Dr. Joseph G. Bauer, MD, FACS, is renowned as one of the most prominent and internationally sought-after breast surgeons in the country. With over 50,000 breast surgeries performed in his career as a plastic surgeon in Metro Atlanta, GA, his expertise attracts patients from around the world to Alpharetta for his exceptionally natural-looking results. Dr. Bauer's unparalleled ability to blend form and function while minimizing any visible signs of surgery ensures that his patients, whether seeking procedures for the breasts, body, or face, look naturally great and never appear as though they've had cosmetic work done.
Dr Bauer revised my 1987 breast augmentation in 2001 and I could not have been happier! Fast forward almost 19 years (2019) and I had him perform another breast revision. The results are outstanding!!! I am a month out of surgery and wow!! He is a perfectionist and it shows in his work. The staff, OR nurses, anesthesiologist and Dr Bauer are the most caring professional group in the business.
I had a botched breast augmentation a year and a half ago from another local surgeon in the Atlanta Area. I was 20 at the time of that surgery. I am 22 now and went to Dr. Bauer to fix the mess I had going on. He took his time with me, made sure to take note of what I wanted and did his best to fulfill my wishes! I used to cry in front of the mirror after my previous surgery because I felt so ugly. Now, 16 days post-op, I am in love with my beautiful new breasts and couldn’t be happier! He had to even me out because I was so lopsided. I have 800cc in my left and 450cc in my right and he reduced my nipple size. I absolutely adore him and highly recommend him to anyone!! Such a wonderful surgeon!
I wanted a breast augmentation for as long as I can remember. I went to the swan center and see Dr. Joseph Bauer (he’s the breast guy)(pun intended) I had several friends refer me to him and I was super excited to be at the swan center my 38B was actually a 42A.... let down! So he suggested going with a silicone high implant. 550ccs!! Huge to next to my tiny little boobies but I definitely wanted them. The swan center is very nice all the staff is caring and make you feel important and comfortable. I am not a normal client. In fact I weight 215 and I’m 5 foot 4. They still made me feel like i was just as important as some of their other patients that looked more like super models. Anyways so day of surgery went smoothly. I did wake up in a lot of pain. I didn’t think I would but it was so bad my husband gave me two Percocet on the way home because I was whimpering. New boobs day 1 looked more long hard alien boobs. I felt great so I did a little more than I hold have the next day and ended up with yeast under one of my breast. The incision was purple and inflamed. Still working on skin care treatments but so far everything is good. 3 weeks out my breast are starting to drop more and my nipples are starting to come back up. From an A cup to a D cup there was a lot of stretching and pain but now I feeling better still wearing my super awesome surgical bra every second of every minute of every day. I recommend the swan center to anyone. Dr. Bauer is truly an artist! I’ll update with more pictures as time goes on Updated on 22 Dec 2018: I absolutely love them! I ended up with DD they look completely natural. I’m so happy I chose Dr. Bauer and the swan center. I have more confidence now than before and they just feel like a part of my body
I met with Dr. Baur today for a breast augmentation consultation. I felt he was incredibly knowledgeable and honestly I got the best feeling from him of any of the surgeons I had met with to date. He was very friendly, he explained things thoroughly, he didn't have any issues answering all of my questions and he made everything very easy for me to understand. He seems to be a great doctor and I really wish I was going to use him. However, I think it's definitely possible that in order to achieve the best outcome possible for my augmentation, I will need to have a lift. And the cost of a lift with Dr. Baur I was told was going to be $12000. That is simply way over what I budgeted for this procedure. And since I am paying cash and not doing credit, I cannot afford that price. But if you can afford it and money is no object, I would definitely choose Dr. Baur to perform your augmentation and lift. He can tell you exactly what he's going to do, he advised me about what size would look best for my body, and he was not concerned about money at all. He even told me that if it were him he would do without the lift. But I am just concerned that if I do the augmentation without the lift once my breast drop, they will sag and hang. Then I will wish I had done the lift. And I don't want to have to go back for another surgery. I only want to have to do this once. So by adding the lift I simply can't afford to have it done with him because it would be $12000 plus any additional fees for medication, labs, etc. So again, he was wonderful to talk to, very knowledgeable and would do an excellent job. But just not cheap. But I guess you get what you pay for.
I've had bigger boobs since I was little. "Lucky me", I blossomed before everyone else. That being said, over the years, gravity took hold and by 22 I needed at least a lift. I didn't have the money then, so I had to wait. My second consultation at 33 proved I needed a lift with implants. So under the knife I went. Updated on 12 Dec 2016: First, to answer a few questions - I chose Mentor - gummy bear round implants, under the muscle. And thank you for those that sent me a "Welcome" to the community. :) So, had surgery on Thursday. I almost didn't have the surgery as my hemoglobin levels were really low on first check. They had to prick my fingers a few more times to get an accurate reading. Note: if your levels are below 9, then you are anemic and can't have surgery. Eek! The past few days after surgery have been a sleepy time. Lol. I can barely stay awake and am really boated. I resorted to milk of magnesia and even that didn't work within the timeframe specified. It took another whole day to go to the bathroom. Also, my back hurts... pretty bad. But that is probably just me and my already bad back. I think at some points my back hurts worse than my boobs. A side warning: they put a catheter in and a tub down your throat. I didn't know that... so to wake up with something down there... was surely a surprise. Oh! And now being able to shower for 6 days - not fun. My roommates had to do my hair... now they understand my struggle. The thick hair struggle! Ha! :) Updated on 14 Dec 2016: Took the tape off. Said I was super swollen and really high right now. Need to ice, ice, ice! Here is a quick picture in my new fancy bra. Lol. :) Updated on 21 Dec 2016: Boobies are good! Took out stitches (some painful - but not too bad). Put more tape on... have to wear tape for another 4 weeks. Ugh. Doc said they are looking great though. Woo hoo! Updated on 5 Jan 2017: Slowly but surely coming down. Another tape change, and more progress happening. Bruising still bad on right breast... but anemia isn't helping any. Again, no pain, no discomfort... just awkwardness. Lol. I did start slowly working out... and laying on my side. Both super exciting!! Updated on 10 Jan 2017: Getting better. Doc says that I can't start massage on them yet... possibly in two more weeks. Looking good from the side though! :) Updated on 25 Jan 2017: So, went to VS and here are my first purchases. Bras feel funny now... but, kinda nice to have support. More to come soon!
