Breast augmentationFrance6 min read
Did Nabilla have a breast operation? Yes — implant exchange in 2020
In July 2020 Nabilla Benattia documented her breast implant exchange in real time: breastfeeding had damaged an implant placed about ten years earlier, and the replacement was — in her words — "une raison médicale". Here is what she said, and what the operation involves.
By messaging us, you agree to our Privacy Policy
Key facts about the procedure
- Back to work7–14 days
- Stay in clinic1 day
- AnaesthesiaGeneral
- Fixed price$4,700
Profile
Nabilla Benattia
- Country
- France
- Who
- French reality TV star and entrepreneur
- Year of operation
- 2020
- Quote source
- Télé-Loisirs via programme-tv.net, 24 July 2020
What did Nabilla say about her breast operation?
Nabilla Benattia, the French reality star who grew up on television, has been open about her breast augmentation since her early twenties — and in July 2020 she documented the next chapter in real time. Breastfeeding her newborn son Milann had damaged one of her implants, and the replacement became a medical necessity.
Breast Augmentation Dublin, Breast Augmentation Birmingham — price and consultation.
Price in your country — message us on WhatsApp
WhatsAppOn Snapchat, the day before the operation, she told her audience exactly how she saw it: “Je vais quand même subir une lourde opération.” As Télé-Loisirs / programme-tv.net reported on 24 July 2020, the surgery was set for 28 July 2020 in Los Angeles.
Her framing was matter-of-fact: “je n'ai pas le choix, c'est une raison médicale,” she said, adding that nothing about the look would change: “Il n'y a rien qui va changer dans ma poitrine, ça va juste être un peu gonflé au début.” She knew the recovery side from experience — “Je pense que je vais avoir un peu mal mais j'ai déjà fait cette opération il y a bientôt dix ans” — and she had organised her family life around it: “je ne pourrai pas porter mon fils avec l'opération,” a nanny was arranged, the baby's father present.
That is what this article relies on: her own words in the report. Everything below describes implant exchange and breast augmentation in general, not her treatment.
Why her story matters
Nabilla's case is the clearest illustration that breastfeeding can change the tissue around implants — and that the resulting operation can be medical, not aesthetic. The swelling and engorgement of nursing stretch the breast; an implant that has been in place for a decade can be displaced or damaged in the process, exactly as she described.
More on this topic: Breast augmentation and mammoplasty with a natural result, Breast Lift (Mastopexy), Breast Reduction, Breast Augmentation in Dubai, Breast Augmentation in Ibadan.
When that happens, the exchange is done for a medical reason, and insurers and surgeons treat it as such.
The second lesson is practical: she planned the recovery around a newborn — “je ne pourrai pas porter mon fils” is the kind of sentence every mother considering the operation should take seriously. Implant exchange means weeks without lifting a child, and arranging help in advance is part of preparing for the surgery, not an afterthought.
How implant exchange and breast augmentation work
A breast augmentation restores or adds volume with implants. An implant exchange replaces existing implants — to change size, position or technology, or because the tissue around them has changed, as after pregnancy and breastfeeding. In an exchange the surgeon may rebuild the internal pocket, keep the implant behind the pectoral muscle, and address skin quality in the same session. Implant size, profile and shape are chosen with the surgeon based on anatomy and the result the patient wants.
Incisions are placed in hidden areas and scars fade over 6 to 12 months.
Augmentation with implants
- Main goal
- More volume, shape correction
- When it is considered
- First-time surgery, volume lost after pregnancy
Implant exchange
- Main goal
- New size, position or technology
- When it is considered
- Ageing or damaged implants, contracture
Exchange with pocket revision
- Main goal
- Restored internal support
- When it is considered
- Displacement or damage after pregnancy
Exchange with lift
- Main goal
- Volume plus lifted position
- When it is considered
- Volume loss together with marked skin laxity
The right combination is chosen at the consultation, not from a celebrity story.
Who is a candidate, and how to prepare
Candidates for a primary augmentation are adults in stable health whose weight has settled. Candidates for an exchange are patients with existing implants — in Nabilla's case, about ten years after placement — who notice displacement, damage, hardening or a changed body. Contraindications include active infection, pregnancy and breastfeeding (the operation waits until nursing ends), severe heart or lung disease, blood clotting disorders and anything that rules out safe general anaesthesia.
