How Computer Simulation Works
During a consultation, 3D imaging systems capture your body from multiple angles to create a digital model. The software then attempts to show what you might look like with different implant sizes and shapes placed in your breasts.
The computer takes the implant specifications — size, shape, profile — and digitally "inserts" it into your body model, stretching your tissues to show the predicted result. You can compare different options side by side and even see simulations of how you might look in a bra or clothing.
It's an impressive technology, and for many patients, it helps communicate what we're aiming for. But here's what I tell every patient: the simulation shows what the computer thinks will happen, and my real results are often slightly different.
Where Simulation and Reality Diverge
Having used these systems extensively and compared the predictions to actual surgical outcomes, I've noticed consistent differences:
Height and position: The computer tends to drop the implant lower than I actually place it. In real surgery, I position the implant slightly higher, and it sits higher on the chest wall than the simulation suggests.
Width: My results tend to be slightly wider than the computer predicts. The simulation often shows a narrower, more projected result, while real implants spread more naturally across the chest.
Shape: The simulation often creates a more conical appearance — more of a projected, pointy shape. My actual results tend to have a rounder, more natural contour.
None of this means the simulation is wrong or useless. It means it's a tool with limitations, and understanding those limitations helps you use it appropriately.
What Simulation Is Good For
Comparing sizes: When patients are torn between two implant sizes — say, 280cc and 300cc — the simulation can show that the visual difference is actually quite small. This helps inform the decision and reduces anxiety about "choosing wrong."
Communication: The simulation gives us something to point at and discuss. Instead of describing results abstractly, we can look at the same image together and talk about what you like or don't like about what you see.
General impression: It helps you understand the approximate scale of change — whether we're talking about a subtle enhancement or a more dramatic transformation.
What Simulation Cannot Do
Guarantee the result: The simulation is not a promise. Your individual tissue characteristics, healing, and how the implant settles will all influence the final outcome in ways the computer cannot predict.
Show how you'll feel: The simulation shows appearance, not sensation. It can't predict how the implant will feel — whether you'll be aware of it, whether edges will be palpable, whether it will feel natural when you move.
Predict settling: Implants don't stay exactly where they're placed. Over weeks and months, they settle into a final position that the simulation can't accurately forecast.
Account for your unique anatomy: The software makes assumptions about tissue behaviour that may not apply to you specifically. Different people's tissues respond differently to the same implant.
Why I Prefer Showing Real Results
I often find that looking at photographs of previous patients produces better understanding than the simulation. When you see real people with similar starting anatomy to yours, you can see actual outcomes — including the natural variations in how implants settle and heal.
Real photographs show results that I have actually achieved, not predictions that the computer has generated. They show the shape, the position, the proportion — all as they actually appeared after healing.
This doesn't mean simulation has no value. It does. But I like patients to see both: what the computer predicts, and what I've actually achieved in practice. Together, these give a fuller picture of what to expect.
Using Simulation Wisely
Here's how I suggest using computer simulation during your consultation:
- Use it as a starting point for discussion, not as a final target
- Compare sizes to help narrow down your options
- Ask to see real patient results alongside the simulation
- Understand that your result will likely differ from the computer image — that's normal
At your post-operative follow-up, we can take new images and compare them to the simulation. You'll likely see the differences I've described — but you'll also see an excellent result that suits your body, even if it doesn't match the computer's prediction pixel for pixel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Computer simulations provide a useful approximation but are not perfectly accurate. Real surgical results tend to differ from predictions — often appearing slightly wider, with the implant sitting higher than the computer shows, and with a less conical shape. The simulation is best used as a communication tool rather than a guarantee.
Some simulation software can overlay a bra or clothing on the image to give an impression of how you might look dressed. However, this is still a computer approximation and won't perfectly predict how specific garments will fit.
Real patient photographs show actual surgical outcomes rather than computer predictions. Looking at results from previous patients with similar anatomy gives a more realistic sense of what can be achieved, including the natural variations in how implants settle.
No. The simulation is a helpful visualisation tool, but real results are influenced by your individual tissue characteristics, healing, and how the implant settles over time. Use the simulation as a guide for communication, not as a guarantee of the final outcome.
Yes. Simulation is particularly helpful for comparing how different implant sizes might look on your frame. When the difference between two sizes (like 280cc and 300cc) is small, the simulation can help you understand that the visual difference is minimal, helping inform your decision.