Breast Augmentation in Augusta, GA

What is breast augmentation?

Breast augmentation, also called augmentation mammoplasty, increases breast size and improves shape and symmetry using an implant placed behind the breast tissue or behind the chest muscle. It is consistently one of the most-performed cosmetic surgeries in the United States, and it is a routine part of practice for plastic surgeons in the Augusta and CSRA market.

There are two main ways to add volume:

Implants. Silicone gel implants are filled with a cohesive gel that mimics the feel of breast tissue. Saline implants are filled with sterile salt water after being placed, which allows a slightly smaller incision, and a rupture is immediately obvious because the breast deflates. Both are FDA-approved. Silicone is the more commonly chosen of the two, particularly in patients with little natural breast tissue to camouflage the implant edge.

Fat grafting. Fat is removed by liposuction from the abdomen, flanks, or thighs, processed, and injected into the breast. This produces a modest increase — usually less than a full cup size — and some of the transferred fat is reabsorbed by the body. It appeals to patients who want a subtle change and no implant, but it cannot deliver the size increase most augmentation patients are looking for.

Augmentation adds volume. It does not lift. This distinction matters more than almost anything else in the consultation, and it is the reason so many patients end up discussing a combined augmentation-with-lift.

Who is a good candidate?

A good candidate is physically healthy, not pregnant or breastfeeding, has fully developed breasts, and has specific, realistic goals. Common reasons Augusta patients pursue augmentation include naturally small breasts, volume loss after pregnancy or weight loss, and noticeable asymmetry between the two sides.

You are likely to be a poor candidate, or to need a different operation, if:

• Your nipple sits at or below the crease under your breast. That is sagging, and an implant alone will make the breast heavier without raising it. You need a lift, with or without an implant.
• You have an untreated breast cancer or an abnormal mammogram that has not been worked up.
• You smoke and are unwilling to stop. Nicotine constricts small blood vessels and raises the risk of wound-healing problems and infection. Most surgeons require several weeks nicotine-free before and after surgery.
• Your weight is still changing significantly. Surgery is best done at a stable weight you can maintain.
• Someone else wants you to do it.

Surgeons will also want your screening mammograms up to date if you are at the age where they are recommended. Implants do not cause breast cancer, but they can make imaging more difficult, so a clean baseline matters.

What to expect during the procedure

Breast augmentation is an outpatient operation performed under general anesthesia. It usually takes one to two hours.

Incision. The most common approach is the inframammary incision in the crease under the breast, which gives the surgeon direct visibility and hides the scar in a natural fold. A periareolar incision around the lower edge of the areola hides the scar in the color transition but carries a modestly higher risk of interfering with milk ducts and nipple sensation. A transaxillary incision in the armpit avoids any scar on the breast but is technically harder for precise implant positioning.

Pocket. The implant goes either under the breast tissue alone (subglandular) or partially under the pectoralis major muscle (submuscular or “dual plane”). Submuscular placement gives better upper-pole coverage in thin patients and produces cleaner mammogram images, at the cost of somewhat more early discomfort and a temporary “animation” of the implant when you flex your chest. Subglandular placement means an easier recovery but shows implant edges more readily.

Closure. The incision is closed in layers with absorbable sutures. You wake up in a surgical bra or wrap and go home the same day with someone else driving.

Recovery timeline

• Days 1–3. The worst of it. Expect chest tightness, a heavy pressure sensation, and soreness that peaks around 48 hours — especially with submuscular placement. Prescription pain medication for the first two or three days, then usually acetaminophen and ibuprofen. Sleep on your back, elevated. Walk short distances the same day to reduce clot risk.
• Days 4–7. Pain drops off noticeably. Most people stop prescription pain medication. Many patients return to a desk job or remote work at the end of this week. Driving resumes once you are off narcotics and can turn the wheel without hesitation.
• Weeks 2–3. Swelling and bruising fade. Implants still sit high and tight — this is normal and not the final result. Light walking is encouraged. No lifting over about 10 pounds, no pushing or pulling, no arms overhead.
• Weeks 4–6. Most surgeons clear lower-body exercise around week four and full upper-body activity and chest work around week six. A supportive bra is worn most of the day through this window.
• Months 3–6. The implants “drop and fluff” — settling into the lower pole and softening. This is when the breast finally looks and feels the way it will long term. Scars are still pink and firm.
• Months 6–12. Scars mature, fade, and flatten. Final shape and sensation are established.

How much does breast augmentation cost in Augusta?

The single most common mistake patients make is comparing a surgeon’s fee to a total price and concluding one practice is cheaper.

