Breast surgery before and after

Before and after images are useful, and they are easy to misread. This page explains what governs them, how to read them, and what to ask to see.

The rules these images must meet

Under the Medical Board of Australia's Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service, before and after images must be of actual patients of the practice, taken under consistent conditions - the same lighting, angle, distance, pose and background - and must be unaltered beyond cropping and resizing. They must state the time between the images, carry a clear statement that results vary, and be used with documented consent that the patient may withdraw.

They must not create an unreasonable expectation of benefit, and they must not be used as testimonials - testimonials about regulated health services are prohibited under section 133 of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law. See patient stories.

Our images are of genuine Me Clinic patients, used with consent, and are not retouched to enhance or alter a result. Any editing is limited to protecting patient privacy.

What to look for in breast images specifically

Timing. Implants sit high and firm at first and settle over roughly two to three months. An image at six weeks shows a different breast from the same patient at a year.
Scars. Ask to see them. They are at their worst at around six to eight weeks - raised, firm and red - and fade over twelve to eighteen months. A gallery showing only twelve-month scars is accurate but incomplete.
The starting point. The degree of sagging, skin quality, breast width and chest wall shape beforehand determine most of what is achievable. A result on someone with a very different starting point tells you almost nothing about yours.
Posture and arm position. Shoulders back and arms down changes apparent shape considerably. Compare like with like.
What was actually done. Lift, augmentation, reduction and fat transfer produce different things, and are frequently combined. If an image is labelled with one procedure, ask whether anything else was involved.
Implant details. Size, profile, shape and placement above or below the muscle all change the result. The same implant looks different on a different chest.
Selection. Every gallery is a clinic's better cases. That is not dishonest, but it is not representative.

The questions that matter

At consultation, ask to see cases matched to your anatomy - similar starting size and shape, similar degree of sagging, similar skin quality, similar build. Then:

How long after surgery was the "after" image taken?
What exactly was done, including implant size, profile and placement?
Was anything else done at the same time?
Can I see the scars at six weeks as well as at a year?
Can you show me a case that did not go as well as hoped?
What would you realistically expect for me - including the less-good end of the range?

That last question is the one worth asking. A surgeon who gives you a range, with a downside in it, is being straight with you.

What images cannot show you

How it felt to recover
Whether sensation changed, and whether it came back
Whether that person needed a revision afterwards
How the result looks five or ten years later
Whether the implants have since been replaced

Implants are not lifetime devices and most people need further surgery at some stage - see the honest account of implants and the alternatives.

Our breast procedures

Augmentation with implants, augmentation by fat transfer, breast lift, reduction, asymmetry correction, and implant revision and removal. All breast surgery here is performed by our Specialist Plastic Surgeons (FRACS) - see meet the team for their registration numbers.

Booking

Since 1 July 2023, cosmetic surgery requires a GP referral, psychological screening, at least two consultations before booking, and a cooling-off period of at least seven days for adults.

Specialist Plastic Surgeon consultation $350, including GST, as at September 2024. Me Clinic, 4 Burke Road, Malvern East VIC 3145. Phone 1300 852 050 or (03) 9569 3511.

See also the full before and after gallery.

Individual results may vary. Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.