Breast Surgery
Breast Augmentation Boston
Dr. Mark Markarian, a board-certified plastic surgeon with offices in Wellesley and Woburn, offers breast augmentation for patients across Massachusetts.
Are you considering breast augmentation surgery?
Dr. Mark Markarian, a board-certified plastic surgeon with offices in Wellesley and Woburn, offers breast augmentation for patients across Massachusetts. This procedure enhances breast size and shape, often with implants, to achieve a fuller, more symmetrical appearance. Explore our breast augmentation before & after gallery to see real patient results, or visit our consultation scheduling page to get started.
- Defining goals & breast implant options
- Who is an ideal candidate for breast augmentation?
- How much does Boston breast augmentation cost?
- Breast augmentation examples
- Breast augmentation recovery process
- Schedule a consultation
- Location
- Frequently asked questions
- Breast augmentation reviews
For most people, the decision to have breast augmentation either stems from a lack of self-confidence in appearance or simply wanting to feel better about themselves.
After breast augmentation, many women report improvements in their psychological well-being, self-confidence, and intimacy with their partners. Breast augmentation surgery is an extremely common procedure that allows patients to achieve their desired look. The procedure is performed to enhance the size and improve the shape of the breasts using breast implants.
You can trust Dr. Markarian to provide you with safe and effective plastic surgery that will give you the confidence to feel beautiful in your own skin. His extensive experience and commitment to providing quality care make him the perfect surgeon for your breast augmentation procedure.
Get in touch to schedule a consultation with Dr. Markarian today!
Why choose Dr. Markarian for breast augmentation Boston?
- Dr. Mark K Markarian, MD, MSPH, FACS, is a Harvard-trained, board-certified aesthetic plastic surgeon
- Active contributor to the field of plastic surgery, authoring numerous articles and chapters in many prominent journals
- Rated as a "top doctor" on RealSelf
- Over 18 years of experience in successfully delivering thousands of breast augmentations
Defining goals & breast implant options
The first step of breast augmentation is to have a detailed discussion about the desired outcome of your surgery. This involves discussing your ideal breast size and shape. You may wish to look at some before and after photos to find examples that you like, which can help you define your goals more clearly.
Then, once you have your goals, there are multiple factors to consider before choosing a breast implant. We'll discuss each below, but the right implants for you will depend on your personal situation. Dr. Markarian will advise during your consultation after assessing your breast diameter, overall chest circumference and the volume of your native breast tissue.
Breast implant size
One factor to consider is what size you wish to achieve. Implants are measured in cubic centimeters (often shortened to "cc"). Dr. Markarian primarily uses the Mentor volume size system. Generally, 150-200cc is necessary for a single cup size increase.
Patients often find it useful to try on implant sizers during their consultation to help them decide.
Breast implant contents - saline or silicone implants?
Patients can choose between saline and silicone implants. Saline breast implants have a silicone outer shell and are often filled during a procedure with sterile saltwater. Saline implants tend to be a little stiffer and rounder. They can also cause rippling of the skin.
Meanwhile, silicone breast implants have a silicone outer shell and silicone gel inside. Silicone implants are considered the most natural feeling implant, more in line with real breast tissue.
Furthermore, the surface of an implant's outer shell can either be textured or smooth. Textured implants are less likely to move around, but smooth implants have a softer look and feel. Again, this can make a difference to the final result and should be discussed in your consultation.
Breast implant shape
Dr. Markarian's patients choose between round or anatomic implants. Both can provide a natural breast shape. However, they differ in the projection of the breasts.
Breast implant location
Many patients ask whether their breast implants should be inserted over or under the pectoralis muscle. Both placements provide a different shape and projection. Dr. Markarian advises placing the implant under the muscle for two reasons:
- It is better for your health as it decreases the risk of capsular contracture
- Many patients describe their appearance as more natural, and their breasts feel more consistent with their natural breasts before surgery.
Furthermore, there are considerations for the incision points of a breast augmentation procedure:
- An inframammary incision is made under the crease of the breast, this is a very common spot for insertion.
- A periareolar incision is made around the outer edge of the areola.
- A transaxillary incision is made via the armpit to avoid creating scarring on the breast. However, only saline implants can be used.
Who is an ideal candidate for breast augmentation?
Women consider breast implants for a variety of reasons. For example:
- Their breasts are different sizes and asymmetrical.
- They are unhappy with the volume of their breasts and wish to enhance them.
- They have lost volume due to weight loss, pregnancy, breastfeeding or aging.
However, patients considering surgery are also often concerned with whether they are suitable candidates for breast augmentation. The ideal candidates are:
- In good physical and mental health
- Near their desired, long-term weight
- Non-smokers
How much does Boston breast augmentation cost?
On average, the total cost of breast augmentation is between $6,000 to $12,000. The cost can vary based on various factors, including your personal circumstances and goals, your chosen implants, and whether additional surgeries are performed simultaneously (for example, combining augmentation with a breast lift).
With this in mind, we have chosen not to publicly display our prices. However, we'll present and explain all costs in your consultation, so you're fully informed.