Went from a 34 B to a 36 DD and I'm super happy with the overall results. Don't have a ton of time to write the review, but I will say -- if you're thinking about going a little bigger, DO IT. I got a 375cc in one and a 400cc in the other. Silicone under the muscle. I do wish I had gone up to 450 or 500, but with that said, my doctor said these were already pretty big implants for my body so the bigger ones may not have fit! I love my new boobs... sometimes I just think I'd love them even more if they were a little bit bigger. One thing I will say is you can't go in thinking "I'm definitely getting high profile" because it doesn't work like that. The doctor will pick which implants work best for your body and I'm really happy with the moderate profile plus that my doctor chose. Also, about 8 weeks after surgery, they'll tell you you need to get underwire bras where the wires lay flat against your chest. I had no luck finding these at Victoria's Secret for my size so if you're in the same boat, try Soma! I got some awesome, super comfortable bras there for way less money. Very happy I went through with this surgery and I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting a confidence boost. Just go in with realistic expectations and don't second guess yourself as far as size goes.
I was tired of making a goal for every summer. My goal was to be in shape by my birthday; which is in July. For the past seven years I have not met that goal. Because of work schedule ,work stress, kid stress.....must I go on! I made no time for me. Well doggone-it! It's my time! I scheduled my consultation for liposuction and after set my date! Updated on 19 Apr 2016: This is me at 19 days post op! I'm starting to see a lot of swelling going away. Bruising is almost gone but still sore. Work in progress!!!!
I drove all the way up from Panama City, FL after doing extensive online research on multiple doctors (even in other cities) for my breast augmentation and decided to book a consultation with Dr. Bauer. Based off his reviews and website, I drove 5 hours with only 1 consultation booked with him. During my consultation with Dr. Bauer and nurse Katie I felt 100% confident with booking my surgery at The Swan Center. I am officially 8 weeks post op breast augmentation and couldn't be happier with my results. I chose silicone implants under the muscle. Dr. Bauer picked the perfect size for me when I told him I wanted to become a Full C. He chose the range of 300cc-325cc. During surgery he put sizers in and decided 325cc fit my body frame best to achieve my C cup. I am 110% happy with my results and had a fantastic/smooth recovery with the instructions given to me by him and the nurses. I would recommend going to Dr. Bauer for your breast augmentation! Him and his whole staff (especially Nurse Katie are phenomenal) PS ladies- the pain during recovery wasn't even bad which was my biggest concern. THANKS DR. BAUER. You're the best!
HI realselfers! I am just another gal who had insecurities all her life due to her small breasts. I am so glad to have found this website because it has helped me tremendously during this journal. Some background info on me: 24 year old female who grew up in a very conservative family. My parents were always disgusted by fake boobs. This is mainly because almost every women on my extended family has had breast augmentation. Therefore, growing up it was always reiterated to me that breast augmentation is not something a smart woman would do. M/y childhood was more focused on school work, although secretly I wanted boobs so bad. Fast forward, I started dating my now husband. He has caught me browsing on the internet looking at breast augmentations before. He also really disapprove of them (we both have conservative families). So i pushed that thought aside. A month after we got married, my husband gave me two choices; 1) we invest money into a retirement account for me or 2) i can use that money to get breast aug. I told him he didn't have to even ask! Besides, what 24 year old want to save up for retirement? My husbands likes to plan ahead lol. My breast aug journey: So around September of this year was when I started doing research about breast aug. I interviewed with about 5 plastic surgeons (all of which I found through realself). I ended choosing Dr. Bauer from the Swan center (look below for complete review). My advice for those of you who are still doing research - interview with as many PS as you can! This way you are sure of your decision and will not have any regret! In the end, my husband I laid out a portfolio of all the surgeons we saw and we narrowed it down to two doctors. We did went on the american board of plastic surgeon and the Georgia medical board (basically we did a background check). This was what lead us to choose Dr. Bauer for my surgery. Stats: 5'5 feet tall 108 lbs ( I weighed my the morning before surgery) No kids! I am also a very athletic individual. I lift weights about 5 times a week and run about 3-4 times a week. My biggest pest about this whole journey is not being able to work out! Updated on 11 Dec 2015: Here are some pics of my breast before and after. I didn't take enough before pics :( Updated on 11 Dec 2015: My surgery was scheduled around 8AM yesterday (12/10). My husband and I actually came 30 mins late due to traffic! Sitting in traffic did not help with my anxiety. However as soon as I arrived at the Swan Center, I felt a lot better. The nurses made me feel at home. I did a urine test to check for pregnancy (even though my period start yesterday), changed and got hooked up with the IV. I am a huge baby when it comes to needles, but the nurse made sure I felt really comfortable. She gave me a "cocktail" which made me super relax. I even started giggling for no apparent reason. Afterwards the Dr came in and marked me. They moved me into the surgery room (which looked very scary with all the machinery surrounding the operation table). The bed I laid on was heated so that felt really nice. The anesthesiologist told me I should be out soon. All I remembered was talking to the nurse about my age (she couldn't believe I was 24) and then I was knocked out. When i woke up, I was so drowsy. I woke up asking the nurses "so when do we start?" and they were like "we already finished, you're all done!" So yeah the surgery went by quick! Nurses changed me and put me in a wheelchair. Again, everyone at the Swan Center was very accommodating. This made my whole surgery experience super nice. Pain: So this was a topic I was really concern about. After reading a thousand reviews on realself and watching youtube BA vlogs, I noticed that everyone had a different experience when it came to pain. Waking up from surgery I did not feel any pain, just pressure on my chest. I only took 1 pain pill after eating that morning because I thought it wouldn't be that bad. I WAS WRONG. I woke up around 2pm in tremendous pain. I couldn't move my arms or anything. I just laid there wanting to cry because it hurt so much. Luckily my husband heard my cries and came in. We decided to pop 2 pain pills right away even though it wasn't time yet. After I took my second round of pain pills and ate some dinner....I felt SO much better. I ended up laying on the couch coming