Breast augmentation uses a silicone gel implant to add lasting, natural-looking volume in proportion to your chest. The secret to a good result is not a cup size but measurement: when chest width, tissue thickness and implant profile are planned together, the result looks like it belongs to your body.
Breast augmentation places a silicone gel implant through a hidden incision in the inframammary fold into a submuscular, subglandular or dual-plane pocket. It takes 1–2 hours under general anesthesia with a one-night stay; most patients are back at desk work in 5–7 days. Implant volume is chosen from chest measurements, not from a cup size.
- The implant is chosen by measurement — chest width and tissue thickness decide, not a cup size.
- Placement can be submuscular, subglandular or dual plane; with thin tissue a dual plane gives a more natural upper pole.
- The incision is usually hidden in the inframammary fold; the scar fades with time.
- General anesthesia, 1–2 hours, one night in hospital; desk work in 5–7 days, heavy sport at 4–6 weeks.
- If there is real sagging an implant alone is not enough; it is planned together with a breast lift.
- Implants are not lifetime devices; they do not need removing if there is no problem, but regular follow-up is advised.
| At a Glance | Details |
|---|---|
| Procedure | Breast augmentation (augmentation mammoplasty) — silicone gel implant |
| Duration | 1–2 hours |
| Anesthesia | General |
| Hospital stay | 1 night |
| Back to work | 5–7 days; heavy exercise at 4–6 weeks |
| Incision/scar | Inframammary fold (4–5 cm), hidden |
| Longevity | Lasting volume; an implant is not a lifetime device |
| Who it suits | Low volume, deflation after breastfeeding, asymmetry |
Contents— 26 sections
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What Is Breast Augmentation?
Breast augmentation (augmentation mammoplasty) permanently increases breast volume by placing a silicone gel implant under the breast tissue or under the chest muscle. It takes 1–2 hours under general anesthesia and the incision is hidden in the inframammary fold.
Low breast volume can be congenital, or it can appear when the tissue deflates after pregnancy and breastfeeding. Padding or fat transfer gives a limited increase; a clear, lasting gain in volume needs an implant.
What decides the quality of the operation is not the implant brand but choosing by measurement and using the right plane. An implant wider than the chest spills to the sides; an implant wider than the tissue can cover shows its edges. That is why planning measures breast base width, skin-tissue thickness and the nipple-to-fold distance.
If there is also sagging, an implant alone will not be enough: fullness increases but the nipple stays low. In that case it is combined with a breast lift. For a modest, natural increase, fat transfer can be an alternative or a complement.
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Implant Types and the Placement Plane
Three things decide: what the implant is made of and its shape, its profile (how far it projects) and the plane it goes into.
Modern cohesive gel feels natural; available round or teardrop (anatomical).
Low / moderate / high profile. The same volume sits more naturally on a narrow chest with a higher profile.
The upper part of the implant sits under the muscle, the lower part under the tissue; the usual choice with thin tissue.
For patients with enough tissue thickness; recovery can be more comfortable, but edges may show if tissue is thin.
Augmentation with fat transfer suits a small increase and needs good donor tissue; it cannot match an implant in one session and part of it is reabsorbed.
Visual Assessment: Your Situation and the Likely Approach
Pick the picture closest to you and see the likely approach. This is a pre-assessment, not a diagnosis.
👉 Tap the picture that looks most like you — the suggestion appears instantly.
This tool is for information only; implant size and technique are decided only by examination and measurement.
Live Simulator: Volume and Plane
Drag the slider to see how volume changes, and switch the plane to read the difference. Completely private — no data is sent.
If the tool does not load, open it here. This simulation is schematic; it does not calculate your measurements and does not diagnose.
Who Is Suitable — and Who Is Not?
Good candidates
- People whose breast development is limited or whose volume is low
- Those who lost volume after pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Those with noticeable breast asymmetry
- People in good general health with realistic expectations who do not smoke, or can stop
Situations to postpone or review
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding (about 6 months after breastfeeding ends)
- Untreated breast pathology or a suspicious finding that has not been screened
- Uncontrolled chronic disease, bleeding disorder
- Expectations built around a cup size rather than your measurements
Over the age of 40 breast imaging (mammography/ultrasound) is requested before surgery; with a family history it may be planned earlier.
What Bothers You Most?
Choose what bothers you most and see the likely approach. The definitive plan is made at the examination.
👉 Tap the option that fits you — guidance and a WhatsApp link appear instantly.
