Elle had a breast augmentation with Dr Jeremy Hunt, Plastic Surgeon in Sydney and she looks absolutely amazing. I chatted to her about her journey and she shares heaps of valuable info about her experience.
Trish: Hello listeners. Well, I’m here today with the lovely Elle. And Elle is actually from … I presume she’s from Sydney. But Elle just recently had a breast augmentation surgery with Dr Jeremy Hunt, Specialist Plastic Surgeon in Sydney. And because we don’t really get to share many augmentation journeys, I’m really excited to talk to Elle today because she’s got a lot of info to tell us. So welcome, Elle.
Elle: Thank you for having me.
Trish: Oh, my god. Thank you so much for coming along. So tell us, how long ago was it that you had your surgery?
Elle: I had it about five years ago.
Trish: Okay. All right. Well, start at the beginning but then I’ll ask about how you’re feeling now. So first of all, what was your motivation behind deciding to have your boobs made bigger?
Elle: So a few years ago I was really quite overweight. And after losing about 30 kilos, I also lost my boobs.
Trish: Well, well done you for losing the 30 kilos.
Elle: Thank you. When I was a little bit bigger, I had quite nice double Ds, and by the time I’d finished losing my weight I was between A and a B, and they didn’t look great.
Trish: Sure. So you went from a normal size to like an A, B after losing 30 kilos.
Elle: So all I really wanted was just to have my nice double Ds back.
Trish: All right. So it was basically … I know what you mean because I lost weight, but because my boobs were so big, instead of just losing, they kinda got longer, if that makes any sense. They kind of ended up round by my waist. So I know that feeling. So tell us, how did you come across Dr. Hunt? Where did you hear about him from?
Elle: So I’m originally from Wollongong, and I used to always hear his ad on the radio. And it’s something that I said for a while, “I think I’d like to get my boobs done.” I thought about it for probably almost a year. And one day I thought, “Oh, what the heck, I’m just going to ring and go in for a consultation. And we’ll see if it’s what I really wanted.” And Dr. Hunt was amazing.
So I went and saw him. He had a practise in Wollongong. My so went in for my original consultation, and we talked about being bigger before and was breast augmentation something that would be good for me and for my body type. And we talked about the possibilities of different sizes and shapes and all of that sort of thing. And most of all, I just felt really comfortable with him. So we decided to go ahead and I’ve never looked back. The best thing I’ve ever done.
Trish:Yeah. Right. So basically your motivation was the fact that you’d lost weight, you want to get your boobs back. You weren’t … I mean, you decided … it’s just something that you had kind of thought about, and you sort of sat on that for about a year. You’d seen or heard his ad on the radio, and then thought, “Oh yeah, I’ll just go have a consult and see how it go.” And you didn’t bother seeing anybody else, you knew as soon as you walked in?
Elle:Yeah. I was incredibly comfortable with him. I think also because when you think about plastic surgery, and it is very personal choice, and I thought … like once I’d met him I trusted him, and I trusted his work. So, yeah, I had no reason to sort of look around.
Trish: Yep. All right. So you booked your consult and we’re you scared or were all of your … like, did you go in frightened or did you going excited? How did you feel from there?
Elle: Yeah, I was really excited. So after my initial consult with him, I went up to his surgery in Sydney for my measuring, I guess. So I sort of went into their practise and they show you different shapes and different sizes and what it might look like after. So I went and had that done. And then it was only about a week later he said to me, “I have an opening. Are you ready to go ahead?” And I thought, “I’m here now. I’m ready. Let’s do it.”
Trish: Yeah. Good on you. And so tell me, when you actually had you surgery, give us a bit about that procedure. So you went in, did you stay overnight or was it just a day thing.
Elle: I went in in the morning, it’s only a day surgery. I had them done at the Royal North Shore. And so I went in in the morning, I think my admission time was 9:30 or something like that. And I didn’t have to wait very long. The nurses out there were lovely. So I just sort of got in and just waited to see Dr. Hunt.
He came in and saw me and he said, “We’re ready to go. Are you ready?” And off I went to surgery. It’s only a really short procedure, woke up in recovery. The nurses there looked after me for about an hour and a half, two hours, and then I was discharged. So I was able to go home to my own bed, which was important to me in recovery.
Trish: Yeah, of course. So did you take time off from work for this?
Elle: Yeah, I took a week and a half off. I wasn’t 100% sure how I would recover. It’s probably, well, one of the only biggest operation that I’d ever had. So for a day or two after I was in a little bit of pain, but then I went back for my checkup with Dr. Hunt a week later, and he said that that was, that was quite normal. But it wasn’t actually from the surgery, it was more just the stretching of the skin was quite uncomfortable.
