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MED 0001201549.  This website is for adult viewing (18+).  Please take time to read and understand the potential risks of surgery.

01Article · Breast implants

Just breast
implants?

Breast implants have been around for decades, and there is no shortage of information — from media, from friends, from family. It is normal to be inquisitive. It is normal to be concerned. It is normal to be anxious. After all, you are considering surgery on your body. Here are some insights, especially if you are new to the conversation.

Written by Dr Kishen Nara · Reviewed for plain-language accuracy · Published 28 May 2022

02In short

Breast implants are a personal choice, not a purchase decision — the right doctor matters more than the implant itself. This article sets out three honest cautions on sizing (too big, too soon, or too small to matter), the questions worth asking any doctor before proceeding, and why formal cosmetic surgical training and an unhurried consultation process are the real markers of safe care.

03Why this article exists

There is something more important —
than breast implants.

Breast implants were originally designed to alter the look of a woman's silhouette using round, smooth implants — through surgery, of course. The other reason patients consider them is to restore a sense of self. Both are reasonable. Neither, in isolation, is a reason to proceed without time and a careful conversation.

"There is something more important than breast implants — that is you." Dr Nara emphasises this with every patient. You are more important than the implant, the technique, the room, or the qualifications on the wall. Choose a doctor who has taken the time and effort to understand you.

Qualifications, skill and dexterity all matter — but qualifications in what, specifically? Is the doctor you are seeing formally trained in cosmetic surgery? Dr Nara is a fully qualified Surgical Fellow of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and Medicine — a fellowship undertaken specifically to be skilled in cosmetic surgery and medicine, to understand patients better, and to maintain a network across colleagues in the field.

— Dr Kishen Nara, RevAesthetic Melbourne.

Dr Kishen Nara in conversation with a patient at the RevAesthetic Melbourne rooms
Dr Nara Melbourne rooms

04The questions patients bring

Who is the right doctor —
and what is the right implant?

So who is the right doctor for you? What is the right implant? The right recovery plan? The right long-term follow-up? What about breastfeeding, the cost, time off work, returning to the gym — or to one-handed handstands, if that is what you do?

Sure, we can discuss the intricacies of breast implants — incision, projection, width, surface, weight, circumference, durability, longevity — and the list goes on. All of it matters. None of it matters more than your safety, your timing, and your reasons.

All cosmetic surgery and cosmetic treatments have inherent benefits, risks and complications. These can happen to any patient under any practitioner. Why? Because as long as we are human, we are exposed to them. For the detailed list, see our risks of surgery page — it is worked through line by line at consultation.

05Three honest cautions

Stay calm. Don't rush. —
Stay aBreast.

Some plain-English framings Dr Nara raises with new patients. None are absolute rules — each is a starting point for the conversation about sizing, timing, and what is realistic for your body.

"Too big to fail"

Choosing an implant that is too big for your tissue is not without potential failure — soft tissues stretch, scars stretch, and what looks proportionate today may not in five or ten years.

"Too much, too soon"

Implants placed too large too early in life raise the risk profile and open the door to problems later — a longer life with an implant means more chance of needing revision or further surgery.

"Too small to make a difference"

This is also a real concern — there is a fine balance between conservative sizing and a change that achieves what you came for. The conversation lives in that balance.

06The merits, honestly

Implants have their merits —
when the conversation has been had.

Breast implants have merits. Restoration of volume after pregnancy or weight change. A different relationship with clothing. In some cases — and this is individual — a different relationship with one's own body. These are the patient's choice, and the patient's right.

To realise those merits, give yourself enough time to make a considered decision, and meet a doctor who is interested in your safety — not just in performing the procedure. The right consultation is not a sales conversation; it is a planning conversation, and it will be balanced, realistic, informative and honest.

For an overview of the procedure itself — what is done, what to expect, the realistic range of outcomes — see our breast augmentation page. If you are considering removal, see breast implant removal. For a lift (with or without implants), see breast lift. For revision after a previous procedure, see revision breast implants.

06bIn Dr Nara's words

Three strategies —
for breast augmentation.

Dr Nara on the three strategies that come up most often in breast augmentation consultations across Melbourne, Adelaide and Tasmania.

07Questions to take with you

Eight things —
worth asking out loud.

A starter list to bring to any cosmetic consultation. There are no wrong questions, and an unwillingness to answer any of them in plain English is a meaningful answer in itself.

Questions for the doctor

  • What is your formal training in cosmetic surgery specifically?
  • How long have you been performing this procedure?
  • What is your approach to implant sizing for my body?
  • What does the cooling-off period look like?
  • What is your after-care plan, and what happens if I have a complication?
  • Where is the surgery performed, and is the facility accredited?
  • Is a chaperone present during examinations?
  • Can I bring a partner, family member or friend to the consultation?

08About the practitioner

Dr Kishen
Nara.

Dr Kishen Nara is a registered medical practitioner who sees patients across Melbourne, Tasmania and Adelaide. He undertook the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and Medicine surgical fellowship specifically to be skilled in cosmetic surgery and to understand patients better — and to build a strong network of colleagues across the field.

The RevAesthetic team includes practice manager Cate, patient liaison Jenny, and registered nurses — all involved in supporting your enquiry from first contact through to follow-up. All assessments are conducted in line with Medical Board of Australia guidelines, and a second medical opinion is encouraged at any stage.

  • MBBSBachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery — Monash University
  • FACCSM(Surg)Surgical Fellow, Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and Medicine
  • AHPRARegistered medical practitioner — General Registration MED0001201549
  • ACCSMCosmetic surgical training delivered through the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and Medicine

Read more about us

09Enquire

Begin a
conversation.

Consultations are conducted personally by Dr Nara across Melbourne, Tasmania and Adelaide. We respond within one business day. There is a written reflection period before any decision, and a second medical opinion is encouraged at any stage.

Prefer to write or call?

(03) 9720 6300

10Continue reading

More from
the journal.

Disclaimer: All cosmetic procedures have inherent potential risks and complications. We encourage you to seek a second opinion from a qualified medical professional before any procedure. Material on this page is educational in nature and is not generalisable — outcomes vary significantly between patients depending on genetic composition, medical history and individual circumstances.

07 — Begin

Begin a conversation.

Contact us for more information, or to request a consultation.