Breast Augmentation
Breast augmentation with fat or implants (breast augmentation) is one of the most common plastic surgery procedures.
Many factors determine the shape, size, and appearance of the breasts—from age, heredity, and weight changes to pregnancy, sun exposure, physical activity, or congenital features. During surgery to contour the body, either breast implants or the patient’s own transferred fat may be used. The recommended method usually depends on the patient’s body type and expectations, discussed with the plastic surgeon during the consultation.
Breast augmentation helps restore volume, shape, and firmness after weight loss or pregnancy, create a more proportionate silhouette, and reduce visible breast asymmetry. Women dissatisfied with their breast size, shape, or appearance can consult a plastic surgeon and choose the most suitable augmentation method for them.
Procedure Steps
The course of surgery differs depending on whether breast enlargement with fat or breast augmentation with implants is chosen. The surgical process is also influenced by the type of incision when implants are used.
At the Tautrimas Aštrauskas Clinic, breast augmentation is performed using three methods. When enlarging the breasts with implants, top-quality Motiva, Polytech, and Mentor implants are used.
Depending on the patient’s anatomy, if needed, physicians use a hybrid breast augmentation method. In such surgery, both breast implants and fat transfer are used. Fat transfer is advisable in cases of a wide gap between the breasts or uneven breast size.
Breast Augmentation with Implants, Inframammary Incision
Implants are placed using the dual plane method: partially under the muscle and partially under the gland. Inframammary incision length: 4–4.5 cm, depending on implant size. The scar usually hides in the inframammary fold.
Breast Augmentation with Implants, Transaxillary Incision
The incision is made in the axillary fold, 3–4 cm long; the scar often remains barely visible in the armpit area. Implants are placed using the dual plane method: partially under the muscle and partially under the gland.
Breast Enlargement with Fat (Fat Transfer)
This method involves liposuction of fat from body areas, special preparation, and transplantation into the breasts. About 70% of the transferred fat survives after surgery.
When and for whom is breast augmentation performed?
Breast Augmentation with Implants
Breast augmentation through the armpit is not suitable if the breasts are sagging and require a breast lift. However, when breast shape is appropriate, this method has clear advantages: lower risk of complications, the scar is almost invisible, does not need to be concealed, and does not shift. Importantly, axillary incisions do not damage lymph nodes or lymphatic vessels. Only about 5% of surgeons worldwide perform this method. At our clinic, plastic and reconstructive surgeon Tautrimas Aštrauskas has been performing it consistently for 18 years. Although safe and reliable, this method requires high qualifications, precision, and many years of experience.
Breast Enlargement with Fat
This surgery is suitable for patients who do not want a foreign body in their body. With this method, the breast can be increased by 1–1.5 sizes. For a more pronounced result, the surgery can be repeated, but not earlier than 6 months after the first procedure. About 70% of the transferred fat survives—this outcome is supported by years of practice, special technique, and an experienced team. Note that breast enlargement with fat is suitable only for patients who have sufficient fat in other body areas to use for augmentation.
General Recommendations
If you are planning breast augmentation, at least 4–6 months should pass after childbirth and breastfeeding. If you have chronic diseases, you must consult with the operating surgeon and the anesthesiologist.
Procedure duration
Breast augmentation with implants, inframammary incision:
1–1.5 h
Breast enlargement with fat:
2–2.5 h
Breast augmentation with implants, transaxillary incision:
30–40 min
Procedure duration
Breast augmentation with implants, inframammary incision:
1–1.5 h
Breast enlargement with fat:
2–2.5 h
Breast augmentation with implants, transaxillary incision:
30–40 min
The surgery price
Includes
surgery
general anesthesia
overnight stay at the clinic
medications
nutrition
compression garments
postoperative check-ups at the T. Aštrauskas Clinic, Vičiūnų g. 24, Kaunas
–
Price
| Breast Augmentation with Implants | EUR 3,700–4,000 |
| Breast Augmentation with Fat | EUR 4,000–4,700 |
| Breast augmentation with “B-lite” implants | from 4800 EUR |
| Breast Augmentation and Lift (price with breast implants) | from 4500 EUR |
The exact surgery price will be determined during the consultation when the surgeon assesses the complexity of the surgery.
Preparing for Breast Augmentation Surgery
– A consultation with the operating doctor is necessary before the procedure.
– If you have chronic diseases or other ailments, take medications or dietary supplements, or have had other surgeries in the past, please inform us during the consultation.
– Preoperative blood tests are required to assess the patient’s overall health and determine whether the chosen surgery is safe to perform.
– We recommend a breast ultrasound before surgery and, if indicated or risk factors are present, a mammogram.
Postoperative Period
– More pronounced swelling and bruising are observed for 2–3 weeks after surgery, and scars and breasts may continue to mature for up to 1.5–2 years.
– Wear a compression bra for 1–3 months after breast augmentation. The exact duration may vary depending on the individual situation.
– After the procedure, we recommend a course of manual lymphatic drainage massages. These massages stimulate lymph flow, normalize blood circulation, and are particularly beneficial in reducing tissue swelling and promoting faster healing after the procedure.
