Medically reviewed by Professor Sandip Hindocha, GMC-registered Consultant Plastic Surgeon and NHS Clinical Director. Articles are reviewed against current UK guidance from the GMC, BAAPS, BAPRAS and NICE.
Breast augmentation is an operation under general anaesthetic. It takes about ninety minutes, it leaves permanent scars, and the implants used are not lifetime devices. Most women who have it are pleased with the result. That is a reason to plan it properly rather than a reason to hurry.
This page sets out what the operation involves at Lux Plastic Surgery in Bedford: who does it, what the implant and fat transfer choices are, how long recovery actually takes, what can go wrong, who the operation does not suit, and what it costs.
Your surgeon, and where the operation happens
Professor Sandip Hindocha is a consultant plastic surgeon on the GMC specialist register, GMC number 6122218, which you can check on the GMC register in a few seconds. He has been operating as a consultant for over twenty years, is a current NHS Clinical Director, and has published over 100 papers in plastic and reconstructive surgery.
He sees Bedford patients at the Lux clinic in Bedford and operates in CQC-regulated private hospitals with resident medical cover and their own theatre and nursing teams. The surgeon who assesses you at the consultation is the surgeon who performs the operation and who sees you at every follow-up. That is worth asking about wherever you go, because it is not the arrangement everywhere.
Implants or fat transfer
There are two ways to add volume to a breast, and they suit different people.
Implants
An implant gives a predictable increase in size, and it is the right answer for most women who want a change of one cup size or more. Professor Hindocha uses Motiva implants, which carry a manufacturer warranty and a traceable serial number, and you are given the details of exactly what was implanted.
Implants do not last forever. Manufacturers do not put a replacement date on them, but a proportion of women will need further surgery at some point in their life to replace or remove them, whether because of rupture, capsular contracture, or a change in what they want. Plan for the possibility of a second operation rather than assuming one procedure and no more.
Fat transfer
Fat transfer takes fat by liposuction from the abdomen, flanks or thighs, processes it, and injects it into the breast. There is no implant and no implant-related complication. The trade-off is size and predictability: fat transfer typically adds around half a cup to one cup, some of the transferred fat is reabsorbed in the first few months, and more than one session is often needed. It suits women who want a modest change or who want to correct a difference between the two sides, and it requires enough fat elsewhere to harvest.
Where the implant sits, and where the scar goes
An implant can sit in front of the chest muscle, behind it, or partly behind it in a dual-plane position. The choice depends on how much natural breast tissue covers the implant, on your build, and on what you do physically. Thin cover in front of the implant makes rippling more likely to be visible, which pushes the decision towards a partly submuscular placement.
The incision is usually made in the fold under the breast, where the scar sits in a natural crease. Scars are permanent. They are red and firm for the first few months, then fade and flatten over a year to eighteen months, and how they settle varies between individuals.
If the breasts have dropped as well as lost volume, an implant on its own will not lift them and can make the droop more obvious. In that situation the honest answer is a breast uplift, with or without an implant, and that is a longer operation with more scarring. Professor Hindocha will say so at the consultation if that is what he finds.
What the operation involves
Breast augmentation is carried out under general anaesthetic and takes roughly sixty to ninety minutes. Most patients stay one night in hospital, though some go home the same day. You are seen by the surgeon before you leave.
You will be asked to stop smoking well before surgery and to keep off nicotine afterwards, because it constricts blood supply to healing tissue and raises the risk of wound problems. You will be given specific instructions about medicines to pause, about fasting, and about arranging someone to take you home and stay with you for the first night.
Recovery, honestly
The first week
Expect a tight, bruised, heavy feeling across the chest rather than sharp pain, and expect it to be worse if the implant has been placed under the muscle. You will need prescribed pain relief for the first few days. Sleeping propped up is more comfortable than lying flat. Reaching above your head, lifting and driving are all off the list. You wear a support bra day and night.
Weeks two to six
Most people with a desk job are back at work after one to two weeks. Physical work takes longer. Driving resumes when you can perform an emergency stop without hesitating, which is usually around two weeks. Light walking is encouraged early; running, gym work, swimming and anything that loads the chest waits until around six weeks and until your surgeon says so.
Three months and beyond
Swelling settles over about three months, and the implants gradually drop into a more natural position as the tissues relax. The shape you see at two weeks is not the result. Judge the outcome at six to twelve months, which is also when the scars have done most of their fading.
Risks and complications
Every operation carries risk, and no surgeon can remove it. These are discussed with you individually before you consent.
