7 Questions To Ask At Your Consultation
It usually starts with the late-night scroll. You’re on your phone, moving between forums, Instagram results, and provider reviews, trying to piece together a plan. By the time you actually book a consultation, you might feel like you’ve already done the heavy lifting. You know the CCs you want; you know the profile.
But there is a massive difference between online research and clinical reality. The internet can show you a result, but it can’t tell you how an implant will interact with your specific rib cage or tissue elasticity.
That’s what the consultation is for. It isn’t just a time for a surgeon to measure you; it’s your chance to measure them. In a city like Atlanta, where you have endless options for aesthetic surgery, you need to know how to filter the noise. You aren’t just buying a service; you are entering a relationship with a medical team.
Here are the seven questions that will help you figure out if you’re in the right place.
1. Are you board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery?
It’s easy to get confused here because the terminology is often deliberately vague. You’ll see terms like "cosmetic surgeon" or "aesthetic specialist" used interchangeably, but they aren't the same thing. Technically, any doctor with a medical license can perform cosmetic procedures, even if their background is in general medicine or dermatology.
You want to look specifically for the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) seal. This is the gold standard because it means the surgeon has completed a six-to eight-year residency focused entirely on surgery of the face and body. It ensures they haven’t just taken a weekend course on implants; they’ve spent years doing complex reconstructive work, learning the "why" and "how" of anatomy, blood supply, and safety.
2. How many breast augmentations do you perform in a year?
You’re looking for muscle memory here. A surgeon who performs breast surgery once or twice a month simply doesn't have the same fluidity as someone who does it every week.
High volume matters because it exposes a surgeon to variance. An experienced breast augmentation surgeon has seen hundreds of different chest types, asymmetries, and tissue qualities. They know how to anticipate problems before they happen. Don't be shy about asking for numbers—you want someone who knows this procedure inside and out, not someone who dabbles in it.
3. Why are you recommending this specific implant for me?
If you walk in asking for a specific size and the surgeon just nods and schedules the date, be careful. A consultation should be a conversation, not an order-taking session.
Your anatomy dictates what is safe and what will look good long-term. A thoughtful breast implant specialist in Atlanta should be able to explain the logic behind their recommendation. Maybe you want high-profile silicone, but your chest width supports a moderate profile better. Maybe you want a certain size, but your tissue is too thin to support it without rippling. You want a surgeon who acts as an advisor—someone willing to tell you "no" if it means protecting your result.
4. Can we look at photos of patients who started out like me?
Most websites are essentially highlight reels—they show the absolute best-case scenarios. But you need to see what’s realistic for your body.
When you’re looking at before and after breast implants, try to ignore the patients who look nothing like you. If you have an athletic build with very little natural tissue, ask to see results on similar frames. If you have some asymmetry, ask to see how they handled that in previous cases. This gives you a much better, meaningful predictor of your own results than looking at a "goal photo" of someone with a completely different anatomy.
5. Let’s talk about the risks. How do you handle complications?
This is the question nobody wants to ask, but it’s the most important one to have answered. Surgery is medicine, and medicine isn't perfect. Things like capsular contracture (scar tissue hardening) or implant malposition can happen in the best hands.
Watch how the surgeon reacts to this topic. A good surgeon won’t brush it off or claim a "zero percent" complication rate. They will walk you through the realities of managing breast implant complications and explain their policy for revisions. You need to know that if things don't settle perfectly, they will be there to help you fix it—not leave you to figure it out on your own.
6. Who is providing the anesthesia, and where are we doing this?
It’s easy to get distracted by the aesthetics of the office—the nice waiting room, the marble counters. But you need to look at the safety infrastructure.
Make sure the surgery is happening in an accredited facility (look for AAAASF or JCAHO certification) or a hospital. These accreditations mean the operating room meets hospital-grade safety standards. Just as important: ask about the anesthesia provider. For safe breast augmentation, you want a board-certified anesthesiologist or a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) under direct supervision. If the answer is vague, that’s a red flag.
7. What happens when I go home?
The surgery takes a few hours; the recovery takes weeks. You need to know exactly what that support system looks like.
Ask about the breast surgery recovery timeline in detail. When can you shower? When can you pick up your kids or drive? And most importantly, ask about accessibility. If you wake up at 8 PM on a Friday with a concern, is there a direct line to your care team? You shouldn't have to worry about whether you can reach someone when you’re healing. You want a practice that stays engaged with you long after you leave the recovery room.
The Final Gut Check
Asking these questions might feel a little intense, especially if you’re used to standard doctor visits where you just nod and listen. But remember: this is elective surgery. You are choosing to do this, and you get to choose who joins you in the operating room.
A surgeon worth your time won’t be annoyed by this level of detail—they will respect you for it. They want an educated patient just as much as you want a skilled provider.
Pay attention to how you feel when you walk out the door. Do you feel pressured? Do you feel like a number? Or do you feel heard, educated, and calm? If you leave the office with more clarity than when you walked in, you’ve likely found your match. The right choice doesn't just look good on paper; it gives you the peace of mind to move forward with absolute confidence.
