If you’re considering breast enhancement surgery, your first step is to identify a surgeon to consult with who will be able to give you open, honest, well-educated advice and who will be able to answer all of your lingering questions. After all, you’re about to make a life-changing (not to mention, financially burdening) decision and so you’ll certainly want it to be a well-informed one.

It’s simply not enough to Google-search plastic surgeons in your area and pick the least expensive or most conveniently located one, you’re going to want to do your homework in order to avoid any regrets in the future.

Get Advice

The first thing that you’re going to want to do is to seek a few personal references. More than likely, if you’re considering implants, you or someone you know has a friend or two who has had the procedure. Contact them to find out who they used, what they paid for the procedure and if they were happy with both the results and with the doctor’s bed-side-manner.

Once you’ve identified a couple of surgeons with glowing recommendations, schedule your consults. Note that “consults” is plural, you’ll want to schedule to meet with more than just one.

The Consultation

In preparation for your first consult appointment, gather some photos that adequately represent the look that you are going for and which you will bring with you to your appointment. When you do this, be sure to select images that accurately portrait your body type and have them printed out so that you can easily share them with the doctor (don’t try to show the doctor a digital photo on your phone or iPad).

The surgeon will certainly have photos for you to look at while you are in the office and of course you’ll want to review several of his/her before-and-after images but it’s better to also have some images that you, yourself have selected as your ideal results.

Next, put together a list of questions that you’ll want to ask during your appointment. The FDA recommends a series of questions in 3 separate categories: questions that relate to the surgeon’s experience, questions about the operation itself and questions about the expected results.

You can review those questions in the FDA’s online pamphlet entitled, Questions to Ask Before Having Breast Implant Surgery. In addition to the FDA recommended questions, you’re going to have a few of your own personal questions or concerns that you’ll want to address and discuss. Write them down and bring them with you.

At your consult, be sure to find out what your options are if you are dissatisfied with the cosmetic outcome of the implants and what alternate procedures or products are available if you choose not to have breast implants (because you may decide that the procedure is not right for you after you’ve been educated).

Listen to What the Doctor Recommends

Lastly and most importantly, be sure to ask the surgeon to be very clear about what his/her recommendations are for you. Listen carefully and objectively to their thoughts on shape, size, surface texturing, incision site, and placement site for you despite the goals that you had in mind, the photos that you may have already shared with them or results that you’ve already discussed.

The doctor may have a completely different recommendation for your body type and personal situation. They are the expert and you’ll want to select a surgeon who is not afraid to tell you that what you are asking for may not be right for you.

Once you’ve met with at least two experienced, qualified surgeons, you’ll be in a position to first, make your decision as to whether or not breast augmentation is right for you and secondly, if it is right for you, you’ll be able to determine which doctor is the best fit for you!

Catrina Porter is a freelance writer who has considered breast augmentation surgery before so she knows that the most important step is finding the right doctor for you. She recommends that everyone do the necessary research before seriously considering any cosmetic surgery, because once it’s done, it’s permanent!