- Bleeding, haematoma and infection, which can require a return to theatre.
- Capsular contracture, where scar tissue tightens around the implant and makes the breast feel firm or change shape. It is the most common reason for further surgery.
- Implant rupture or deflation, which may not be obvious and may need a scan to detect.
- Changes in nipple and skin sensation, which can be temporary or permanent.
- Visible rippling or an implant edge you can feel, more likely where there is little natural tissue cover.
- Asymmetry, malposition and dissatisfaction with size or shape. Breasts are not identical before surgery and will not be identical after it.
- Poor or thickened scarring.
- Risks of general anaesthesia, and blood clots in the leg or lung.
- Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), a rare cancer of the tissue around an implant. It is uncommon, it is treatable when found early, and the MHRA asks that any new swelling years after surgery is reported and investigated.
- Some women report a cluster of symptoms after implant surgery, often called breast implant illness. It is not currently a recognised diagnosis with an agreed cause, and research continues. It should be part of the conversation before you decide, not after.
Implants can obscure part of the breast on a mammogram, so tell the radiographer you have them: extra views are used. Breast screening still matters after augmentation.
Who breast augmentation does not suit
Some people are turned down, and being told no is part of a proper consultation.
- Anyone under 18. Cosmetic breast surgery is not performed on under-18s here.
- Anyone whose weight is still changing, or who is planning pregnancy in the near future. Both alter the breast, and surgery is better done afterwards.
- Anyone who will not stop smoking around the operation.
- Anyone whose expectations do not match what surgery can do, or who is being pushed into it by someone else.
- Anyone with signs of body dysmorphic disorder, where an operation is unlikely to help and may make things worse. A referral for psychological assessment is the right step.
- Anyone with a medical condition, an untreated breast lump or an infection that needs dealing with first.
What it costs
Motiva Preservé breast augmentation starts from £7,995. That covers the consultation, the implants, the surgeon, anaesthetist and hospital fees, aftercare and warranty cover.
Other implant choices, fat transfer, and augmentation combined with an uplift are quoted individually. You are given the figure in writing after the consultation, itemised, with the aftercare and any revision policy set out, so you can compare it properly against anywhere else. There is more detail on the Motiva Preservé cost page and in the UK breast augmentation pricing guide.
Be careful comparing headline prices. A quote that excludes the anaesthetist, the hospital, follow-up appointments or a revision is not the same product as one that includes them.
What happens at the consultation
The first appointment is with Professor Hindocha, not with a patient adviser or a salesperson. He takes a medical history, examines and measures you, and talks through what is achievable for your build and your tissue, which may not be the size you arrived intending to ask for.
You leave with a written quotation and written information, and there is a cooling-off period before anything is booked. UK guidance is clear that nobody should be pressed into consenting on the day, and that includes time-limited discounts. Bring your questions written down, and ask how many revisions he performs and what happens if you are unhappy.
Book a consultation in Bedford, or read more about the breast augmentation service.
Frequently asked questions
How long until I can go back to work?
One to two weeks for desk-based work. Longer if your job involves lifting, reaching overhead or physical activity, and longer again if the implants were placed under the muscle. Gym training and running wait until around six weeks.
Will I need another operation later?
Possibly. Implants are not lifetime devices, and a proportion of women need replacement or removal at some stage because of capsular contracture, rupture, or a change in what they want. Nobody can tell you in advance whether you will be one of them.
Can I breastfeed after breast augmentation?
Most women can, and the incision under the breast fold is chosen partly because it keeps away from the milk ducts. No surgeon can promise it in advance, and pregnancy will also change the shape of the breast afterwards. If you are planning a family soon, it is usually better to wait.
How do I choose a size?
By measurement rather than by cup size, which is not consistent between bra manufacturers. Chest width, tissue quality and skin cover set the range of implants that will work for you, and sizers are used at the consultation so you can see the effect. Going larger than your tissue can support increases the risk of rippling, of the implant sitting badly, and of the breast dropping sooner.
What should I check before booking anywhere?
That your surgeon is on the GMC specialist register for plastic surgery, that the same surgeon will operate and follow you up, that the hospital is CQC-registered, that the quotation is itemised and in writing, and that you are given time to think. Ask what the revision policy is and get it in writing.
Is fat transfer a substitute for implants?
Not usually. Fat transfer gives a smaller, less predictable increase and often needs more than one session, because some of the transferred fat is reabsorbed. It suits a modest change or a correction of asymmetry, and it needs enough donor fat elsewhere.