in and out of sleep. Sleeping at night on my back wasn't as bad as I thought. I know a lot of girls complain about back pain, but I'm a back sleeper so it wasn't bad at all. I also brought a wedge pillow and that helped alot. Updated on 12 Dec 2015: So far I am doing very well pain wise. It does hurt in the morning when I wake up because the pain meds wore off. I still need help getting in and out of bed though. Most of the pain right now is on my sides. I wonder if thats because my implants are really wide for my chest OR if the tape is digging into my skin.....maybe both. SIZE: So I want to share how I ended up with my size. I know implant size is one of the more difficult decisions because we all want to look natural but not having any regrets. During my consultation and my pre-op I expressed that I really want to be a large C/small D. The nurses told me to pick a range of cc....that way the surgeon can start at the bigger end of the range and work down until he finds a size that is safe and natural for me. I picked a range of 350cc - 375cc. Before the surgery I was really leaning towards 375cc. I saw other females online with similar stats as mine with 375 or even bigger... However, on the day of surgery Dr. Bauer came in to mark me. He expressed to me that he will try to go as big as he could but since I have such a small frame, He doesn't think he could fit 375cc. At first I was disappointed to hear that but I trust him and his judgement. Now that I'm done with surgery, I thought he made a right choice by giving me 350cc. I think any larger, I would really have a hard time healing. Yesterday I wore a button up flannel and went to run errands with my husband. I wasn't wearing a bra (still have tape on) but both my husband and I thought the implants suited by frame really nicely. Not too big and not too small. Overall, I'm happy with my size. I hope they don't shrink too much Updated on 12 Dec 2015: I've been re-reading some of my updates. I apologize for the bad grammar, its the pain meds! I can never focus on one task for too long. :( Updated on 20 Dec 2015: Sorry for the lack of updates! So much as happen since my post op. I had my post op last Wednesday (12.16) and when the bandages came off, my boobs were sitting high and swollen! I could still tell they looked great. Dr. Bauer informed me to continue to take it easy and to ice! Both of which I had a hard time doing. After my post op I started gradually feeling better. Now at day 10 post op, I can finally lay on my size (briefly), get in and out of bed without help, and cook! I still feel numbness around the sides of my breasts and around my nipple. Pain wise, I only feel short periods of pain sporadically throughout the day, all of which are very barely and are more of a nuisance that anything. I stopped taking pain pills around day 4 and didn't even ease slowly by taking OTC pain meds. I just stopped taking pain meds all together and I feel fine. In fact it's because I feel so fine that I forget to take it easy! Updated on 24 Dec 2015: Finally at the 2 weeks mark! Healing has really tested my patience. For the 1st week after surgery I was depressed. Depressed mainly because I couldn't enjoy the things I usually do to de-stress (i.e. working out, cooking, cleaning lol). Even though I was resting I was still stressed out because of school (grad school never pause). Anyway this week has been A LOT better. Everyday I feel slightly more better and have more mobility. I was driving by day 6 and it was fine. I didn't have any difficulty steering the wheel, only difficulty opening the car door and putting the seat belt on. Here's my timeline: Day 6 - driving Day 9 - finally getting in and out of bed without any assistance and more ease. Finally able to put on pull over tops and sport bras by myself Day 10/11- started walking on thread mill at 3.4 mph, pausing every time i felt my heart rate go up Day 12 - continued light cardio. I can reach high shelves if needed, just gotta reach up very slowly Dat 14 - I feel asleep on my side! Accidentally though. There wasn't any pain, it just felt weird. I didn't stay on my side for long though. Pain - I only feel pain towards the end of my sleep. Early in the morning my breasts get really stiff and the surgical bra did not help. I also feel burning sensation on the side of my left boob sometimes. I asked the nurse about this problem and she said it's normal. My left boob is the troublesome one. Post op appt - At 2 weeks I was instructed to start breast massages (3x a day). The nurse demonstrated to me how to do this. It looked a lot easier than I thought, my breasts are still firm so its difficult to massage. I'm also allowed to move out of my surgical bra into wireless bras, however I started easing into sport bras before the appointment. The surgical bra is so uncomfortable! I brought a sport bra from american eagle in size medium before the surgery and its currently my favorite bra. Physical aspects - Breasts are still high and firm. From the pics they look high, but trust me when I say that at the 1 week post op they were a lot higher (chin boobs literally). They dropped a good bit, but still got more to go. My nipples are no longer pointing downward. That's my update! I wish all you gals out there a merry x-mas and happy holidays! If you're healing this holiday season, I wish you a good recovery. Updated on 30 Dec 2015: No major changes to report! I'm still having burning sensations on the side of my left boob. It gets worse if I take my bra off for a while, which I do for about ~20 min every night. The pain is also more evident at night towards the end of my sleep. Bra sizing: After my 2 weeks post op, I was told I could move to wireless bras. I brought a Bali bra on amazon (pic is shown) and the smallest band I could buy is a 34. Wearing it right now. It's not super comfortable so I might return. I also went to kohls and brought a wireless Hanes bra in medium. The hanes bra is super comfortable and fits me much better. Last week I did go to the mall to do some last min x-mas shopping. I ended up trying out bras at Gap. Could not fit their 32C, as the band and the cups did not rest on my ribs. I went ahead and tried out a 34C (thinking the band might be too small) but the same thing occurred. This means, my cup size right now is a 32C/D, depending on the brand. I do have measuring tape at home and measured myself 5x! From what I measured, I'm 32D. I hope they do not shrink too much because I really like my size right now! Massages: Right after my 2 week postop appointment I forgot to massage my breast. My husband and I were traveling and I kept forgetting. After x-mas my husband reminded me and I got to it. Gotta say, it helps so much with tightness! Throughout the day my chest muscle tenses up from moving around and the massage really helps relaxes that muscle. My breasts has gotten a lot softer because of this too. They're still firm compared to natural breast though. Still got a long way to go! Question: Has anyone taken their bra off before bed? I don't recall being told to remain in a bra during bed time but I still wear a sport bra while I'm sleeping, just for support. Updated on 19 Jan 2016: Hi everyone! Can't believe it's already been 6 weeks. Some days I wished recovery