Breast Surgery
Restore or enhance your shape with a result that looks and feels like you.
Breast Augmentation
If you want fuller, more balanced breasts, breast augmentation is the procedure that gets you there. Breast augmentation increases the size and improves the shape of the breasts, using either implants or a transfer of your own fat. Women choose it to restore volume lost after pregnancy or weight change, to balance a natural difference in size, or simply to feel more confident in their proportions. The right approach depends on how much size you want, your starting anatomy, and whether your breasts also need lifting.
At his Denver practice, Dr. Jason Martin plans every breast augmentation around your goals, and he is candid about which option will get you the result you actually want.
At a Glance
These are typical starting points. Dr. Martin confirms the details for your plan at your consultation.
Full exercise by about 6 weeks.
Heals discreetly in most cases.
Depends on implant type and whether a lift is included.
The procedure
Breast augmentation adds volume and improves the shape and symmetry of the breasts. It can take you up a cup size or more, restore fullness in the upper breast that often fades after pregnancy or breastfeeding, and bring two naturally different breasts into better balance.
What it does not do on its own is lift the breasts. If your breasts sag and you want them higher on the chest as well as fuller, that calls for a breast lift, either instead of or along with augmentation. Knowing which of these you need is one of the most important things you will sort out at your consultation, and it is covered below.
Your options
There are two ways to add volume, and they suit different goals.
Implants are the right choice when you want a clear, reliable increase in size.
A silicone or saline implant is placed through a small incision to give you the fullness and shape you are after. Implants offer the widest range of sizes and the most predictable result, which is why they remain the most common choice for breast augmentation.
Fat transfer is the right choice for a modest, natural enhancement without an implant.
In a fat transfer breast augmentation, Dr. Martin uses liposuction to take fat from an area like your abdomen or flanks, then purifies and injects it into the breasts. You gain a natural increase in fullness and slim a donor area at the same time. The size increase is more limited than with implants, and some of the transferred fat is reabsorbed by the body, so it suits women who want a subtle change rather than a significant jump in size.
Implant decisions
If implants are your path, several decisions shape the result. Dr. Martin walks you through each one at your consultation.
Silicone implants are filled with a soft gel that feels much like natural breast tissue, which is why most patients choose them. Saline implants are filled with sterile salt water and can be a good option in the right candidate. Both are FDA-approved and safe; the difference patients notice most is feel.
An implant can sit just behind the breast tissue or beneath the chest muscle. Placement under the muscle often gives a more natural slope in the upper breast and can make mammograms easier to read, while over-the-muscle placement suits certain anatomies. Dr. Martin recommends the placement that fits your body and goals.
The most common incision is in the crease under the breast, where the scar is hidden and heals well. Depending on your anatomy and the implant chosen, an incision around the lower edge of the areola is sometimes an option. Dr. Martin will explain which gives you the best result with the least visible scar.
Candidacy
You may be a good candidate for breast augmentation if you are in good health, bothered by the size or shape of your breasts, and have a realistic sense of what surgery can achieve. It is best to be at a stable weight, and to wait until you are finished with pregnancy and breastfeeding if those are in your near future, since both can change your results.
You are likely a good candidate if you:
One honest point decides the plan for many women. If your breasts sag and the nipple sits at or below the breast crease, an implant alone will make a sagging breast larger rather than higher, a result sometimes called the "Snoopy" look. In that situation, a breast lift (mastopexy) is done along with or instead of augmentation to raise the breasts to a more youthful position. Dr. Martin will tell you honestly at your consultation whether a lift is part of getting you the result you want.
Experience & judgment
Dr. Martin approaches breast augmentation as a matter of proportion, choosing the implant or fat transfer, the size, and the technique that suit your frame and your goals. The goal is a result that looks natural for your body and holds up over time.
What he brings to that work
The procedure, step by step
Breast augmentation is done under general anesthesia and usually takes one to two hours. The steps follow a consistent sequence:
most often in the crease under the breast where the scar stays hidden.
either behind the breast tissue or under the chest muscle, based on the plan you and Dr. Martin agreed on.
or purified fat is injected when you have chosen a fat transfer.
in layers to support healing and keep the scar fine.
Recovery
Most women are surprised by how manageable recovery is, and knowing the timeline ahead removes much of the worry. Dr. Martin gives you specific instructions for your case.
The first few days
Expect soreness, tightness, and some swelling. Most patients manage well with the medication provided and rest with limited arm activity.
About one week
Many women return to desk work and light daily activity, often off prescription pain medication by this point.