This tool is for information only; technique and implant size are decided only by examination.
Comparing Planes and Methods
| Option | Best for | Advantage | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dual plane | Thin tissue, mild looseness | Natural upper pole, edges rarely show | The most common choice |
| Submuscular | Very thin tissue | Helpful for mammography, natural transition | Recovery slightly more tender |
| Subglandular | Enough tissue thickness | More comfortable early recovery | Edges may show with thin tissue |
| Fat transfer | A small increase in volume | No implant, own tissue | Limited volume, partial reabsorption |
In short: dual plane with thin tissue, subglandular with enough tissue, fat transfer for a small increase. The decision follows measurement and examination.
Decision Guide: Which Approach Fits You?
The table below is the short version of the reasoning we go through at the examination. What decides is not a cup size but where your nipple sits relative to the inframammary fold, and how thick your tissue is.
This table is a pre-assessment. The definitive decision follows measuring breast base width, tissue thickness and nipple-to-fold distance.
Combined Procedures: What Can Be Added in One Session?
One anesthetic, one recovery period and usually a lower total cost — in suitable patients a combination makes sense. What decides suitability is total operating time and your general health.
The standard combination when there is both low volume and sagging (augmentation-mastopexy). One session gives both fullness and height.
A breast procedure plus a tummy tuck (± liposuction). The most requested package for addressing the post-pregnancy body in one session.
Adding waist and flank liposuction brings out the upper-to-lower body proportion.
A smaller implant supported by a thin layer of fat over the upper pole and décolleté; it gives a natural transition with very thin tissue.
A combination lengthens the operation. Plans exceeding 5–6 hours raise risk, so it is safer to leave some steps to a second session.
How Is It Done? (Step by Step)
Measurement and hidden incision
The chest is measured and the implant chosen; a 4–5 cm hidden incision is made in the inframammary fold.
Pocket and implant
A submuscular or dual-plane pocket is created; the implant is placed with sterile technique and symmetry is checked.
Closure and result
Layers are closed with hidden sutures, a sports bra is fitted and the fullness is visible straight away.
Measurement and implant selection
Anesthesia
Hidden incision
Pocket creation
Implant placement
Closure and bra
The Day of Surgery: Hour by Hour
Uncertainty is the biggest source of anxiety. Knowing in advance how your day will go makes it a far calmer one.
No food or drink from midnight. Make-up, nail polish and jewellery come off; you shower.
You come with your ID; final tests and the anesthesia consultation are completed and consent forms signed.
Marking is done standing and archive photographs are taken. This is the last and best moment for questions.
It takes 1–2 hours. The anesthesia team is with you the whole time; you feel nothing.
You open your eyes in the recovery room. Pain and nausea control start here.
You take your first steps with a nurse — the single most effective step against clot risk.
Dressing, garment/bra and medication instructions are given in writing; your first check-up is booked.
After breast augmentation, a feeling of pressure and tightness in the chest on waking is normal; it eases markedly over the first 48 hours. It helps to have someone with you. For the first 24 hours after discharge, do not drive or make important decisions; the anesthesia may not have fully worn off.
Recovery — Day by Day, Week by Week
Swelling and a firm feeling are normal in the first weeks; the final shape settles over a few months.
Aftercare: Do and Avoid
✓ Do
- Wear the sports bra for the recommended period
- Avoid raising your arms above shoulder height in the first days
- Come to your check-ups and take medication as advised
- Keep the incision clean and dry and start scar care on time
✕ Avoid
- Smoking and alcohol (they impair healing and raise capsule risk)
- Heavy exercise, chest training and lifting for 4–6 weeks
- Pool, sea, sauna and very hot showers early on
- Sun on the scar in the first months
Possible Risks and Safety
In experienced hands this is a safe operation; even so you should know the possibilities:
- Capsular contracture: the capsule around the implant firms up; risk is low with modern technique and the correct plane, and it can be corrected surgically.
- Implant rupture: cohesive gel does not spread; it is followed with MRI/ultrasound and exchanged if needed.
- Asymmetry and shape difference: two breasts are never identical; measurement and a sitting-position check keep it to a minimum.
- Change in nipple sensation: usually temporary and settles over weeks to months; a permanent change is uncommon.
- Hematoma / seroma: fluid or blood collecting early on; drained if needed.
- Infection: rare; managed with sterile technique, antibiotics and follow-up.