would be faster, other days I'm amazed at how time has flown by. Pain/discomfort: At my last update, I talked about the burning sensation on my left boob. Happy to say, that pain is gone! By the 4th week, the burning sensation had dissipated. I can sleep on my side, I can lay on my tummy - no discomfort whatsoever. I just can't lay on them too long because my boobs start to get stiff. Dropping - Boobs have dropped a lot. However, they still have a bit to go. They haven't "fluff" much in my opinion. Maybe around the 3rd month, I'll see more fluffing. Size - I really really hope they don't shrink! I have no more swelling and I love my size. Some days, I wished I've gone bigger but for the most part I am happy with them at the moment. I brought a few bras from the VS semi sale and am fitting in a 32D perfectly. I still wear size S for most sport bras. The best part of all is that no one suspect a thing! The only people that know about my augmentation is my husband and sister, both of whom knew only because I told them. My in-laws, parents, coworkers and even close friends cannot tell! My gym friends can't even tell! This is probably because before the BA, I always wore super padded push-up bras (even my sport bras). Still wearing wireless bras and sport bras. My post op appointment with Dr. Bauer was scheduled for this week but it got rescheduled to next week because he's overbooked. Will update with any news from the Doc next week! Here are my surgery stats again for those who asked: - Height: 5'5 - Weight: 107 - 109 lbs - 350cc Mentor moderate profile silicone implants - Implants were placed under the muscle I love that I went with moderate profile because I like the side-boob look. Moderate profile def made me look more "full and wide" on top. My husband told me I looked more curvy and full now, as if I've gained weight. Which is great! I no longer look like a skinny pre-puberty teen. Updated on 5 Feb 2016: Nothing significant to report! Breasts have continued to drop and I think the swelling is pretty much gone. I am loving the shape of my breasts! I am experience boob greed on some days. Sometimes I wish I've gone bigger, some days Updated on 5 Feb 2016: Realself just posted my update in the midst of me typing! Weird. Anyway, yes I am still experiencing boob greed. My husband thinks they look great though. Hopefully this feeling will subside. I have almost fully adjust to my workout routine pre-surgery. I starting running last week and had no problems. I just couldn't run for more than 8-10 mins at a time because I wasn't use to the bouncing. I miss my 6th week post op appointment though. I am still wearing silicon strips on my incisions as instructed at my 2 weeks post op. I havent seen any drastic change to my incisions other than the fact that they're no longer risen. Would appreciate any recommendations on scar-healing products! Updated on 7 Apr 2016: Just wanted to give quick update on my boobs! They have continued to drop and as a result have gotten bigger. I love them! I am now boderline DD cup. I should have waited to buy bras but I'm definitely not complaining about a bigger cup size! Updated on 19 Sep 2022: Came back on this lovely website to do some research and thought I give a 6 year update. Since my breast augmentation I have had 1 pregnancy and also breastfed my baby for 8 months. I still love my boobs and so regret it at all! I am still a D cup but due to pregnancy and nursing my breast have sagged a lot compared to the pictures you see before. My husband actually prefer my breasts with the natural sag. He says it looks much more natural. It also FEELs a lot more natural. I thought they were soft before but after becoming a mom, they are much more soft and suppled. I do miss the perky boobs from time to time but nothing a push up bras doesn’t fix. I gained a lot of stretch marks on my breast during pregnancy but they have lighten and don’t bother me too much. If I were to do it again, I would still pick the same surgeon and same implant size!
I've wanted bigger breasts from as far back as I can remember. I was always very petite as a teen and even as I was approaching young adulthood I never really filled out in the typical areas that most women fill out in. I consider myself to be very fit and I lift weights on a regular basis to assist with a more shapely figure. Even though I am petite I have always had a full, round butt and my weight training has helped me achieve what most people consider to be a "perfect" butt. Unfortunately, lifting weights shrinks your boobs and doesn't help them "grow" like it does for the glutes. This makes me want boobs even more now to even out my figure and feel more womanly. I have always been really self conscious of my breasts but thanks to push up/padded bras, I was able to put off having a breast augmentation due to the fact that I could hide my true size from the world behind these "miracle" bras. As I get older, I just want to feel more womanly instead of constantly feeling like I'm stuck in a 16 year old's body. After I graduated from college, I continued my research on breast augmentations and doctors. I stumbled upon Dr. Bauer from the Swan Center for Plastic Surgery again and I decided to book a virtual consultation. So far I am very pleased with the level of service the staff at the Swan Center offer and the vibe that I get from Dr. Bauer. I feel comfortable going through with the procedure. Since I am flying in for my surgery, my pre-op appointment is scheduled for the day before my surgery. I was told that the Swan Center has the largest inventory of breast implants in the Atlanta area so I am hoping that I can find the perfect pair of implants to suit my body frame and size. Dr. Bauer has already said that he recommends I have silicone implants via the inframammary fold and under the muscle. I'm really excited to try on the different size implants in my next consultation. I'm hoping for 250-300ccs but we will see what the doc recommends. I'll keep you all posted! My stats are as follows: - 105 lbs - 5'2" - 32AA hoping to be 32C Updated on 4 Nov 2015: I can't get enough of Instagram and YouTube celeb Sophia Miacova...the girl is just gorgeous! I'm pretty certain she had a breast augmentation about a year ago and her boobs look amazing. Even though she's 5'6" and I'm 5'2", she has the same build as I do so I am hoping to have similar results. Updated on 17 Nov 2015: I'm on my way to my appointment for surgery at 6am this morning. I'm not sure what time my surgery is scheduled for exactly but 6:30 am was the time I was told to be there. I've been busy running around the past few days getting things ready for this day and it's finally here! I've got my nightstand setup with all of my post-op necessities, cleaned and disinfected the house I'm staying at while visiting Atlanta, and bought a wedge pillow and extra pillows for upright support in bed. I don't know if I'm having a delay of nerves or if I'm just so excited to have boobs that I'm just not nervous at all. What I'm nervous about is the pain after but I'm hoping it's tolerable. Yesterday I had my pre-op appointment and I decided on Mentor silicone smooth moderate plus profile implants. I chose the 275 cc implants after trying on 250ccs, 275ccs and 300ccs. The 