– The healing process is accelerated by physiotherapy procedures using laser, radio frequency, and magnet.
– Nipple sensitivity (if present beforehand) and the ability to breastfeed are preserved after breast augmentation surgery.
– Recovery after augmentation with implants through the armpit versus an inframammary incision differs only in that arm movements should be limited for up to 2 weeks after an axillary incision.
– In the first days after any breast augmentation method, a feeling of tightness is common and is alleviated with the recommended medications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do implants need to be replaced? How often?
Breast implants do not need to be replaced if they are intact and undamaged. This can be assessed annually with a breast ultrasound (echoscopy).
Some manufacturers even provide lifetime warranties; however, for various reasons implants may start to leak (“sweat”) or a firm connective tissue capsule may form around them (capsular contracture). In such cases, consult a plastic surgeon to decide individually whether replacement is needed. In Dr. Tautrimas Aštrauskas’s practice, implant replacement is much more often due to changed patient expectations—for example, a different desired size or shape—rather than defects.
What is the price of the surgery?
Prices start from EUR 3,700.
Which implants are used?
Motiva, Polytech, Mentor implants.
How soon can I return to work?
Each body is very individual and work duties differ. In some cases, women feel well and can work a few days after surgery; however, we recommend allowing at least 1 week for recovery.
How long will I need to wear a compression bra?
We recommend wearing a compression bra for 1–3 months after breast augmentation. The exact period may vary depending on the individual situation.
When can I bathe after breast augmentation surgery?
You may bathe 3 days after surgery. If drains are kept longer, you may bathe the day after they are removed. Do not bathe while drains are in place. Avoid public bodies of water, spas, and saunas for 1 month after surgery.
When can I sleep on my stomach after breast augmentation surgery?
You may feel discomfort lying on your stomach for up to 3 months.
Do I need to wear a compression bra after fat grafting to the breasts?
It depends on the individual situation.
When can I exercise?
Depending on the surgical method: 1 to 3 months after the procedure.
Will I be able to give birth and breastfeed after breast augmentation with implants?
Most women can successfully breastfeed after augmentation with implants and, of course, give birth. Still, breastfeeding may sometimes not be possible. This primarily depends on how the implants were placed. The greatest risk of disrupting normal breastfeeding is when implants are inserted through a periareolar incision, as some milk ducts may be damaged. It should also be emphasized that milk production, flow, and successful breastfeeding strongly depend on mindset, the mother–child emotional bond, and proper feeding technique. Therefore, if it does not work the first time, do not give up or assume the implants are the main cause.
How long will I need to stay in the hospital after augmentation with implants?
Usually, the patient can go home the next day after augmentation with implants. However, as in much of medicine, this cannot be stated absolutely. Sometimes the patient remains in the hospital for another day, less often two. This decision depends on the patient’s overall condition and how she feels after surgery.
Will there be scars after breast augmentation with implants?
Yes, there will always be scars after augmentation with implants; in some cases, they are more noticeable, in others almost invisible. If the procedure is performed well, the body responds normally to the incisions and complications are avoided, scars heal neatly and are easy to conceal. Different surgeons specialize in different augmentation methods—Dr. Tautrimas Aštrauskas prefers the transaxillary approach because the scar lies in a natural skin fold and is completely invisible without raising the arms.
Can mammograms be performed after breast augmentation?
Yes. Women with implants, like all others, are advised to participate in routine breast screening from age 50. At that age, mammography is the ideal test for early cancer detection. If a woman knows she has close relatives with breast cancer, screening is recommended earlier. In such cases, breast ultrasound may also be advised, for which implants are not a contraindication.
I am 50 years old. Am I too old for breast augmentation surgery?
The most important factor is the patient’s health, not age. Breast augmentation can be performed at any age. The key is to consider the specific risk factors of the individual patient. Of course, risk factors often increase with age, but the opposite also occurs.
Can I use a solarium or sunbathe if I have had breast augmentation?
Tanning in a solarium or in the sun does not harm implants, but it can make the scars at the incision sites more visible. You should avoid tanning for at least a year after surgery, as radiation can darken scars. If you decide to use solariums after 1 month, we recommend covering the scars to avoid “tanning” them. The implant’s temperature, like the human body’s, rises slightly while tanning. The implant may cool a bit more slowly than the body.
Can the breasts be enlarged with one’s own fat?
Yes. With fat transfer, facial wrinkles can also be smoothed and the skin of the face, neck, or hands rejuvenated. Fat for transfer is taken from the patient’s subcutaneous tissue with a special curette, similar to liposuction. It is then prepared and injected into the desired area.
Is natural breast augmentation possible?
Breast augmentation by transferring one’s own fat is one of the most natural and effective augmentation methods currently used in plastic surgery. No implants are used in this procedure, so there are no reactions related to rejection of foreign tissue. Fat is injected into the breasts with a special curette, so no incisions are needed. To enhance the effect of fat transfer, Dr. Tautrimas Aštrauskas also offers his patients an external soft-tissue expansion device (BRAVA)—a special device that applies continuous gentle negative pressure to the breasts. Negative pressure stretches the tissues and promotes their natural growth.
