Breast augmentation
Our specialist cosmetic surgeons have performed thousands of breast surgery procedures. In a consultation, they’ll take the time to understand your needs, talk you through the options and answer your questions.
Treatment overview
Breast augmentation is an operation that uses implants to enlarge the breasts and improve their overall shape.
We understand there are many reasons why you might have been thinking about breast augmentation.
You may feel out of proportion with uneven breasts that are noticeably different in size.
Life events such as weight loss, pregnancy and breastfeeding can all have an impact on the size and shape of your breasts.
Our surgeons can help you decide how to reshape and improve your breasts with implants.
Whatever your reasons, we’re here to listen. By choosing The London Clinic, you’ll get a more complete, compassionate, and connected kind of care.
From initial consultation through to aftercare and follow-up appointments.
The sooner you contact us, the sooner you can start your journey.
Your breast augmentation at The London Clinic
Our expert surgeons who offer breast surgery have years of experience and extensive training.
Your expert care team will guide you through your treatment and recovery plan and answer all your questions.
You’ll typically stay with us for one night after your procedure while you recover from the operation. We offer extra touches, such as personalised food menus, to make your stay as comfortable as possible.
You’ll have your own nurse, supported by an entire nursing team, who’ll help get you feeling like yourself again.
You can also choose additional therapies to help you make the most of your recovery and reduce any discomfort. This includes reiki and acupuncture.
Once you’re ready to leave The London Clinic, we’ll give you advice to follow once you’re home for a speedy recovery.
We’ll promise to keep in contact with you over the following weeks to ensure everything is going smoothly.
Why choose The London Clinic
Excellence in one place
The London Clinic, in collaboration with Northwestern Medicine, operate as teams of experts with world-class resources, dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of care. Surrounded by the latest treatments and advice, you’ll have everything you need to get back to your best health. Our patient rooms are designed for your comfort, while our catering team, in collaboration with expert dietitians, provide healthy, delicious meals to support your recovery.
Personal care, every time
Exceptional patient care is a way of life for us. Our teams will be with you every step of the way, tailoring your care to your specific needs and giving you the peace-of-mind that comes with knowing you’re in the best hands. To provide exceptional care, we keep our staff-to-patient ratio low, so our nurses, clinicians, therapists, and support teams can offer a personalised, quality experience. You’ll notice the difference.
Effortlessly simple
We work together as one to guide you through every step of your patient experience. From explaining your personal treatment plan to ensuring all details are taken care of, we make the process stress-free, so you can focus on your health. Whether it’s your first consultation or follow-up care, our teams are here to provide seamless support and the peace of mind you deserve
What's included in your package?
Choosing The London Clinic means your treatment plan will be laid out for you, with all the details taken care of so you can focus on you.
Your treatment package will include:
- Enhanced pre-admission assessment
- Your treatment with our complete care team at your fingertips
- Personalised aftercare and follow-up
We want you to be in control of your health. That’s why we also offer optional services such as comprehensive recovery packages and extra touches for you to choose from during your stay with us. To help you manage the cost, we also offer a 0% finance option, allowing you to spread the payments for your treatment over 12 months with no added interest. Learn more about our finance options here.
How to pay
- You can use private medical insurance (PMI) to access this treatment. We work with all major PMI providers in the UK and many internationally
- You can pay for yourself (self-pay)
- If you’re paying for yourself, we have 0% finance options available with Chrysalis. Find out more here.
FAQs
Breast augmentation surgery works by increasing the size of your breasts using implants.
The operation itself is carried out under general anaesthetic while you’re asleep and will typically last around an hour and a half.
During the operation, your surgeon will make a small cut (incision) in the crease below the breast to create a pocket.
This pocket can either be behind the breast tissue or behind the pectoral muscle that forms part of your chest. The implant is placed in this space, and the cuts are closed with stitches.
Implants that are 'above the muscle' will usually give a more dramatic look and can be a popular choice for patients who want larger implant sizes.
You might choose this option if you have some breast tissue already or if you’re restoring the fullness of your breasts.
‘Below the muscle’ is when your implant sits underneath the breast muscle. This could be a better choice for you if you have small breasts and little breast tissue.
This method gives a more subtle and natural look to your breasts.
Together with your surgeon at the consultation, you will decide on the most suitable technique for you.
Whether your implants are placed above or below the muscle is determined by your natural breast size and the look you want to achieve.
Breast augmentation usually takes one to two hours and requires an overnight stay at The London Clinic hospital.
The benefits you can expect from breast surgery depend on your personal circumstances.
Your specialist breast surgeon will discuss these with you during an initial consultation. Our patients often tell us that the most popular benefits of breast augmentation include:
- Adding volume to breasts if you feel they’re too small or out of proportion with the rest of your body
- Improving the shape of your breasts
- Restoring symmetry to your breasts that might be uneven
- Restoring fullness to your breasts after pregnancy or losing a lot of weight
- Achieving an improved and more feminine cleavage
- A more youthful look to breasts that have lost volume or elasticity with age
- Improving the appearance of your breasts after a previous breast surgery
Immediately after surgery, it’s completely normal for your breasts to feel sore and tight.
This will usually start to improve after the first few hours. Your care team will be on hand to give you any medication you might need for pain relief.
We always advise that you wear your post-surgery compression bra for support and to assist with the healing process.
You will feel some discomfort during your first week of breast augmentation recovery.
This can be managed well with pain relief medication. Swelling and bruising to the breasts will start to settle down during this time.
Some bleeding or leakage is normal, and we recommend that you simply rest as much as you can.
You should be able to return to work after the first week. If you have a more physically demanding job, you’ll need three weeks or more at home for the best possible healing.
After a month, pain, swelling and bruising will generally continue to improve. There may be some tingling sensations and numbness as nerves begin to wake up.
You can resume normal activities, including moderate exercise. Although you should still avoid strenuous exercise and heavy lifting at this stage, as your breasts continue to heal.
Most women reach full recovery at around six weeks with the breasts looking and feeling much more natural. We may advise you to wear a sports bra for a minimum of three months following surgery.
It may take around six months for your breasts to take on their final shape and appearance.
The exact time it takes you to recover from breast augmentation surgery will depend entirely on you.
We will help you prepare for your surgery so you know exactly what to expect afterwards.
Your surgeon will work with other specialists to give you advice on prehabilitation. This will include things you can do before your operation for a head start on recovery.
We’ll help you recover as fully and quickly as possible by having regular follow-ups with you.
If there’s anything you’re worried about, you can contact your care team at any time.
Having breast augmentation is not a decision to be taken lightly and you may want to know about the possible side effects.
Your surgeon and care team will discuss these with you. We will make sure you’re well informed about your surgery, so you can feel confident in knowing what to expect.
The most common temporary side effects of breast augmentation surgery are:
- Bruising
- Pain
- Swelling
- Soreness and tenderness
Some complications of breast enlargement surgery can include:
- Changes in your nipple sensation
- Infection of the implant
- Leakage or rupture of your implants
- The implants moving out of place
- Formation of tight scar tissue around your implants, known as capsular contracture
- Fluid or blood accumulation in your breast implant pocket
It’s important for you to be aware of the risk of breast implant associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). This is a rare type of lymphoma that can develop around breast implants.
It affects 1 in 24,000 women who have breast implants. Most cases are treated by removing both the implants. You will be made fully aware of this condition at the consultation.