250ccs didn't have enough upper pole fullness and looked a bit like a ball sitting on my chest. The 275ccs gave me a nice contoured look at the top, which is what I wanted to achieve the natural sloped look of breasts. The 300ccs had too much upper pole fulless. Dr. Bauer chose all of the implants in the range (250-300) and profile (moderate plus) that I wanted based on my research. He went off of the pictures I gave him of my wish boobs. Because we are on the same page, I know I will be happy with my results. Dr. Bauer is so sweet, along with his staff, and he is really confident in his work which makes me feel like I'm in the right hands. He mentioned yesterday that he is going under the muscle and using deep sutures as an anchor so that my implants don't drop below my crease and I don't experience bottoming out. It sounds painful but I hope it's worth it. I can't wait to update you all and post some post-op pictures when I am somewhat functional again. Wish me luck ya'll :) Updated on 17 Nov 2015: Here are some pics a few hours after surgery. I'm still drifting in and out of sleep so I will post my surgery day experience later on. My stats are as follows: - 103 lbs dry - 5'2" - Was a 32AA (based on doctors measurements yesterday but have worn 32A bras since forever) - Now I'm a 32C (4 cup sizes bigger) - Mentor Round Smooth Implants - 275 ccs Moderate Plus profile - Under the Muscle placement - Inframammary fold incision Updated on 18 Nov 2015: I was told I couldn't eat after midnight the night before my surgery so I was happy when I got the call the afternoon before saying I had to be to the Swan Center at 6:30am. They don't tell you the exact time your surgery is but I knew it must have been scheduled for early if they wanted me to come in at 6:30am. The quicker I got in and got out, the quicker I could eat! :) I checked in at the Anesthetic Center and waited for about 5 minutes before I was called in by my anesthesiologist. He led my mom and I to my suite which looked like a hotel room. The Swan Center and it's amenities remind me of a fancy hotel which made me feel relaxed and not like I was about to have surgery. After they tested for pregnancy, I slipped into my gown, hair net and medical shoe covers. They put me in a recliner and placed a warm blanket on me. They also had a mini heater pointed at me which also made me feel nice and toasty. I tend to get very cold and start to tremble when I'm nervous but this time I just felt relaxed. As you can tell the Swan Center is very skilled at making their patients feel comfortable and at ease from the first consultation to after the surgery. They then hooked me up to an IV and put some medicines in the line. Dr. Bauer came in, marked me up, and minutes later I was led into the operating room. I remember lying down on the opeating table and my anesthesiologist injecting my IV line with something which made my arm sting really bad and it was lights out after that! I don't remember being very awake and aware of what was going on once the surgery was over. I remember voices and being put onto the wheelchair but that's about it. I woke up 3 hours later in my bed at home and even then I was still drifting in and out of sleep. On a scale of 1-10 the pain was about a 5. Every time I went to the bathroom, which was quite a bit given the amount of water I drink a day, I kept taking a peak of my new boobs ^_^ I couldn't help it! I stayed awake for a few hours to eat, take my medicines, ice my chest and attempt to watch a movie. I would fall asleep a few minutes into every movie because of my pain meds; they made me drowsy. I didn't experience any nausea whatsoever after my surgery and could eat just fine, so I consider myself lucky. I have what I think to be a sensitive stomach so I found this to be interesting. I have a bit of swelling in both breasts but it's normal and as the day went on my chest felt tighter and the pain went from a 5 to a 8. I have no bruising so far and I started taking Arnica and Bromelain for swelling, bruising and pain. My breathing is fine so far and I can take long breaths. I do find myself hunched over because pulling my shoulder back stretches my chest muscles and causes a lot of pain. Trying to keep my arms at my sides will take some time to get used to as I'm not used to the T-Rex like positioning of the arms . I'm trying not to reach for things and letting my mom get them for me instead. She has been so caring and helpful; I'm really glad she came to Atlanta with me for my surgery. I received a call later on that night from Dr. Bauer just to check on me and see how I was feeling. Dr. Bauer and his staff truly make you feel like you are important and apart of the Swan Center family. I've had such a pleasant experience so far. I pray it stays this way and I have a speedy recovery. I've attached some pictures of the Swan Center and my suite in case you're thinking about having surgery done in Georgia. Updated on 18 Nov 2015: So my doctor warned me the day before my surgery by telling me I would hate him the day after surgery. He said the day after is always the worst, pain wise. Well let's just say I'm in the most pain I think I've ever been in in my life but it's still tolerable once I'm on the pain meds. I've been trying to sleep it off in the hopes that I'll just wake up to no pain eventually. Like many women on here have described, it feels like my implants are going to pop out of my chest and an "elephant" is sitting on it. I'm having to take shorter breaths now as the tightness increases. I can't even get out of bed without someone physically lifting me up. Once I'm up, I'm in a lot of pain from gravity weighing down on my boobs so I've been taking it easy all day and have been lying in bed watching Netflix, eating, sleeping, etc. Feeling a bit helpless but still hopeful. I have 1.5 more weeks to recover before I head back home so I'm in no rush. My doctor also prescribed me MiraLAX to help with constipation from all of the meds I'm on and I finally had my first bowl movement today. It took 24 hours to work but it's better than a lot of the others who went days without having a bowl movement. Before the surgery I went once or twice a day. I also bought some Magnesium Citrate just in case the MiraLax doesn't work but I seem to be doing just fine. Updated on 19 Nov 2015: Today was my first day out of the house. My mom and aunt decided to go to the gym so I tagged along for the ride and went to the nail salon next to the gym. I didn't want to be out for long just in case I started to get tired so we aimed to be there for about 45 minutes to an hour. I felt like treating myself to a manicure and pedicure after being cooped up at home for the past 2 days. It also gave me a chance to walk about and help with circulation in my legs. I didn't use the back massager in the pedicure chair as I knew I couldn't handle my new breasts bouncing up and down as yet. Jerky or quick movements are a no-no when recovering and you'll learn that fast enough. A slow back massage would have been great though since I do experience some lower back pain from me sleeping in the upright position every night. That will be another treat to myself once my doctor gives me the go ahead to lie on my breasts. Anyways, the highlight of