The ASPS national average surgeon fee for breast augmentation with implants is $4,875, and $5,719 for augmentation with fat grafting. ASPS is explicit that this figure “does not include anesthesia, operating room facilities or other related expenses.” It also does not include the implants themselves.

Actual published prices in the Augusta market:

Practice	Published figure
Southeastern Aesthetics	Approximate cost $5,500
Augusta Plastic Surgery	Saline implants $6,000+; silicone implants $7,800+
Image Cosmetic Surgery Center (Augusta page)	Starting at $4,200

Prices marked “starting at” or ”+” are entry points, not quotes. They typically describe a straightforward saline augmentation in a healthy patient with no additional work.

A realistic total in Augusta runs roughly $5,500 to $12,000. Where you land depends on:

• Implant type. Silicone runs $1,000–$2,000 more than saline in most published local pricing. Structured or highly cohesive “gummy bear” implants cost more still.
• Whether a lift is added. This is the big one. Augusta Plastic Surgery publishes $7,800+ for silicone implants alone but $13,000+ for a breast lift with silicone implants — the lift adds real operative time and cost.
• Anesthesia and facility fees, which are billed separately by most practices and commonly add $1,500–$3,500 combined.
• Surgical garments, prescriptions, and pre-op labs, which are small but not zero.

When you call for a quote, ask one specific question: “Is that number all-in — surgeon fee, anesthesia, facility, and implants?” If the answer is anything other than a clear yes, ask for the itemized list. Practices that publish a single flat surgical fee are usually the easiest to compare.

Most Augusta-area practices offer third-party financing through CareCredit or PatientFi. These are consumer loans with interest, not payment plans held by the practice — read the terms, especially what happens at the end of a promotional zero-interest period.

How to choose a surgeon in Augusta

Cosmetic surgery is one of the least-regulated corners of medicine when it comes to who is allowed to hold a scalpel. In Georgia, any licensed physician can advertise cosmetic procedures regardless of surgical training. Your protection is verification, not marketing copy.

Confirm certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). This is the only board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties for plastic surgery of the whole body. “Board-certified cosmetic surgeon” is not the same credential. Verify it yourself at certificationmatters.org rather than trusting a logo on a website.

Confirm the facility is accredited. Ask whether the operating room is accredited by AAAASF, AAAHC, or the Joint Commission, or whether the case is done in a hospital or licensed surgery center. Ask who administers anesthesia — a board-certified anesthesiologist or a CRNA supervised by one.

Ask about their augmentation volume specifically. How many do they do a month? What is their capsular contracture rate? What is their reoperation rate? A surgeon who cannot answer that from memory does not track it.

Look at before-and-after photos of patients built like you — same starting breast size, same frame, similar goal. Anyone can make an ideal candidate look good.

Notice whether they talk you out of anything. A surgeon who agrees to every implant size you suggest is selling, not planning. Oversized implants relative to your tissue are the leading cause of long-term problems: thinning tissue, rippling, bottoming out, and eventual revision.

Risks and complications

Breast augmentation is common, but it is real surgery with real complications. An honest surgeon will walk you through all of this before you sign anything.

• Capsular contracture. Scar tissue tightens around the implant, making the breast firm, distorted, or painful. It is the most common reason for reoperation and can occur years later. Treatment usually means another operation.
• Implant rupture or deflation. Saline rupture is obvious — the breast deflates over days. Silicone rupture is often silent, which is why the FDA recommends periodic MRI or high-resolution ultrasound screening.
• Rippling and palpability, especially in thin patients with subglandular placement or saline implants.
• Changes in nipple and breast sensation, ranging from numbness to hypersensitivity. Usually temporary, occasionally permanent.
• Asymmetry and malposition. Implants can sit too high, drift laterally, or bottom out below the crease. Some degree of asymmetry is normal because breasts are not symmetric to begin with.
• Infection, hematoma, and seroma, which can require drainage or implant removal.
• Anesthesia risks and blood clots, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
• BIA-ALCL, a rare lymphoma of the scar capsule associated primarily with textured-surface implants. It is treatable, usually by removing the implant and capsule, but you should know it exists and ask which implant surface your surgeon uses.
• Interference with mammography. Implants can obscure breast tissue on imaging. Tell every imaging center you have implants so they use displacement views.
• Reoperation. A meaningful share of augmentation patients will have another breast operation within 10 years, for rupture, contracture, position, or a change in preference. Budget mentally for that possibility.

Complications are not evidence of a bad surgeon. Hiding them is.