Breast augmentation examples
Here, a young woman in her 20s is shown six weeks after a breast augmentation with 275cc smooth, round, moderate silicone implants. A one inch incision was made under the breast and the implants were placed under the muscle with a dual plane technique
The next example shows a woman in her 20s six weeks after breast augmentation using 300cc moderate silicone implants. A dual plane technique was performed with the implants placed underneath the muscle.
View the full before & after gallery →
Breast augmentation recovery process
Dr. Markarian creates a specific post-operative recovery program for his patients, but, regardless, six weeks is generally the recommended recovery time after a breast augmentation procedure.
There may be a variation in recovery time recommendations between surgeons as they may use different techniques and implant locations. Dr. Markarian generally places breast implants below the muscle. He recommends patients do not rush recovery as using their pectoralis muscle prematurely can lead to complications, such as displacement of the implant to the sides, fluid collection, or an increased risk of capsular contracture.
Many of Dr. Markarian's patients feel great after three weeks and can begin exercising on a stationary bike. However, to reduce the risk of complications, Dr. Markarian is conservative in his approach to recovery time.
Schedule a consultation
Preparing for a consultation
Dr. Markarian loves answering patients' questions and truly believes the best patients are those that are fully informed. He asks patients to bring photographs of breast augmentation Boston images to make it easier to identify their desired appearance. He also recommends writing down a list of questions that patients may have from their research or talking to friends.
What happens in the consultation?
Dr. Markarian's breast augmentation consultations typically last for 30 minutes. He performs a detailed examination of his patients to carefully assess the different properties of their breasts, including breast width, skin stretch, overall volume, symmetry, and degree of breast droop. He will discuss various implant types and suggest the exact implant that fits your body and matches your goals.
Dr. Markarian also utilizes a breast implant sizing system that recreates the exact breast size his patients desire by physically placing an implant sizer between the breast and bra of the patient to demonstrate what it would look like for the patient in clothing.
Dr. Markarian will also advise on implant placement, skin incision type, the risks and benefits of the surgery, recovery time and post-operative processes.
Patients can also see before and after pictures of women with similar breast size, shape and appearance to themselves and view the result of the surgery at different time frames after surgery. Breast augmentation results immediately after surgery may be different from the result 3 weeks or 3 months after surgery.
Book your consultation
If you're ready to start, you can request a complimentary consultation with Dr. Markarian by filling in our contact form.
Consultations can be performed virtually or in person, depending on your preference.
Location
Most patients come from Boston. However, we see people from all over Massachusetts and even Rhode Island. Our main practice is in Wallasey:
25 WALNUT STREET, SUITE 400,
WELLESLEY,
MA 02481
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Would future weight loss cause breast implants to sag?
Dr. Markarian advises his patients to achieve their desired weight goal before surgery. Losing weight before surgery reduces patients' Body Mass Index (BMI), which reduces the risks of complications from surgery. It will also allow patients to better understand the aesthetic of their breast appearance at their desired weight.
Are medical tests required before breast augmentation surgery?
The pre-operative checks necessary for a procedure depend on the patient's health. For breast augmentation, a short outpatient procedure, Dr. Markarian does not require any significant blood work or other pre-operative studies. Additional pre-operative studies, like labs, X-rays, EKG and so on, may be necessary depending on a patient's age and medical history. As such, it's important to discuss your medical history with Dr. Markarian as part of the initial consultation.
Can you minimize scars from breast augmentation?
Due to the variety of techniques and incision placements used by plastic surgeons to perform breast augmentation surgeries, patients are concerned about lasting scars from the procedure. Dr. Markarian uses a scar-minimizing technique by placing the implant underneath the muscle, and the short incision (less than 1 inch) is hidden within the breast fold.
Generally, any surgical scars patients have may help predict what to expect following a breast procedure. Scars may not settle for up to a year when a final result can be expected. Red and firm scars may fade within a year and become softer and consistent with the skin color of the patient. There are also several scar reduction treatments available, such as laser therapy.
Will I achieve natural-looking results?
One of the key concerns of plastic surgery patients is that they will look unnatural following breast augmentation. This can easily be avoided. Generally, the more superficial the implant is (when placed above the muscle), the more obvious the implant contour will be. Therefore, the breast will appear more unnatural. Dr. Markarian typically places a smaller diameter implant under the muscle to provide a more natural look.
How will the results develop after a breast augmentation procedure?
Boston breast augmentation patients researching the procedure are sometimes worried that the breasts will look unnatural, stick out too much or be too full at the top of the breast. Immediately after surgery, there is a possibility that patients may have too much upper-pole fullness rather than a natural breast slope. This fullness does drop gradually over several months as gravity takes effect and the skin envelope stretches.
Dr. Markarian always tries to achieve the patient's desired aesthetic immediately after their procedure so that they do not have to wait for their implants to drop. He does this utilizing a dual-plane technique to place the implants low.
Should I get a second opinion?
Patients ask Dr. Markarian if it is necessary to visit with other plastic surgeons before they move ahead with a procedure. Dr. Markarian encourages his patients to see other doctors so they have another reference point and may feel more comfortable with their decision.
See more patient results
Ready to talk about Breast Augmentation Boston?
Book a consultation with Dr. Markarian to discuss your goals and your options.
Book a Virtual ConsultationCall (781) 431-0009