reduced and the breast internally lifted and supported.
The incision methods performed at SpaMedica for breast augmentation include:
By choosing Dr. Bell and the SpaMedica team, you are choosing one of the most prominent and recognized faces of plastic surgery. Dr. Bell has performed over 5000 breast augmentations, liposuctions, tummy tucks, and body contouring procedures throughout his 25+ years of practice. When you choose SpaMedica, you know you’re in the right hands and will leave our beautiful clinic looking and feeling your best.
Saline breast implants have a silicone outer shell that is filled with a saline solution. The implant can be inserted while still empty and filled with the solution once they have been surgically placed, which means incisions can be much smaller and can be inserted through the armpit or the areola.
The silicone breast implant surgery is the most popular option chosen by Toronto patients and is known for a natural appearance and feel. Silicone implants are pre-filled with semi-solid silicone gel, a cohesive fluid, that feels similar to human fat.
Because these implants are prefilled, they are typically inserted through an under-the-breast incisional approach, called the IMF or infra-mammary fold incision.
Deciding whether to choose saline or silicone breast implants is one of the most important decisions you will have to make during the planning process. The choice of breast implant plays a significant role in the results.
Silicone implants biggest advantage over saline is aesthetic and longevity. Silicone breast implants have a reputation for providing a more natural look and feel, which is why the majority of patients opt for this type of implant. Conversely, saline implants are usually filled once surgically placed, meaning they require slightly smaller incisions than silicone implants. Cohesive silicone gel implants are warrantied by the manufacturer for life, whereas saline implants, which often eventually leak, are only warrantied for 10 years.
The vast majority of patients feel the soft, natural look and feel of silicone is well worth the moderately higher fee. During the initial consultation, Dr. Bell will recommend the best size, style and shape to match your aesthetic goals and expectations for your breast augmentation surgery. And you will be offered the Vectra 3D imaging process, whereby one of the experienced SpaMedica breast imaging consultants will work with you and your 3D photos, to “try on” different sized breast implants to see how they affect your volume, projection and overall body shape. This “3D imaging” comes with your consultation.
Gummy Bear breast implants are named so because they are teardrop-shaped, gel-based implants known to retain their shape better than some saline and silicone implants.
Gummy bear breast implants have the advantages over saline breast implants for being more breast-like in feel and texture, very rarely rippling or leaking, and have a lifetime warranty provided by the manufacturer.
Deciding whether to choose saline or silicone breast implants is one of the most important decisions you will have to make during the planning process. The choice of breast implant plays a significant role in the results.
Silicone implants’ biggest advantage over saline is their aesthetic and longevity. Silicone breast implants have a reputation for providing a more natural look and feel, which is why the majority of patients opt for this type of implant.
Conversely, saline implants are usually filled once surgically placed, meaning they require slightly smaller incisions than silicone implants. Cohesive silicone gel implants are warrantied by the manufacturer for life, whereas saline implants, which can leak, are only warrantied for 10 years.
During your initial consultation, Dr. Bell will recommend the best size, style, and shape to match your aesthetic goals and expectations for your breast augmentation surgery. You will also be offered the Vectra 3D imaging process, whereby one of the experienced SpaMedica breast imaging consultants will work with you and your 3D photos to “try on” differently sized breast implants to see how they affect your volume, projection, and overall body shape. This 3D imaging comes with your consultation.
During your consultation, you’ll determine your goals and desired results, as there are many types and shapes of implants to choose from for your breast augmentation surgery. When deciding upon a kind of breast implant that is best for you, you’ll want to consider:
Breast augmentation can:
Breast augmentation cannot:
The main non-surgical breast augmentation alternative is fat grafting to the breast, which involves harvesting fat from zones where you don’t want the excess fat, preparing and purifying the fat cells and then injecting the fat into the breast tissue.
Generally 50-70% of the fat cells will survive, providing a nice, natural, moderate increase in breast volume and projection. This is an option you can discuss with Dr. Bell during your consultation.
Dr. Bell has performed more than 5,000 breast augmentations, liposuctions, tummy tucks, and other contouring procedures, and has been named Canada’s top cosmetic surgeon by W Magazine.
By using the VECTRA® 3-D before breast augmentation surgery, patients can accurately predict what they will look like post-surgery. Just like trying on a dress at a retail store, seeing your figure in 3D with the implants allows you the “try before you buy” assurance — eliminating the risk of choosing the wrong size or shape of breast implant.
During your initial consultation, Dr. Bell will talk through the different options available to the patient and advise on the type of breast implants and the best incision point to match the patient’s goal. The breast augmentation procedure itself is very safe and quick, often completed in 60 minutes or less. The augmentation is performed as an outpatient procedure, under light IV sedation or general anesthesia.
Every surgical procedure requires patients to take certain simple steps to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible.
Two weeks before the breast augmentation surgery, patients should:
These tweaks to your lifestyle are advised to aid recovery time. Other preparations involve getting your home ready by stocking up on food, getting some loose-fitting clothes that open with buttons at the front, and organizing your space.
The day before the breast enhancement surgery, wash your body and hair with antibacterial soap, take any medication prescribed to you, and don’t eat or drink anything for 8 hours prior to your surgery.
After your boob job surgery in Toronto, you will go home in a soft, supportive bra which helps keep the breasts in the correct position. This needs to be worn 24 hours a day for 4 weeks post-surgery.
Other activities and habits to ease recovery include:
Since breast implants age with you, you may need to eventually have your silicone gel implants replaced, especially if there are complications or you are unhappy with the size and shape after a long amount of time.
