How far in advance from my desired surgery date should I reach out to surgeons I am interested in?

Thank you for sharing your excellent question.  In my opinion it is never too early to start the process of finding your surgeon and I would start as soon as it is convenient for you.  Hope this helps.

The sooner the better.    I recommend an in-office examination as well as a detailed discussion with a surgeon who you are comfortable with.   Finally, make sure your surgeon is a Double-Board Certified Plastic Surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS), a member of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS).Best,Dr. DesaiBeverly Hills Institute for Aesthetic Plastic SurgeryHarvard Educated, Beverly Hills & Miami Beach TrainedDouble Board-Certified, Double Fellowship-Trained Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Unless you are anticipating changes to your breasts, e.g. from weight loss or gain, new hormones, cessation of breast feeding or post-pregnancy, there is no reason to procrastinate. There can be advantages to having the consultation sooner rather than later. 

How far in advance to seek a plastic surgeon for a particular surgery depends on a number of factors, including busy vs less busy season for surgery, which surgery you need and how much time it takes, the your state of health, and the need for advanced testing. Since a first-time breast augmentation takes about an hour to perform, we can often fit one in after or before longer procedures or in sequence with others, so we can often get you in rapidly (within weeks) assuming that you are in good health and need minimal pre-operative tests. For longer or more involved surgeries a 4-6 month lead time is best.

There are two issues here, one is research and building a rapport, having time to consider options, have questions answered, getting a feel for one or more surgeon's style and recommendations, in other words, finding a competent plastic surgeon that suits you.  The other is lead time to get the procedure scheduled during the time frame you have in mind.I would suggest 2-4 months to make appointments for one or more consultations, have some time after those consultations to review recommendations and come to an agreement on what you have decided to do, size, type of implant, incisional approach, etc. Then allowing 1-2 months to get on the surgery schedule, often less for a breast augmentation, since as a relatively short procedure, it is easier to schedule sooner. And setting this up in advance so that it coincides with the time you want surgery,.I would recommend that you not wait to start the process when your desired date is less than a month away, for example. However, If you are sure that you want a particular surgeon, and you call that office and they have  time, then you can probably expedite things.

Thank you for your question. Every surgeon has a different schedule. Some surgeons book up a few months in advance. I would recommend seeing a plastic surgeon as soon as you can so that there is availability on the day you'd like to book. 

Thank you for your question nadinee14. It is never too early to begin your search for a plastic surgeon. I would recommend doing research and consulting with a couple different surgeons to find the right one for you. Best of luck. 

Dear NadineeIf you already know what you want to do, then about 3 months is a good rule of thumb. If you are unsure of the exact procedure and surgeon, you would need more time. A breast augmentation is a commonly performed procedure that is done well by most plastic surgeons and is a short surgical procedure. a lead time of 6 to 8 weeks should work well for you. Look for an experienced and well trained plastic surgeon. See more than one consult and make a well informed decision.

Every doctor has a different wait time.  If you wish to have surgery with a plastic surgeon with a busy practice, it's probably best to schedule your surgery at least a few months in advance. However, if you have flexibility in the date that you want, you may be able to schedule it even sooner.  

Hi Nadinee14, 
Thanks for your question. I don't think there is a specific time, unless you have a particular surgery date in mind. Personally, I'm booked about 2-3 months in advance, so that's something to consider when planning this out. I think most surgeons will fall into this category. Also, if you plan ahead and get the consultation early, then you'll have time to consider all your options, meet with at least 2 ABMS/ASPS board certified plastic surgeons and plan out post-op care, time of work, etc.
Good luck in your search.
Best
Dr B.