my night was the fact that I had to lift my hand up and over my breasts to have my manicure done. I was glowing inside when the lady asked for my hands and I had to clear my side boob first!! I also haven't been able to wear a bra since I'm still in a taped bra and today I only had on a track suit hoodie. I couldn't believe how nicely I filled it out. Even when I wore a padded bra in it prior to my BA, I didn't look as nice as I did in it tonight. It's these little things that mean so much to me :D Posted some pics of me today as well. Swelling is going down and the implants aren't as "square" as they looked the day of surgery. My muscle relaxes a little bit each day and the top of the implant starts to look smoother. They still look like torpedoes but I think it's because of the taped bra. It's supposed to maintain a particular shape and position. I'm hoping once the tape comes off in 4 days, they will be free to settle in a natural position and start to drop. Updated on 23 Nov 2015: I had my first post-op appointment today. I was asked to shower for the first time this morning so that the taped bra would be easier to come off at my appointment. I was ecstatic when I woke up this morning; the past week has been rough with me only being able to have sponge baths. I'm big on hygiene and I felt like I wasn't able to address the issue properly. It's hard to get rid of any armpit odor you may have within the first 6 days because the taped bra covers half of your armpits. So I drove to my appointment this morning and didn't have much discomfort. Taking sharp turns was the only issue I had because the car I borrowed was an older car and the powersteering wasn't that great. The tape came off easily at my appointment and the doctor said everything looked great. He just advised me to keep on icing and continue to keep my arms at my sides. He also said to take it easy as people tend to think they can resume normal activities just because they feel better. I still have some fluid "a squishy spot" in between my breasts and Dr. Bauer said that that will go away if I continue to behave. My incisions are healing but they look bumpy and it's still very red. They put some steri-strips over the incisions and fit me into a post surgical bra towards the end of my appointment. Mannn it felt tight. My implants felt like they were being squished into pancakes. The steri-strips are supposed to provide extra support to my disolvable sutures. They told me they will also help flatten out my scars and make my incisions heal straight. My breasts look more natural now that I'm out of the taped bra, even though they are still sitting high. The taped bra made them look and feel more like torpedoes. I am still a 32C but my doc did say that as the swelling goes down, I could end up being a full B/ small C. I hope I don't go down to a B cup because I might just experience boob greed. I bought some silicone strips after my appointment to assist with the healing of my incisions, along with Airborne to make sure I stay healthy while I recover. I sneezed last night and I felt like my chest was going to explode. I ended up having some pain in the middle of my chest afterwards. The nurse told me sneezing and coughing could lead to the sutures pulling apart. If this happens I would have to go back into surgery. That really scared me since I thought I may be getting sick because of the change in weather. Right now I'm just taking vitamins, herbal supplements and Advil (when needed) to help me through the rest of the recovery. I'm continuing to ice also, as per doctor's instructions. I will update you all going forward if anything changes. Updated on 29 Nov 2015: Everything is going great with my recovery so far. At my 6 day post-op appointment, my doctor said to continue to take it easy for another week and keep my elbows tucked in at my sides as much as possible and that's what I've been doing. I no longer experience pain throughout the day and I've stopped taking pain killers. I'm only taking Bromelain and Arnica to help with the remaining swelling and prevent future bruising. The only discomfort I experience is in the morning when I'm getting out of bed. This feeling I experience in the morning is known as the popular term "morning boob". My chest muscles feel really tight first thing in the morning but as I get up and move around they start to relax. I've also been given the go ahead to buy a wireless bra which I can wear 14 days post-op. I'm quite excited to get out of this surgical bra next week because I'm experiencing chaffing and itchy rashes from the one the doctor gave to me. I'm not sure if it's too tight or I'm allergic to the bra. I've been using Burt's Bees diaper rash cream to alleviate the symptoms and it works well. Finding a 32C wireless bra was a challenge. My doctor recommended I get a Bali bra from Target but I couldn't find my size. They were all for bigger women with bigger cup sizes. I ended up finding a nice wireless lounge bra from Victoria's Secret. The orginal price was $49 but I scored a deal on Black Friday and bought two (buy one bra get one 50% off). I also found some nice soft bras by Hanes from Target for $14.99. They are super soft and comfortable for wearing to bed or around the house. Links for the bras are below: https://www.victoriassecret.com/bras/body-by-victoria-collection/the-lounge-bra-body-by-victoria?ProductID=250728&CatalogueType=OLS http://m.target.com/p/Hanes®%20Women's%20Full%20Coverage%20SmoothTec™%20Band%20Unlined%20Wireless%20Bra/-/A-16776678 My right implant is taking a bit longer to drop and has a square shape to it. I notice it more in the cleavage area. I'm assuming this is due to me being right handed and using my right chest muscle more but I could be wrong. I also had two pea-sized bruises - one on my right and one of my left breast. They showed up a few days after the surgery but are almost gone now. I'm continuing to be patient as I know these are common issues within the first few weeks of recovery. Dr. Bauer did such a great job! I love how natural my breasts look and it's only 12 days post-op. I can't wait to see what they look like in 3 months. I spent Thanksgiving with majority of my family and they were amazed at how natural my breasts look. Several of them, including my aunts, commented on how they wanted to have a BA after seeing mine and hearing about my experience with the Swan Center and Dr. Bauer. The women in my family aren't blessed in the chest area so I wasn't surprised when they expressed that they would like to have the surgery done in the future. Updated on 6 Dec 2015: I met with a nurse two days ago to go over massage techniques, which I was told to start right away. Dr. Bauer recommended a 3-point massage and I find it very easy to do. I'm massaging three times a day to assist with the dropping of the implant and so far I've noticed my breasts don't feel as hard. It's supposed to also help get rid of the indentation I have on my right breast in the cleavage area. I also had some questions for the nurse and she answered all of them with confidence. I caught a cold a few days ago and I started sneezing and coughing. I was concerned about the effect it could have on the implants and the capsules forming. It feels like the implants are