Breast Augmentation
Breast augmentation is a decision made in millimetres — implant volume, projection, and the plane in which the implant sits. Dr Hoffmann plans each augmentation to suit the patient's frame, tissue quality, and how the result should sit in ten years, not just ten weeks.
◉ Fig.02 · Cross-section drawing — not a patient photograph
Where the implant sits
An implant can sit in front of the chest muscle, partly behind it, or fully behind it. The plane is chosen from your tissue cover and how the breast should behave in the long term — not from preference alone. Select a plane to redraw the pocket.
The upper part of the implant sits behind the muscle and the lower part behind the gland. It is the common choice: muscle covers the upper pole where an edge would show, while the lower pole is free to fill the breast naturally.
How far it projects
Two implants of the same volume can look entirely different. Profile describes how the volume is distributed: a wide, flat base or a narrower base carried further forward. Move through the profiles to see the side view redraw.
The middle ground most patients choose: forward projection balanced against base width.
◉ Projection · Moderate — diagrammatic, not to scale
Anaesthesia
Performed under general anaesthesia in an accredited hospital theatre, with a specialist anaesthetist. Most patients stay one night for observation and pain management.
Recovery timeline
◉ Drag to move along the timeline
Risks
All surgery carries risk. General considerations include the risks of anaesthesia, bleeding, infection, delayed wound healing, scarring, altered sensation, asymmetry, and — in a small proportion of cases — the need for revision. Dr Hoffmann will discuss the specific risks relevant to your procedure and your health in detail during consultation. Results vary between individuals; no outcome can be guaranteed.
◉ Fig.02b · Drawn plan — pre-operative contour vs planned contour
An illustration of the planned change, not a patient photograph. Volume, projection and plane are decided from your own measurements at consultation.
What a realistic result looks like
A good augmentation looks proportionate to your frame and behaves normally in clothing and out of it. Implants sit high and firm for the first weeks and settle into position over about three months; the shape is judged at six to twelve months once tissues have relaxed and scars have faded. Implants are durable but not permanent, and exchange at some point in a lifetime is realistic to plan for.
- Volume and upper-pole fullness, within what your tissue cover can carry safely
- Mild asymmetry between the two sides, reduced rather than perfectly matched
- Shape lost after pregnancy, feeding or weight change, restored in fullness
- Fit in clothing, which most patients notice before they notice anything else
- Significant sagging — a breast that sits low needs a lift, not simply an implant
- Natural asymmetry entirely; no two breasts are identical before or after surgery
- Stretch marks, skin quality, or the position of the chest wall itself
- Future change — pregnancy, weight shift and ageing continue to act on the result
Dr Hoffmann will show you photographs of comparable cases during your consultation, so you can see realistic outcomes for anatomy like yours. In line with HPCSA guidance, those photographs are not published online. Why there are no before-and-after photographs here.
Common questions
Request a consultation with Dr Hoffmann
Every plan begins with an unhurried conversation, an examination, and drawn markings — never a quote over the phone.