Trish: Yeah. I mean, I don’t know, I’ve never had a breast augmentation. I went down the other path and had a reduction. But everybody says it feels like this kind of tightness around your chest and it feels like it’s up really high.
Elle: Yeah.
Trish: How long do you reckon before you started to feel normal? Like, when you went back to work at one and a half weeks, was that enough for you or could you have gone back sooner or or reckon that was just perfect?
Elle: I think that that was perfect for me. I wasn’t in a rush to get back to work. I had plenty of annual leave. So I thought I’d just make the most of having that time off to allow for a full recovery. But in saying that, I didn’t have a very, very physical job, so I probably could have gone back earlier. But, yeah, just personal preference, I just decided just to chill out until I was comfortable enough to go back.
Trish: Yep. Had you told anyone that you were having the surgery done? Like, did you go back to work and everyone went like, “Whoa!” or was it not that obvious?
Elle: No, I was pretty excited that I was having them done. I think everyone knew.
Trish: I bet you they couldn’t wait for you to get back to work?
Elle: Yeah, definitely. It was quite a big change. So, yeah, people definitely noticed.
Trish: Did you have to like go out and buy all new … like, were you bigger than … You lose weight, your boobs get a small bit, but did you still have bras that fit you or you had to go out and buy all new bras, new tops to fit you like it wasn’t that much of a difference?
Elle: It was quite a considerable difference because I was sort of going from A B to a double D. yeah, I did. I went and bought some new bras, but even to this day I still don’t really wear underwire bras. But I do love rocking that sports bra.
Trish: Yeah, of course. So would you know what size implants you had put in?
Elle: So I had … I think they were 440 CC’s. And so they were a round high profile.
Trish: And so you didn’t need a lift with that at all? You just had … you went from A, B with some saggy skin straight to a 440 cc with no lift needed at all.
Elle: Yeah.
Trish: Oh, that’s great. That’s great.
Elle: Yeah, I think that was because I lost a bit of weight, my breast had just sort of looked a little bit deflated so it was almost like the implant just filled the space where they used to be natural breast tissue.
Trish: Yeah. Okay. Well that’s really good because a lot of people have to actually have the lift that goes with it when they’ve lost weight. So you’re really lucky.
Elle: Yeah, I’m pretty happy with them.
Trish: Yeah. Awesome. All the questions that people usually ask, you didn’t lose any sensation in nipples or anything like that?
Elle: No, I think for a little while there were sensitive of course. And then for probably about six months, I didn’t have a great feeling, but everything’s back to normal now. So everything’s fine.
Trish: And did you find … because once again I hear people saying that they can have issues with the sternum or the fact that they sit up really high for a while and they just kind of drop, I think it’s called drop and fluff. Did you experience that too? Like did you have a bit of a panic thinking at first thinking, “Oh my God, these are so high,” and then they just kind of fell into a natural place?
Elle: Yeah. The first couple of weeks because obviously they’re a little bit swollen and things. I think the morning after the surgery I woke up and I thought, “Oh my goodness, these are so big, what have I done?” And luckily I had two other girlfriends that had had their breasts done and they said, “Oh no, that’s natural. Once the swelling goes down they’ll be fine and they will just sit normally.”
Trish: Yeah. How long that would have been before you felt like, “Ah, this is nice.”
Elle: I’m going to say probably about two or three weeks until they felt comfortable, and that they weren’t sort of high up around my chest, you know?
Trish: Yep. I always imagine, because like not having had them, I always imagined how weird it must have … because I know how weird it felt when I went from big boobs to smaller boobs. But how long did it take for them to feel like they’re a part of you? Like, do they feel like they’re a part of you now?
Elle: They’re definitely a part of me now.
Trish: So how long it does that take for them to?
Elle: I would probably say … I had the excitement of having them done, and I was super proud of them to start with. But then after probably about six months they’re just a part of you. But it does make shopping for tops and dresses so much more pleasant.
Trish: In what way?
Elle: Just to be able to wear things that fit you a little bit better or give you a little bit more shape. Just feeling a little bit more womanly, I guess. And my girlfriends still don’t like coming shopping with me because they’re always saying, “Oh, your boobs just fit so perfectly.”
Trish: Are you that person goes, “Oh yeah, I had a boob job,” or do you just take it?
Elle: No, I’ll tell everyone.
