Breast Augmentationin Minneapolis
Breast augmentation using implants is one of the most commonly performed cosmetic surgery procedures in the U.S. Whether you’re looking to enhance breast volume, restore fullness lost after pregnancy or weight loss or correct asymmetry, saline or silicone implants can help you achieve a more balanced and confident silhouette.
Dr. Jennifer Harrington is a top female plastic surgeon who understands that no two women are alike. She works closely with her patients to help achieve natural-looking breast enhancement results that meet their appearance goals.
Contact us online or call our Plymouth office today at 651-290-7600 for more information about breast augmentation, including pricing and breast implant options. At Harrington Plastic Surgery, we’ve helped women from Minneapolis-St. Paul, St. Cloud, Wayzata, Minnetonka and throughout Minnesota feel great about their new look with the help of breast augmentation.
Your Trusted Surgeon
Dr. Jennifer Harrington is a board-certified plastic surgeon with over 25 years of experience in the field. She is locally and nationally renowned for bringing the highest standards of medical excellence and aesthetic sensitivity to all procedures of the breast, body and face.
Find out why so many women and men choose us for their cosmetic surgery enhancements, and see why Dr. Harrington should be your top choice.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Breast Augmentation?
Most women in good overall health and with realistic expectations can be excellent candidates for breast enlargement. While pregnancy and breastfeeding can change the size and shape of your breasts, you do not have to wait until after having children to get breast implants. In most cases, breast augmentation does not affect a woman’s ability to breastfeed. Dr. Harrington will help you decide if the timing could be right for you to move forward with breast augmentation.
Some common reasons that many women consider breast enhancement surgery include:
- Hypomastia, or naturally small breasts. Some women are born with naturally smaller breasts that do not develop to the size or proportion they desire.
- Breast asymmetry, where one breast is larger than the other. This is often genetic but may also be influenced by hormonal changes and certain underlying medical conditions.
- Loss of volume in breasts. Pregnancy, weight loss, aging and other factors can contribute to loss of breast volume.
Schedule Your Consultation
Use our convenient online scheduler to book your initial surgical consult online. Choose a time that works for you and meet with Dr. Harrington's RN, Saebra. We look forward to seeing you!
Your Breast Augmentation Consultation
The first step in the breast augmentation process is to schedule a personal consultation with Dr. Harrington’s provider. During this time, she will carefully listen to your goals, review your medical history and perform a physical evaluation to help you decide if breast implants could be right for you. If so, she will work with you to create an individualized surgical plan to best meet your aesthetic goals. This will include discussing in detail all of your breast augmentation options, including breast implant types, placement and incision techniques.
We will also discuss the risks and potential complications of breast augmentation and answer any questions or concerns you may have at this time. We believe that the best breast implant surgeons prioritize comfort and education. Well ahead of surgery, we give much attention to each patient to help them understand the process, length of recovery, and expected outcome.
In some cases, we may recommend additional procedures. Because breast implants only add volume, women with sagging breasts may consider adding a breast lift. It is also common to include breast enhancement surgery as part of a mommy makeover.
Breast Implant Types
There are two main types of implants used for breast augmentation surgery: saline and silicone. Each implant has its own benefits.
- Saline breast implants are filled with saline (salt water) at the time of surgery. Saline implants cost about half as much as silicone implants. These types of implants tend to feel slightly firmer to the touch than their silicone counterparts, may show more rippling on the sides of the breast and have a higher rupture rate. If a saline implant ruptures, breast volume will immediately diminish and the implant will need to be replaced.
- Silicone breast implants are filled with a silicone gel that is soft and feels very natural to the touch. Silicone implants tend not to ripple as much as saline, although they still can. These implants rupture less often than saline implants. However, if these implants rupture, there will likely be no change in the size of the breast, so an MRI is needed to detect any ruptures. Silicone implants are typically the preferred implant type for most breast augmentation candidates due to their more natural feel and decreased incidence of rippling.
If you’re looking for the latest breast implant options for breast augmentation in Minneapolis, Harrington Plastic Surgery can offer you a tailored experience to create your desired results. We take our patients’ specific body proportions, lifestyle and aesthetic goals into careful consideration when recommending implant options and surgical approach.
Breast Implant Placement
Breast implants can be placed either under the chest muscle (submuscular) or on top of the muscle and under the natural breast tissue (subglandular). The submuscular placement is the most common, as it can help to create a more natural look and feel, especially for women with smaller amounts of natural breast tissue. It can also reduce the risk of implant rippling, especially for saline implants, and may also reduce the risk of capsular contracture, a condition where scar tissue tightens around the implant.
Subglandular implant placement may be recommended in certain instances, such as for women with larger amounts of natural breast tissue and those who are very athletic. Because this implant placement does not involve the muscles, it tends to result in a slightly shorter recovery time than with submuscular implants.
Breast Augmentation Incisions
There are 3 main types of incisions used for breast enlargement surgery:
- Inframammary Fold Incision: This incision is made in the crease underneath the breast. This incision sits in or near the skin fold and is hidden by the curve of the breast once healed. This technique can be used to place the implant either above or below the chest muscle. This is our preferred incision type for all breast augmentations.
- Transaxillary Incision: This incision is made in the axilla, or armpit. The implant is then placed through this incision into a pocket created beneath the breast. A transaxillary incision can be used to place the implant either above or below the chest muscles.
- Periareolar Incision: This incision is made around the lower border of the areola at the junction of the areola and the skin. Because the incision goes through the breast ducts and glands, a periareolar incision may result in a higher rate of implant infection and capsular contracture.
