Choosing breast augmentation can be exciting, but the weeks leading up to your procedure matter more than you may realize. Proper preparation is often just as important as the surgery itself. Following your surgeon’s instructions can help reduce avoidable risks, make the day of surgery less stressful, and create the conditions for a smoother recovery.
At Quintessa Aesthetic Center, with locations in Sheboygan, Mequon, Delafield, Brookfield, and Middleton, your preparation is part of your overall surgical journey. You will receive instructions tailored to your health, procedure, and individual needs. This guide walks you through the major steps to consider before your consultation, during the weeks leading up to breast augmentation, and on the night before and day of your surgery.
Before your consultation
Your consultation is much more than an opportunity to choose an implant size. It is where you and your surgeon begin developing a surgical plan around your anatomy, health, lifestyle, and goals. A little preparation beforehand can help you make the most of this conversation and ensure you have the information you need to make an informed decision.
Bring examples of what you like
Think about what you hope to change and how you would like your breasts to look after surgery. You may find it helpful to bring a few reference photos. These are not templates for your results (your anatomy ultimately influences what can be achieved), but they can make it easier to communicate what terms such as “natural,” “full,” or “proportionate” mean to you.
Consider your priorities beyond cup size. Do you want more upper-pole fullness? Are you hoping to restore volume lost after pregnancy or weight changes? Is symmetry important to you? Your answers give your surgeon a clearer understanding of the result you seek.
Prepare your questions
Write down your questions before your appointment rather than relying on yourself to remember everything during the consultation. Breast augmentation involves decisions about implant size, type, profile, placement, incision location, and other surgical considerations.
You may want to ask what implant options are appropriate for your specific anatomy, where your incisions may be located, how visible scars are expected to be, what recovery typically involves, and when you may return to work, exercise, and other activities. Ask about possible complications and what could require revision surgery in the future.
This is also the time to discuss your expectations openly. Breast implants are not lifetime devices, and the likelihood of complications and additional surgery generally increases the longer implants remain in place. Understanding both the potential benefits and long-term responsibilities of breast augmentation can help you decide whether surgery is right for you.
Gather your medical history
Give your surgical team a complete picture of your health. Gather information about previous surgeries, hospitalizations, medical conditions, allergies, and any prior complications involving surgery or anesthesia.
You should also discuss your breast health, including previous mammograms, biopsies, breast surgery, or significant family history when applicable. Tell your surgeon if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, recently stopped breastfeeding, or may want to breastfeed in the future. Some women with implants successfully breastfeed, while others may have difficulty, so future plans are worth discussing before surgery.
Do not leave something out simply because it seems unrelated to breast augmentation. Your medical history helps your surgeon assess your candidacy and determine whether additional testing or precautions may be appropriate.
List your medications and supplements
Create an accurate list of everything you take, including prescription medications, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, herbal products, and dietary or workout supplements. Include the name, dose, and frequency whenever possible.
Certain products may affect bleeding, anesthesia, blood pressure, or other aspects of surgery and recovery. Your surgeon needs to know what you are taking before deciding whether anything should be temporarily adjusted.
Never stop a prescription medication on your own. Your surgical team can tell you which medications should be continued, modified, or temporarily discontinued and, when necessary, coordinate those changes with the clinician who prescribed them.
Review the risks and long-term considerations
An informed decision requires understanding what implants can (and cannot) do. Potential complications include infection, bleeding, changes in breast or nipple sensation, asymmetry, displacement, scarring, seroma, implant rupture or deflation, and capsular contracture, in which the scar capsule around an implant tightens and can make the breast feel firm or painful.
There are also uncommon but important implant-associated risks that should be discussed, including breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) and reports of other malignancies developing in the capsule surrounding breast implants.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) requires a patient decision checklist as part of the required risk communication for breast implants. Before implantation, your surgeon must review the checklist with you, including recognized risks, complications, and long-term monitoring, and you and your surgeon must sign the checklist. Ask about anything you do not fully understand.
In the weeks before surgery
Once you have decided to move forward, preparation becomes increasingly practical. Your surgical team will provide a personalized timeline and preoperative instructions. Follow those instructions over any generalized advice you encounter online.
Review your medications and supplements
Your surgeon may instruct you to avoid certain medications or supplements that could increase bleeding or interfere with surgery. Depending on your case, these may include certain anti-inflammatory medications and particular vitamins, herbs, or supplements.
Do not assume that a product is harmless because it is available without a prescription or labeled “natural.” Supplements can still affect bleeding, blood pressure, sedation, or interactions with other medications. Follow the specific medication list and timeline provided by your surgical team. If another doctor has prescribed a medication, do not discontinue it without guidance.
Stop smoking and nicotine use
If you smoke or use nicotine, tell your surgeon well in advance of surgery. Nicotine constricts blood vessels and can interfere with the blood supply that healing tissues need. This can increase the risk of wound-healing problems and other surgical complications.
Your surgeon may require you to stop smoking and using nicotine products for a specified period before and after surgery. That can include cigarettes, vaping, and nicotine-containing products. Be candid about your use rather than trying to work around the restriction. The goal is not to judge your habits: it is to make your surgery and recovery as safe as reasonably possible.