going to burst through my chest every time I sneeze. The nurse told me there's nothing to worry about and that I should just brace myself for the sneezes by holding my chest. Also, the skin below my nipples have gone numb and the nurse reassured me that this is normal and feeling can come and go in the breasts during recovery. I found it strange that they went numb all of a sudden since I had feeling in them for two weeks post surgery. I also asked if I can start sleeping on my side again and she told me I can start now as long as I don't experience any discomfort. She told me to listen to my body, it will tell me when I'm ready to do certain things again. I've been alternating between sleeping on my sides and back every night and I haven't experienced any discomfort. She did recommend that I hug a pillow when I sleep on my sides to alleviate any pressure I may have on the sides of my breasts. She also told me that I can start doing some light, stationary cardio this week. I told her I didn't plan on working out again until 6 weeks post-op but it's good to know I can do some sort of cardio if I need to. My nurse told me to continue changing my steri-strips every week and that I can start using silicone strips for scarring in three weeks time. I changed my steri-strips again today and the scars are healing very well. They're getting flatter and less pink in color. However, they're starting to itch like crazy! I only scratch the skin around the incision and it seems to do the trick. I am amazed at how small the incisions are. I can't stop wondering how they fit the implant through such a tiny incision. Updated on 14 Dec 2015: Updated on 29 Dec 2015: I thought at 6 weeks PO it would be smooth sailing but I've encountered a slight problem with my left breast. Approaching 4 weeks PO, I was feeling almost 100% normal again. Then out of nowhere I started having really sharp pains around the edge of my implant in my cleavage. A few days later I noticed what looked like rippling in the same spot. I tried doing massages to relax the muscle but putting pressure on the area was painful. The nurses at the Swan Center and they said it is normal for someone my size to experience rippling and said I should continue to ice and take Motrin when needed until the muscle relaxes. I've also lost 3 lbs since my surgery which I can't afford to lose, due to me eating less and not being able to weight train. This is not something I wanted as I have been struggling to put on size (fat and muscle) for years to maintain a healthy weight. I knew that losing weight meant the fatty tissue in my breasts would also decrease, increasing my risk of rippling. It is also a bit difficult for my doctor or the nurses to examine me closely and carefully via Skype or emails since I live out of state. I haven't heard of rippling being associated with sharp pains so I'm still a bit concerned. Researching the possibilities has me a bit worried since similar symptoms are associated with infections, capsular contractions, and symmastia. I decided to stop researching for now and put my mind to rest. I'm hoping if I do as my doctor says, the rippling and pain will go away. On the bright side, both breasts are dropping a lot quicker than expected. They don't look like torpedoes anymore and aren't sitting high. My left breast looks bigger than my right but I'm sure it's just from swelling as my left breast has been giving me problems lately. The swelling in general has gone down significantly in both breasts, maybe even a bit more than I hoped for. I might even be a full B now as opposed to a small C. I'm still happy that I had the surgery though because I'm much bigger than I was before. I also started getting some sensation back in the skin under my nipples and my incisions have heeled well. My doctor told me I can remove my steri-strips and start using the silicone scar strips at 6 weeks PO so I took the steri-strips off last night. I've only been wearing the silicone strips for a day and my incisions are itching like crazy. I took a peak in the mirror at them right before I showered and I noticed the area was slightly red. I hope I'm not allergic to the silicone strips but I'm going to continue using them for another day to see if it gets worse. My other assumption was that my bra is now making contact with the skin that had been covered by tape for 6 weeks, so it might just be irritated due to sensitivity. Updated on 31 Dec 2015: Updated on 22 Feb 2016: Hi Realselfers, Sorry to skip out on posting updates but I've been so busy lately. So I saw my doctor 4 weeks ago to go over the concerns I had with my left breast. I was experiencing sharp pains and rippling in the cleavage area. There was this constant burning feeling when I wasn't having the sharp pains, which had me worried that my implant was rubbing through my skin due to the lack of tissue in my breasts. After a quick visual/ physical inspection by Dr. Bauer, he said that my left breast looked fine and that the muscle just needed time to stretch around the implant and settle down. The news he gave me next took me by surprise...he said that I needed to take it easy with my right arm and try to use my left arm to do everyday tasks. Apparently the supports in the inframmary fold of my right breast looked weak. He also said the incision looked a bit irritated so he asked that I stop using the silicone scar pads and go back to using the steri-strips to give my incisions and inframmary fold more support. I've been so cautious over the past few weeks because the last thing I want is for my implants to "bottom out". I haven't attempted to start back training my upper body either. Towards the end of my visit, Dr. Bauer asked that I wear bras with more support, including a U-shaped underwire bra which I would have to buy. I didn't mind since this gave me an excuse to take advantage of the semi-annual sale at VS :) His nurse also took a look at the bras I brought with me to my visit to make sure that they were the right bras for me and fit properly. We determined that I need to go up a cup size in my VS bras and try to find bras where the wire goes further up into the cleavage. I'm now wearing 32D bras from VS, including their sport bras. One of the advantages of being busy over these past few weeks is that somewhere in between my last visit to Dr. Bauer and last week, the pain in my left breast completely disappeared and I didn't even notice. Instead of focusing on how fast I'm healing and "dropping", I'm just living life as if I didn't just have surgery 3.5 months ago. It helps the time go by much faster and when I actually take the time out to reflect on my progress, I'm amazed at how well my breasts are healing. I've posted some pics to show you where I'm at today. The swelling has gone down significantly, if not completely. The rippling isn't as bad as before and as I mentioned earlier I don't have any more pain in my cleavage. My right breast always looks likes it's healing faster than my left so you'll see that it looks more fluffy and has dropped more than my left breast. However, the left is catching up slowly but surely. I can't wait to see how they look a year later. Updated on 20 Apr 2016: I must say time has been flying by now that I'm back to my regular routine and