Preparing for Breast Augmentation
Dr. Harrington will provide you with detailed guidelines on how to prepare for your upcoming breast augmentation. These pre-operative instructions are designed to minimize risks and help you feel confident and informed going into surgery.
Some general preparation steps before getting breast implants will include:
- Reviewing and adjusting (if needed) any medications and supplements that you are currently taking with Dr. Harrington.
- Getting prescriptions filled ahead of time.
- Quitting smoking or vaping for several weeks prior to your procedure.
- Arranging for someone to drive you to and from your appointment and to stay with you for at least 24 hours after you come home.
- Arranging for extra help around the house and with children or pets for the first week or so.
- Fasting the night before surgery.
- Wearing comfortable, loose-fitting clothes on the day of your surgery.
Your Breast Augmentation Surgery
You will need to arrive 1 hour before the surgery start time. The recovery phase lasts about 1 hour, after which you will be discharged from the center. You will need to come to the surgery center with someone who is able to drive you home after surgery, and an adult will need to stay with you for at least 24 hours after your surgery.
Breast Augmentation Recovery
Most women will feel sore for the first few days after surgery due to pressure on the chest muscles from the implants. Discomfort should continue to improve every day. All incisions are closed with dissolving sutures, and you will be started on a scar therapy program 1 week after surgery.
It is normal to have some numbness or hypersensitivity of the nipple, areola or skin around the breast. This is due to some of the nerves being stretched during surgery, and should improve with time. It is also normal to feel pressure both in your armpits and along your sternum. This tight sensation will decrease as your muscles and skin relax to accommodate the new implants.
Women who work a desk job with no heavy lifting are typically able to go back to work within 1 week after surgery. Those with more physically demanding jobs may need to take some extra time to recover before returning to work. You will need to limit exercise and strenuous physical activity for several weeks after getting breast implants. Dr. Harrington will let you know when you are able to gradually increase exercise. Most women are able to resume their normal physical activities within 6 weeks after breast enhancement.
It is important to discuss possible risks and complications with Dr. Harrington prior to breast enhancement surgery. If you notice any sudden swelling in one of your breasts with increased pain, notify our office immediately.
Breast Augmentation Results
You will notice a change in the size of your breasts right away, but it will take several weeks or months for your full breast augmentation results to take shape. At first, your breast implants might appear to be too high on your chest or even square instead of round. This is normal and should gradually improve over time as your breast implants soften and settle into place, sometimes called “dropping and fluffing.”
Around 3 months after breast augmentation, you should have a good idea of what your final results will look like. It can take up to 6 months for your final outcome to fully develop.
Breast Augmentation FAQs
The cost of breast implants in Minneapolis and the surrounding areas will depend on the type of implants you would like and other specifics of your procedure. For this reason, Dr. Harrington and her team will be able to provide you with a more accurate breast augmentation cost estimate after your consultation. We are also happy to go over our financing options with you during this time.
Most health insurance plans do not cover the cost of breast augmentation, as it is considered an elective procedure. However, if your procedure is deemed medically necessary, such as following a mastectomy, some insurance plans may cover part or all of the cost of breast implants. To learn more about your health insurance coverage, call the number listed on the back of your insurance card.
Motiva breast implants are the newest FDA-approved implant type available in the U.S. We are proud to be the first practice in the Twin Cities region to offer this innovative implant, which offers an even more natural look and feel than traditional breast implants.
Always check for board certification with the American Board of Plastic Surgery before choosing a plastic surgeon for your breast augmentation. Ask friends and family members for referrals to reputable plastic surgeons in your area. Some women feel more comfortable working with a top female plastic surgeon like Dr. Harrington for their breast enhancement procedure, so take this into consideration when searching for the right plastic surgeon near you as well.
There is not a single best age to get breast implants, though women should be at least 18 years old before getting a breast augmentation, as your body is still developing and will likely change in the future. Otherwise, women of any age over 18 for saline implants and 21 for silicone implants could be a good candidate for breast augmentation, provided they are in good physical and mental health.
Many women report that breast augmentation recovery is only mildly painful or uncomfortable. Often, over-the-counter pain medication is enough to keep you comfortable during the initial stage of breast augmentation recovery, when tenderness and soreness will be at its highest. After the first week or two of recovery, soreness should gradually fade away as your body continues to heal and recover. Wearing a special compression or surgical bra during the first week or so of recovery can help to reduce swelling and discomfort.
Expect your breast implants to last ten years or more. While some women choose to have a breast augmentation revision surgery to change the size or position of their breasts prior to or around the ten-year mark, this is not always necessary. In some cases, breast implants may never need to be revised, depending on how old you were when you had your initial breast augmentation, the type of implant used and other factors.
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Dr. Harrington shares what you can expect when you visit us for your initial consultation.
Written By: Dr. Jennifer Harrington
Dr. Jennifer Harrington is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon and the medical director at SpaVie in Minneapolis. Dr. Harrington is recognized as one of the best female plastic surgeons, and is locally and nationally renowned for bringing the highest standards of medical excellence and aesthetic sensitivity to all procedures of the breast, body and face.
More about Dr. Jennifer Harrington | Dr. Jennifer Harrington Reviews
Last Reviewed: July 8th, 2026
Written By: Dr. Jennifer Harrington
Dr. Jennifer Harrington is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon and the medical director at SpaVie in Minneapolis. Dr. Harrington is recognized as one of the best female plastic surgeons, and is locally and nationally renowned for bringing the highest standards of medical excellence and aesthetic sensitivity to all procedures of the breast, body and face.
More about Dr. Jennifer Harrington | Dr. Jennifer Harrington Reviews
Last Reviewed: July 8th, 2026