Complete your required testing
Depending on your age, medical history, and surgical plan, you may need laboratory tests or other medical evaluation before surgery. Some patients may also need appropriate breast imaging or additional clearance based on their individual health history.
Complete these requirements within the timeframe your surgical team gives you. Waiting until the last minute can create unnecessary stress and, in some circumstances, could delay your procedure if required information is unavailable. If you are visiting Quintessa from the greater Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, or surrounding Wisconsin areas, account for travel time when scheduling any required preoperative appointments.
Protect your health before surgery
Pay attention to your general health. Eat a balanced diet, stay appropriately hydrated, and follow any exercise or lifestyle recommendations provided by your surgeon.
Contact your surgical team if you become ill or develop a fever, respiratory symptoms, an infection, a new skin problem near the surgical area, or another significant change in your health. Do not simply hope that new symptoms will resolve by your procedure date.
Arrange your ride home
You will not be able to drive yourself home after breast augmentation. Arrange for a responsible adult to drive you and follow any instructions regarding how long someone should assist you.
Confirm these plans well ahead of surgery. Knowing exactly who is taking you home and how you will reach them after your procedure removes one source of stress on the day itself. If you are traveling a significant distance to your Quintessa surgical location, discuss your travel plans with the team beforehand. You may receive specific recommendations about longer car rides.
Prepare help for your recovery
Think beyond transportation. During the first part of recovery, routine activities may be uncomfortable or restricted. Arrange help with children, pets, meals, errands, household responsibilities, and anything involving lifting.
Prepare your recovery space in advance. Put frequently used items somewhere easy to reach, stock your kitchen, fill permitted prescriptions according to your surgical team’s instructions, and place comfortable clothing where you will not need to stretch overhead. When you return home, you should be able to concentrate on resting rather than managing chores.
The night before and day of
By this stage, most of the planning should already be complete. Your priority is following your final preoperative instructions carefully. Small details, from eating at the wrong time to forgetting transportation arrangements, can interfere with a well-planned procedure.
Follow your fasting instructions exactly
You will receive specific instructions about when to stop eating and drinking before surgery. Follow them exactly, including any directions concerning water, gum, candy, or other liquids.
Fasting requirements are related to anesthesia safety, so do not make exceptions because you feel hungry or thirsty. If you accidentally eat or drink outside the permitted timeframe, tell your surgical team. Do not conceal it in an effort to prevent your surgery from being postponed. Your anesthesia and surgical teams need accurate information to make safe decisions.
Take only approved medications
Your instructions should explain whether you need to take any regular medications on the morning of surgery and, if so, how to take them. Do not improvise. If you are uncertain about a medication, contact the surgical team. It is better to clarify a question beforehand than arrive unsure about whether you followed your preoperative requirements correctly.
Shower as directed
Your team may provide instructions about showering or cleansing before your procedure. Follow any directions about soaps or skin preparation carefully. Avoid applying products your team has asked you not to use in the surgical area. Depending on your instructions, this could include lotions, creams, oils, deodorants, perfumes, or cosmetics. You should also follow any directions concerning jewelry, piercings, contact lenses, and valuables before leaving for surgery.
Wear loose, easy-to-remove clothing
Choose comfort and practicality over style on surgery day. Wear loose clothing that does not require you to pull it tightly over your head or make large arm movements. A roomy zip-up or button-front top is often more convenient after breast surgery. Pair it with comfortable pants and easy-to-put-on shoes. You are choosing clothing not only for your arrival but also for your trip home after surgery, when your chest may feel sore, and your movement may be limited.
Pack only what you need
Bring your identification, any required paperwork, and other items specifically requested by your surgical team. Leave unnecessary valuables at home. Your team will tell you whether you need to bring a surgical bra or compression garment. Do not purchase or substitute your own without checking first. The correct fit and level of support can matter during early recovery.
If you have been instructed to bring a particular bra or garment, have it washed, ready, and packed the night before rather than trying to locate it on your way out the door.
Confirm your recovery plan
Before leaving home, make sure your driver is available. Have the appropriate contact information readily accessible in case you or the person caring for you has questions after you return home. You should know where you are going, who will be with you, what medications and supplies you have been instructed to use, and how to contact your surgical team if needed.
Prepare for your breast augmentation at Quintessa
Breast augmentation begins well before you enter the operating room. Gathering your medical information, understanding implant risks and long-term considerations, following medication and nicotine instructions, completing required testing, preparing your home, and carefully following your fasting and surgery-day directions all help you approach your procedure with confidence.
At Quintessa Aesthetic Center, patients throughout Wisconsin can receive personalized aesthetic care at locations in Sheboygan in the greater Green Bay area, Mequon, Delafield, Brookfield in the greater Milwaukee area, and Middleton in the greater Madison area. If breast augmentation feels like the right next step in helping you feel more comfortable in your body, contact Quintessa to schedule your consultation and begin preparing for your journey.
Medically Reviewed by: Dr. Jake Thayer
Board-Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon
About Dr. Thayer