Weeks two to six
Swelling continues to settle and the breasts begin to soften and drop into a natural position. Light activity resumes gradually.
Around six weeks
Most patients are cleared for full exercise, and the shape continues to refine over the following months.
Risks
Breast augmentation is a common and well-studied surgery, and serious complications are uncommon, but every operation has risks worth understanding. The one specific to implants is capsular contracture, where the scar tissue that naturally forms around an implant tightens and firms; it is uncommon and treatable when it happens. Other risks include changes in nipple sensation, the small chance of an implant leak or rupture that would call for an exchange, and the usual surgical risks of bleeding and infection. Choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon, following your aftercare, and keeping up with routine monitoring are the best ways to keep your risk low. Dr. Martin reviews the full picture with you at your consultation.
Proof
Photographs of Dr. Martin's actual patients are the best way to understand how natural a well-planned augmentation looks, and how implant size and type translate to real results on different frames. Dr. Martin will review cases similar to yours at your consultation.
Results vary from patient to patient. Photographs are of Dr. Martin's actual patients, shown with their consent.
Investment
In Denver, breast augmentation with implants generally runs from about $9,500 to $20,000. The range depends on the type of implant, whether you choose fat transfer, and whether a breast lift is included, along with anesthesia and facility fees. Adding a lift, in particular, increases the scope of the surgery and the cost.
At your consultation you will receive a clear, itemized quote for your specific plan, and our team will walk you through financing options so the investment fits your budget.
Patient experience
Dr. Martin's patients consistently describe natural, proportionate results and a recovery that was easier than they expected.
Beauty & the Surgeon
Dr. Martin discusses breast augmentation, implant choices, and recovery on his podcast, Beauty and the Surgeon, and on his YouTube channel. A few episodes to start with:
Common questions
In Denver, breast augmentation with implants generally runs from about $9,500 to $20,000, depending on the implant type, whether you add fat transfer, and whether a breast lift is included. Anesthesia and facility fees are part of the total. You will receive an itemized quote for your specific plan at your consultation, along with financing options.
Most patients choose silicone, because the gel feels closer to natural breast tissue. Saline implants are filled with sterile salt water and can be a good fit in the right candidate. Both are FDA-approved and safe, so the decision usually comes down to feel and your anatomy, which Dr. Martin reviews with you.
It depends on how much your breasts sag. If the nipple sits at or below the breast crease, an implant alone will enlarge a sagging breast rather than lift it, so a breast lift is added to raise the breasts. If there is little sagging, augmentation alone is usually enough. Dr. Martin makes this call with you at your consultation.
Implants are not considered lifetime devices. Many last well beyond a decade, but they may need to be exchanged or removed at some point, whether for a change in size, normal wear, or a complication. Routine monitoring is part of caring for your implants over the years.
Many women breastfeed successfully after augmentation, particularly when the incision is placed in the breast crease and the implant sits under the muscle. No surgery can guarantee breastfeeding, so if you plan to nurse in the future, raise it at your consultation and Dr. Martin will plan with that in mind.
Changes in nipple sensation can happen after augmentation and are usually temporary, with feeling returning over weeks to months. Permanent change is uncommon. The incision and implant size both play a role, which is part of why the plan is tailored to you.
Fat transfer uses liposuction to remove fat from one area of your body, then injects the purified fat into the breasts for a natural, modest increase in size. It avoids implants and slims the donor area, though the size gain is smaller and some fat is reabsorbed. It suits women who want a subtle enhancement.
A pair of implants typically adds only about one to two pounds in total, so the number on the scale barely moves. What you notice is the change in shape and proportion, not your weight.
Significant weight changes after augmentation, including from GLP-1 medications, can alter the look of your breasts as the surrounding tissue changes. It is best to be at a stable weight before surgery. If you are taking or planning to take one of these medications, tell Dr. Martin so he can plan your timing.
From Dr. Martin
For a closer look at implant choices, recovery, and results, these articles from Dr. Martin go deeper:
Choosing breast implant shapes and sizes Read article 
Breast augmentation after pregnancy Read article 
Breast augmentation: saline vs. silicone Read article 
Types of breast implants explained Read article 
Is breast augmentation worth it? Read article 
How painful is breast augmentation? Read article 
Breast augmentation recovery: the first two months Read article 
Begin
The best way to find the right plan for your breasts is a consultation with the surgeon who will perform your surgery. Dr. Martin will listen to your goals, review implant and fat transfer options, and tell you honestly whether a lift belongs in your plan. Call our Denver office at (303) 321-1439 to schedule your consultation.
(303) 321-1439