no longer experiencing pain/discomfort. I've forgotten that I have implants most days! My left implant is catching up with my right in terms of how much it's dropped. I'm actually no longer able to fit into 32C and have gone up to 32D. Thankfully I only bought one underwire bra in 32C. I no longer have rippling in my cleavage as the muscle has relaxed and appears to be smooth. My only concern is that my incisions are a bit above my crease and they are still dark. Even though I've been using the silicone scar strips everyday, they haven't lightened much in the past 3 months and I'm afraid that the positioning and color of the incision will make it very noticeable. This was one of my fears prior to the surgery and I'm hoping that I can have laser done in a few months to lighten them. Updated on 10 Jul 2016: I can't believe it's been 8 months already. Looking back I definitely don't regret my decision to get breast implants but I still have some concerns which I intend to address with my doctor. So far I've only been able to see Dr. Bauer twice since my surgery because I live outside of the country. Between my job and his busy schedule, it's been difficult trying to meet with him. Even when I set up Skype sessions, I end up only getting to talk with a nurse. I'm starting to notice that my breasts aren't completely symmetrical. My right is more natural looking if you ask me. It has that natural tear drop shape and hangs lower than my left. My left implant seems rounder. I didn't notice it prior to having a breast augmentation but my BEFORE picture shows a bit of asymmetry so this could be why I'm seeing it more now. My breast implants also sit below my incisions and while they do not look like they are "bottoming out", I don't like the fact that my scars are more noticeable since they aren't in the folds of my breasts. I switched from the silicone scar sheets to the silicone gel. They're both made by Scar Away. I like the fact that the scar gel is more discrete under clothing and I no longer have to worry about washing my scar sheets after each use. My scars seem to be improving and getting less red. I still plan on talking to my doctor about having laser done to get rid of any scarring that's left. Stay tuned! My next update will be after I've had my next appointment with Dr. Bauer. Updated on 22 Jul 2016: Updated on 1 Aug 2016: Updated on 28 Dec 2016: I saw my doctor 12 months post-op in lieu of my 6 month post-op appointment because I was too busy to take time off to travel. Everything went great during my appointment and I was given some bleaching cream to help with the pigmentation of my scars. I'm to use it at night only for 8 weeks. Dr Bauer said that my folds probably dropped lower than they should have due to the level of activity I engaged in post-op. I still don't know if I really believe that because I felt like I was more cautious than most people, even up to 6 months after my surgery. Good news is that it's not a big deal but if I want to correct it, I will have to undergo surgery again. He also recommended I try BBL treatments if the bleaching cream doesn't work. I was also told to keep massaging my breasts and refrain from doing any chest exercises indefinitely. Updated on 21 Jan 2017: I'm back at training hard and lifting heavy weights again. I've completely stopped training chest directly but all upper body exercises still work the chest as the muscles are all connected. It's still a strange feeling when my chest muscles flex. The constricting of the muscles on the implant is still an awkward feeling. But other than it feeling awkward, I haven't had any pain and I'm able to push myself far enough to start seeing results again :) Updated on 18 Apr 2017: Almost a year and a half later and my implants continue to look/feel softer every day. For those of you who are in a rush for your implants to look/feel natural, note that it is a long process. Even though my implants have "dropped", my muscles and nerves are still adjusting. From time to time, I get numbness on the bottom half of my breasts but I was told it's perfectly normal even at this stage. I still massage my breasts once a day as directed by my doctor and stopped using my scar lightening cream. I spent this weekend at the beach with family/friends and nobody suspected that I had a BA (I did keep it a secret for the first year). Most people commented on how perky and perfect my boobs looked but they thought my bathing suits were creating the illusion LOL. When I told them my "little secret" they were shocked. It's so funny how people assume if you have breast implants they will look "hard", "fake", "like tennis balls", or "like gigantic balloons". So glad I did my research and found a doctor that knows how to create natural results!! I must admit that I have experienced boob greed a few times since my surgery. After the swelling went down and my implants finally settled into place, the difference in size became more noticeable. Sometimes I find myself staring at my breasts in the mirror wishing I went a little bigger but don't think I could go through surgery anytime soon. At the end of the day I'm just glad I'm no longer flat in the chest area :)
At our practice, patients are given pricing information during the initial phone call prior to scheduling a consultation. We want our patients to have an idea regarding the price, so they can concentrate on the surgical plan, recovery details, and all of the other important information discussed at the consultation. Once a patient and I have decided on the best surgical plan, they are taken to a patient coordinator to review the surgical schedule, quote, financing options, etc.
Congratulations on being close to your goal weight! We encourage patients to be approximately 10-15 lbs away from their goal weight at the time of consultation in order to ensure the most accurate measurements and sizing. If you tend to carry weight in your breasts, you may lose a little volume with any weight loss post surgery. Best of luck!
Great question! That should be plenty of time to recover. I encourage patients to limit any upper body activity for approximately two weeks. When you return to work, listen to your body. If something does not feel right, stop that activity, and contact your surgeon immediately if you have questions or concerns. The first two weeks are the most critical in the recovery process.
Great question! We encourage patients to achieve and maintain a healthy BMI prior to consultation. Safety is our top priority--an unhealthy BMI could lead to increased risks and complications. To ensure the most aesthetically pleasing result, it is best to be as close to your goal weight as possible. It is always helpful to bring photos to your consultation of the look you find most desirable. Our practice prefers Mentor implants due to a superior look and feel. Best of luck!
Thank you for your question! I think you will find that most cosmetic surgery practices accept credit card payments. It would be best to contact the practice you are considering just to verify. A patient coordinator will be able to answer any questions regarding the payment schedule and financing options. Most practices will require the surgical balance to be paid at least 14 days in advance. Best of luck!