You should get regular mammogram screenings if you receive silicone implants, as well as an MRI or ultrasound 5-6 years after the initial surgery and every 2-3 years after that to check for a breast implant rupture. Breast implants also make it harder to breastfeed, so take that into consideration before going ahead with the surgery.
Every patient is different but by following the proper precautions and choosing an experienced surgeon, you can speed up your breast augmentation recovery period. As a general guide, this is a timeline you can expect after you undergo your breast augmentation:
Day 1-2: Focus on total rest to help your body heal. For the first 48 hours you will have breast pain. Follow the post-operative care instructions given to you by your surgeon, such as applying cold compresses and taking vitamins.
Week 1: At the end of the first week, there will be a significant decrease in breast tissue swelling and bruising, meaning most are able to return to work so long as it isn’t physically strenuous.
Week 2: Light exercise can be resumed but more strenuous activity that directly involves the pectoral muscles should be delayed for at least 4-6 weeks.
Week 4: Breast implants will have dropped down into the pocket for a more natural appearance and swelling will have subsided.
Week 6: Patients can return to full activities, including those that involve use of the pectoralis muscle.
Month 3: The breast implants will be fully settled.
The secret to a well-hidden breast augmentation scar is a plastic surgeon like Dr. Bell, who places the scar in a barely visible location, closes the scar expertly, and uses high-tech strategies to limit the length of the scar. SpaMedica offers complimentary laser scar fading after breast implant surgery to ensure the best possible scar elimination for all breast implant Toronto patients.
If you are worried about permanent scarring or are hesitant to go under the knife, talk to the SpaMedica team during your consultation about non-surgical treatment options that can give you a similar, beautiful look with no downtime!
Breast augmentation is commonly performed in conjunction with other body contouring procedures like liposuction and tummy tuck surgery. Mommy makeovers combine breast implants with liposuction and work performed on the abdominal area. Fat grafting to the buttocks, or non-surgical fat reduction procedures like CoolSculpting are also commonly combined with breast augmentation surgery.
The results of a breast augmentation performed with a cohesive gel silicone breast implant are designed to last the rest of your life, especially when you follow the proper aftercare instructions for years following the procedure. Most silicone and saline implants are FDA approved for 10-20 years, and patients often seek out replacements only 1-2 times in their lives.
Breast augmentation using a patient’s own fat is quite commonly performed by Dr. Bell. However, the breast volume that can be achieved with fat grafting is based on the size of the existing gland and its blood supply available to nourish the transplanted fat cells.
Although no artificial implants are required for a fat grafting breast augmentation, the volume achieved is usually less than ½ of the size that a cohesive gel implant could achieve. Fat grafting is only a good option for those patients who have excess fat collections they want removed and would be happy with a small to moderate increase in breast volume and projection.
Breast augmentation surgery performed in Toronto isn’t advised until your breasts are fully developed. In most patients, this is at 18 years of age, but it can be older. If you are unsure if your breasts have stopped growing, consider if growth has been stable for 1 or 2 years. If you think your breasts are still growing and developing, it is best to delay implants.
Having differently shaped or sized breasts is extremely common. Those dissatisfied with their asymmetrical breasts have plenty of options available to them. Breast surgery can be used to reduce the size of larger breasts, augment smaller breasts, or have different sized breast implants placed into each side.
Depending on the goals of the patient, breast augmentation can be used to increase the size of the breasts to match, or breast reduction can be used to size the larger breast to match the smaller one. Patients with significant breast asymmetry can use the Vectra 3D computer-simulated augment surgery to try different size implants in each breast to find the optimal symmetry.
Breast augmentation patients who get pregnant after their procedure have an over 85% probability of breastfeeding successfully. The inability to breastfeed after breast implants may be related to factors other than the implants themselves.
Combining breast augmentation at the same time as a breast lift can be done safely and effectively. By adding a lift to the breast implants, patients further enhance the size and appearance of their breasts. The procedure results in larger breasts that are higher and firmer, too. A breast lift does involve visible scars on the breast, so a thorough discussion of the location and quality of these scars needs to be part of the pre-operative process.
Adding a breast lift to the procedure is particularly effective when the patient loses volume due to sagging of the breast tissue. For this reason, it is particularly useful for those over 40 who have breastfed or had weight fluctuations. It is important to remember that a well-selected and performed breast augmentation procedure alone provides a “lift” effect to the breast and increases the volume and projection.
By using Vectra 3D technology, you will have a very good understanding if breast implants alone provide the kind of lift you are looking for, or if you need to consider a formal breast lift operation (mastopexy).
Through the Assistive Devices Program (ADP), OHIP will help cover the cost of external silicone breast prostheses for individuals who have experienced a mastectomy (the complete removal of one or both breasts) or lumpectomy (removal of part of a breast). This program helps those dealing with mastectomy-related side effects such as physical, emotional, and social disparities regain their body confidence while feeling comfortable with their new appearance.
The effects of breast augmentation on the surrounding breast tissue can be quite varied. Generally, the areas that are affected by the implantation process will experience some degree of stretching and thinning due to displacement. This is because the space for the implant must be created and held in place by pushing aside existing breast tissue. Depending on individual anatomy, some people may experience more pronounced thinning than others.
Over time, however, the thinned-out tissue tends to stabilize and return to its initial state.
At the same time, any swelling or inflammation caused by the breast implant surgery may temporarily reduce blood flow to the surrounding tissue, leading to a decrease in circulation as well as an increased risk of infection or scarring.
The effects of this can usually be managed with appropriate medications and follow-up care from a physician. Additionally, if a patient chooses saline implants rather than silicone gel implants, they run less of a risk of having their breast tissue thin out significantly after the procedure.