Trish: I’d be one of those that’d be like, “Oh yeah, I know. I’m really lucky.”
Elle: Yeah, I wish, but no.
Trish: Awesome. So I know it’s five years ago, so it might be a bit of time to remember. But was there any time, straight after or whatever, where you kind of sort of thought … well I suppose you’ve kind of said that like, “Oh my God, what have I done? They’re too big.” But have you ever had any regrets or anything like that or it’s always just been a positive experience for you? Because surely there are some ups and downs surely.
Elle: No, It’s been a really positive experience. I think because it’s something that I’d thought about, it’s not something that I sort of just rushed into. I’m really happy with my choice, I would do it again 100 times over. I think the important thing is that I had a lot of support from Jeremy Hunt and his staff in terms of saying, “This is what size will suit your shape and your body,” so I never felt pressured to choose a bigger size than would fit my frame. Sometimes you see girls and you think, “Oh, it’s probably a little bit too big for them.” I’m really happy and confident that the team at Jeremy Hunt’s office sort of allowed me to pick something that was suitable for me.
Trish: Yeah. When you went to have your consult, did he put something in with a t-shirt on for you to have a look at what size you thought you liked? How did you work out your size?
Elle: Yes. They that have a few different implants? Obviously, you’ve got round and tear drop, and then even with the round, you’ve got high profile, they’re the ones that sort of stood out a little bit further and then you’ve got low profile that sort of said a little bit closer to the skin, but take up a little bit more … they have a wider coverage.
So you try on all the different sorts of implants and they put it on a slightly bigger bra and say, “This is what these will look like for you.” And then you put your t-shirt over the top and you sort of think, “Is this what I’m looking for?” So there was a lot of different options.
Trish: Yeah. And after you went back for your follow up a week later, did you ever go back again after that or you didn’t need to?
Elle: I saw him again, I think it was maybe about a month after surgery just to sort of check in and make sure that everything was okay, and that recovery was good. They were really excellent.
Trish: Yep. It’s so good when someone has a … I mean, most experiences are really good in any way, especially if you choose the right surgeon for you, it’s going to be a good experience. And if there are any issues at least then they can be resolved but it’s really good that you got such a good experience. That’s so good, and that you’re happy with them
Elle: 100%. It’s a big decision to make to not be happy with it.
Trish: Totally. And did you ever at any point … I know you thought about it and I know that you were in Wollongong and he was there, so that’s why you went there. But was there ever any time when you sort of thought, “Oh …” Did you ever think about cheaping out on it or you just thought, “No, going to get it done properly and get it done [crosstalk 00:17:28]?
Elle: Look, I had one or two friends that had gone to Thailand to have this done and they had a really positive experience. But for me, it was more about I needed to meet with someone and to feel confident. And then also know that I had that aftercare available. It’s a surgery, something could always go wrong.
I’ve actually got a really good friend of mine that just had hers done, and she decided to go with a slightly cheaper option, and she ended up with an infection and having it taken out a week later. So that sort of thing makes me feel really happy that I chose someone that was reputable and chose someone that was in the country. And knowing that I had that aftercare, if something did go wrong, i was no more than half an hour away from being able to either see or contact someone, so that was really important to me.
Trish: Yeah, that’s so true. I’m exactly the same, I’m like, “No.” The thought of going anywhere but here just [inaudible 00:18:48] because you just don’t know what can go wrong. Great for those people that have a great experience, but I’ve just seen too many bad experiences to contemplate that. So I totally get it. Totally.
Elle: I think for the little bit of extra money that it costs, just the pace of mind was just process really.
Trish: Yep. That’s true.
Elle: And honestly I couldn’t imagine having to get on a plane and travel back to Australia after having some kind of surgery. So that wasn’t really an option for me.
Trish: And you know what? Someone else said to me once before and I thought, “Oh my God, that’s so true.” Someone said to me, “Oh, that $3000 difference is going to make absolutely no difference in 12 months time.”
Elle: Exactly.
Trish: Do you know what I mean? It’s only at that moment you think, “Oh, this $3000 difference …” because when you work out the airfares, like seriously, it’s not even that much difference. So many quotes I’ve seen I’ve seen I’ve been like, “Really?” So that few thousand dollars that you think you’re saving is not going to make any difference in 12 months time anyway.
Elle: Exactly. And I just remember waking up the day of surgery and just thinking, “I am so glad that I am in my own bed, in my own house.” I didn’t have to worry about being in a hospital and having other people around me that I didn’t know. And I could just sort of lounge out at home for the next couple of days and just be comfortable in my own place.