- BIA-ALCL: a very rare implant-associated lymphoma; awareness and regular follow-up are advised.
Stopping smoking is the single most effective way to lower risk. Keep your implant brand and serial card; it is useful at follow-up.
What to Look For When Choosing a Clinic or Surgeon
If an implant volume is quoted from a cup size without measuring, walk away.
A CE/FDA-approved implant and its serial-number card should be handed to you.
The procedure must be done only in an accredited, approved operating room.
Being told ‘an implant alone is enough’ when there is sagging is the most common cause of disappointment.
Expected Change (Medical Illustration)
By law a surgeon cannot share real patient photographs. The diagram below shows the typical change: a low-volume breast becomes fuller in proportion to the chest, with a soft upper-pole transition.
Illustrations are for information; individual results vary with anatomy, tissue quality and the implant chosen, and are not guaranteed.
Why Have Breast Augmentation in Istanbul?
Turkey is one of the leading centres for breast surgery, with high surgical case volume, accredited facilities and well-organised, value-focused care.
Extensive breast surgery experience and command of current implant technology.
A transparent pathway covering surgery, accommodation, transfer and follow-up.
Ministry-approved operating rooms licensed for health tourism.
A multilingual team and a personal assistant.
Why Op. Dr. Ali Çetinkaya?
Preparing for Surgery
Breast base, tissue thickness and distances are measured; implant volume and profile are agreed together.
Breast ultrasound/mammography is requested according to age and history.
Stop smoking beforehand if possible; blood thinners are adjusted with your doctor’s approval.
Get a sports bra and arrange suitable time off for recovery.
What to bring
- A front-buttoning or zip-up shirt/pyjamas
- A sports bra (if you have been measured)
- Slippers and comfortable trousers
- Your medication list and any reports
- A phone charging cable
- ID/passport
Questions to Ask at the First Consultation
These questions help you make the right decision at the pre-assessment:
- 1Which implant volume and profile suit my chest measurements?
- 2Which plane will the implant go into (submuscular / dual plane / subglandular) and why?
- 3Where will the incision be and what will the scar look like?
- 4Do I have sagging; is an implant alone enough for me?
- 5Which implant brand will be used, and does it come with a certificate and warranty?
- 6How long is recovery and when can I return to sport?
- 7In which approved facility and under what anesthesia is it performed?
- 8If an exchange is needed in future, how does that work?
Patients From Abroad / Out of Town
We host patients from 30 countries. You just come; we coordinate the rest.
Initial planning via photos, measurements and an online consultation.
Accommodation, transfer and appointments are planned.
The procedure, one night’s stay and the first check-up on site.
A check before you travel back, then multilingual follow-up.
Breast Augmentation Price (2026)
A firm price is given after examination and measurement, because implant brand/type, placement plane, any added procedure (lift, fat transfer) and clinic conditions vary per person. So you know what is included:
Usually included in the package
- Surgeon, anesthesia and operating-room fee
- CE/FDA-approved implant and warranty card
- One night’s stay, sports bra and medication
- Post-operative check-ups
- Transfer and coordination for international patients
A price far below expectation usually means a compromise on implant quality, operating-room conditions or follow-up.
Glossary
- Augmentation mammoplasty
- The medical name for breast augmentation surgery.
- Inframammary fold
- The crease where the breast meets the chest wall; the most common incision site.
- Dual plane
- A hybrid placement: the upper implant under the muscle, the lower part under the tissue.
- Profile
- How far the implant projects forward (low/moderate/high).
- Capsule
- The natural tissue envelope the body forms around an implant.
- Drop and fluff
- The natural settling in the first months as the implant drops and the upper pole softens.
Myths and Facts
Let us clear up the most common misconceptions with the facts:
✗ Myth: Silicone implants cause cancer.
✓ Fact: Silicone implants have not been shown to cause breast cancer. A very rare implant-associated lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) has been described, which is why regular follow-up is advised.
✗ Myth: Implants must be replaced every 10 years.
✓ Fact: If there is no problem they do not need removing. A check or exchange may come up after 10–15 years, but findings decide, not the calendar.
✗ Myth: You cannot breastfeed with implants.
✓ Fact: Breastfeeding is possible for most patients; the incision and technique are planned with that in mind.
✗ Myth: A bigger implant always looks better.
✓ Fact: An implant that does not match your measurements spills to the sides, thins the tissue and speeds up sagging. A natural result comes from volume that fits.
