Breast Augmentation in West Palm Beach, FL

Breast Augmentation in West Palm Beach, FL is performed by Dr. Albert Carlotti at BellaNova Cosmetic Surgery's state-registered Level III surgical center at 1261 S Congress Ave in West Palm Beach.

Breast augmentation is the most requested cosmetic operation and the one where patients arrive with the most secondhand information. The most common of those is that the decision is about a cup size or a number of cubic centimeters.

It is not. The determining variables are your chest width, your existing breast footprint, the thickness and quality of your soft tissue cover, the position of your nipple relative to the fold beneath the breast, and any existing asymmetry — which almost everyone has. An implant that is too wide for your chest will not sit correctly no matter how much you like the volume, and over-filling thin tissue is the single most reliable route to visible edges, rippling and revision surgery.

Am I a candidate for breast augmentation?

Breast augmentation may suit you if you:

• Want more volume or fullness, particularly in the upper pole
• Have lost volume after pregnancy, breastfeeding or weight change
• Have noticeable asymmetry between the two sides
• Feel your breasts are disproportionate to your frame
• Are at a stable weight, in good health and not currently pregnant or nursing

If the nipple has descended below the inframammary fold, an implant alone will make the breast larger without making it higher. In that situation a lift, alone or combined with an implant, is the operation that actually addresses the complaint.

The decisions that determine your result

Implant type

Silicone gel implants feel closer to breast tissue and are the more common choice, particularly in thinner patients. Saline implants are filled after placement, allowing a slightly smaller incision and easy detection of rupture, but they are firmer and show rippling more readily. Cohesive ‘gummy bear’ implants hold a shaped form and resist deformation.

Placement

Submuscular or dual plane — partly beneath the pectoralis major. More soft tissue cover over the upper edge of the implant, less visible rippling, and better mammographic imaging. Slightly longer initial recovery and some animation with pectoral contraction. Subglandular — above the muscle. Faster early recovery and no animation, but requires good native tissue cover.

Most patients with modest native tissue are best served by a dual plane approach. This is a tissue-driven decision.

Incision

Inframammary — in the fold beneath the breast. Best exposure, most precise pocket control, and the scar sits in a natural shadow. Periareolar — at the areolar border. Transaxillary — in the armpit. Each has trade-offs discussed against your anatomy and priorities.

Sizing

Sizing is done by measurement and trial, not by aspiration. Chest base width sets the maximum implant diameter that will sit correctly. Within that constraint, profile and projection are selected to reach the volume you want. Patients try sizers in a fitted garment during the consultation so the discussion is about what things look like rather than about numbers.

Fat transfer

Fat grafting can add a modest amount of volume — useful for correcting asymmetry, softening the upper pole transition over an implant, or achieving a subtle increase without an implant. Take is variable, roughly 50–70% of what is placed, and the volume achievable per session is limited. It is not an equivalent alternative to an implant for a significant size change.

Educational video

Dr. Carlotti explains breast augmentation planning

Dr. Carlotti explains how breast augmentation is planned around tissue, chest width, implant position, and proportion rather than cup size alone.

Recovery timeline

Every recovery is individual. This is the pattern most patients follow, and you will receive a written plan specific to your procedure.

When	What to expect
Days 1–3	Tightness and pressure across the chest, greatest with submuscular placement. Supportive bra worn continuously. Most patients are up and walking the same day.
Days 4–7	Discomfort decreasing markedly. Many patients return to desk work at 5–7 days.
Weeks 2–4	Light activity resumed. No lifting above guidance. Implants still sitting high — this is normal and expected.
Weeks 4–6	Cleared progressively for full exercise, upper body last. Implants beginning to settle into the pocket.
Months 3–6	Implants settled, upper pole softened, shape natural. This is when the result is judged.

Risks and considerations

Risks include capsular contracture (hardening of the scar capsule around the implant), rupture or deflation, rippling or palpability particularly in thin patients, asymmetry, malposition or bottoming out, changes in nipple and breast sensation, difficulty breastfeeding, infection, hematoma, and the need for revision surgery.

Breast implants are not lifetime devices. Most patients will require at least one further operation over the course of decades — for rupture, contracture, size change or the effects of aging on the breast around the implant. Planning on that from the outset is more honest than being surprised by it.

Breast implant–associated ALCL is a rare lymphoma associated principally with textured implants, and there is ongoing investigation into a broader set of systemic symptoms some patients report. Both are discussed as part of informed consent.

Cost and financing

Cost depends on implant type, whether a lift is combined and operative time, and includes surgeon, anesthesia and facility fees plus routine post-operative care. Implant manufacturers provide their own warranties, which are explained at consultation. See cost and financing.

Before and after results

Dr. Carlotti maintains a photographic result archive organized by procedure — real patients, consistent lighting and angles, published with consent. View breast augmentation before and after photographs.

Breast Augmentation: questions patients ask