Trish: Of course. Did you have a bra, like a recovery bra?
Elle: No, I just wake up in a singlet.
Trish: Okay. So he doesn’t actually do the bra.
Elle: No. I’m not sure if that’s a common thing that he does with a lot of his patients, but for me I didn’t wake up with one, no.
Trish: Well, that was the same with my breast reduction, I never was given a compression bra. I was told not to wear one at all, and I thought, “Fine.” So I didn’t. But I know some do just something light if you feel comfortable. And you know what? It could be different now anyway because I think as doctors go on they change as well because some things might be … I don’t know why he does it, but that’ll be interesting to find out.
Elle: Yeah, exactly. And of course you can go braless whenever you want.
Trish: Absolutely. How good is it? I hear you because I’m addicted to this no bra day thing. I mean, it’s like, “Yeah, no bra day because I can.”
Elle: Yeah, exactly. And it’s very freeing to be able to just put on whatever and not have to worry about. I know a lot of girlfriends that I’ve got that wear singlet tops and things like that and they’re always complaining about their bra straps hanging out and things not fitting them properly. We just don’t have that problem.
Trish: Exactly. No, I hear ya. That’s awesome. Oh, that’s awesome. That’s been so really interesting to have a chat with you because I don’t often get to talk to people that have just had a breast augmentation. So it’s really interesting because it’s not something that I’ve ever had. I’ve had about a few other procedures, but that’s not ones I love.
And of course I’m learning new things all the time even just in our plastic surgery support forum group on Facebook. I learned the other day that sometimes there’s an issue with the sternum.
Elle: Oh.
Trish: I know. And I was like, “Oh wow.” When I say an issue, I don’t mean something goes wrong, but it’s actually a thing, and I was like, “Oh wow, really? That’s a thing,” and I had no idea. So there’s always something to learn.
Elle: Yeah, exactly.
Trish: And tell me, one last question. So has it made you think, “Oh, I’ve got gotta get this done, I’ve got to get that done,” has it made you … because some people say that plastic surgery is a bit addictive.
Elle: Yeah. Look, I have considered having a few other things done. I know that Jeremy Hunt does those, injections, the fat disposable ones in your chin?
Trish: Oh, yep.
Elle: So could I get that done? That might be on the list at some point, but other than that, no, not really.
Trish: You’re not going back every week and thinking, ” I need this, I need that.” That’s good. That’s a good thing.
Elle: Yeah. Maybe later. I’m going to need 32, so there’s plenty of time for everything else to come.
Trish: Yeah. Or not. Whatever you decide.
Elle: Yeah, exactly.
Trish: No, that’s awesome. Well thanks, Elle. I appreciate your time today. It’s been really, really insightful, and I really, really appreciate it.
Elle: Thank you so much for having me.
Trish: No worries. And listeners, if you’re out there and you want to get in touch with Dr. Jeremy Hunt, you can find him on our website. You can just pretty much put Dr. Jeremy Hunt in the search bar and you’ll find a list of stories and articles and a listing of him on the website, and just you probably can check out what a few other people have had to say about the service they’ve received from him apart from Elle. So thank you so much, Elle.
Elle: Thank you so much. Have a lovely day.
Trish: No worries. Thank you too. Bye.
Elle: Bye.
Further Reading about Breast Augmentation Surgery
- History of Breast Implants and Breast Enlargement Surgery by Dr Carmen Munteanu
- Breast Augmentation Implants: How To Prepare for Surgery
- Breast Implants Perth | Breast Augmentation by Dr Guy Watts
- Mini Breast Augmentation Sydney by Dr Kernohan
- Breast Augmentation by Dr Lim
- Mini Boob Job – A Solution for Lean Women
Read More Blogs about Breast Surgery by Dr Jeremy Hunt
- What is Capsular Contracture? Dr Jeremy Hunt explains…
- Breast Asymmetry with Dr Jeremy Hunt – Different Sized Breasts?
- Mummy Makeover Dr Jeremy Hunt Facebook Live
Other Useful Blogs
- Danne’s Neck Lift Patient Story by Dr Briggs – I’ve never felt better!
- ASAPS Conference – Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons Annual Conference
- Sue’s Breast Reduction Patient Story with Dr Craig Rubinstein
Contact Dr Jeremy Hunt Sydney Plastic Surgeon
If you’d like to arrange a consultation with Dr Jeremy Hunt phone 1300 157 200, or email [email protected]
To find out more visit Dr Jeremy Hunt’s website.