- Wait until breastfeeding is finished and the chest has stabilised before operating.
- Plan the childcare in advance — weeks without lifting a small child are part of the recovery.
- Bring your implant passport or operation records if you have them — the surgeon needs to know what is in place.
- Bring your medical history including previous operations and medicines; the surgeon decides which tests are needed.
What recovery looks like
The patient spends a day in the clinic after surgery. Moderate discomfort in the first one to three days is normal — “un peu mal”, as she expected — and eases clearly by day 5–7. Most people go back to work without physical strain after 7–14 days. For three weeks there is no lifting over 3 kg and no raising the arms above shoulder level.
Compression garments are worn for 4–6 weeks; swimming and fitness usually return then, strength training after about three months. Swelling settles in about a month, and full recovery takes 3–6 months.
How recovery after breast augmentation usually goes
- Day of surgeryGeneral anaesthesia; one day in the inpatient ward under round-the-clock care.
- Days 1–7Moderate discomfort, relieved with painkillers; clearly easier by day 5–7.
- Days 7–14Return to work without physical exertion.
- 3 weeksSwelling goes down; no lifting over 3 kg, arms below shoulder level.
- 4–6 weeksCompression garments are no longer needed; swimming and fitness.
- 3 monthsDiscomfort is gone and the tissue has settled; strength training is possible.
Breast augmentation at City Medical Centre
City Medical Centre performs breast augmentation and implant exchange for international patients under general anaesthesia, including patients from Paris. The first consultation with the plastic surgeon is free and can begin online with photos: the surgeon discusses size, shape and whether pocket revision or a lift is needed, and the price is fixed in the contract before a date is booked.
The price is $4,700 and covers result modelling, anaesthesia, the inpatient stay with meals, dressings and check-ups for a full year. More details are on the breast augmentation page and the page for patients from Paris.
To be clear: City Medical Centre has no connection with Nabilla or her treatment. Her words are quoted here only because she chose to document her operation openly.
Frequently asked questions
Did Nabilla have a breast operation in 2020?
Yes — on 28 July 2020 she had a breast implant exchange in Los Angeles, after breastfeeding her son had damaged one of the implants placed about ten years earlier.
Why did Nabilla need the operation?
Her words: "je n'ai pas le choix, c'est une raison médicale." Breastfeeding had damaged an implant, and the replacement was medically necessary — without changing the look of her chest.
What did Nabilla say about the recovery?
She expected pain from experience — "j'ai déjà fait cette opération il y a bientôt dix ans" — and knew she could not lift her baby: "je ne pourrai pas porter mon fils avec l'opération", so she arranged a nanny in advance.
Can breastfeeding damage breast implants?
Nursing changes breast volume and tissue and can displace or damage an implant, as in her case. Surgeons recommend waiting until breastfeeding is finished and the chest has stabilised before any exchange.
How much does a breast augmentation cost at City Medical Centre?
The price is $4,700, including anaesthesia, the inpatient stay with meals, dressings and a year of check-ups. It is confirmed in the contract after a free consultation.
Sources
What the article says about the celebrity is based only on these public statements.
Medical background and further reading
General information about the procedure from health authorities and medical societies. It is not advice for any individual patient.
- PubMed / NCBI — Recognizing and Managing Breast Implant Complications: A Review (Int J Womens Health, 2025)
- PubMed / NCBI — Outcomes in primary breast augmentation: 1539 consecutive cases (Plast Reconstr Surg, 2015)
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons — Breast Augmentation
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration — Breast Implants
How we prepare and review medical content · Medical disclaimer
Considering the same operation? Get a free consultation
Message a coordinator on Telegram: we reply right in the chat, and you can send photos and questions there too.
- The first consultation is free, online consultations are available
- The doctor names the cost after the assessment, and it is fixed in the contract
- A personal coordinator guides you from the first message to recovery
Message our coordinator
We reply right in the chat — you can send photos
Message us on TelegramMessage us on WhatsAppBy messaging us, you agree to our Privacy Policy
Read also
- Breast augmentation
Jazz Correia's breast augmentation: what she said about the result
French influencer Jazz Correia said her 2019 breast augmentation in Nice left visible scars and asymmetry. Her words, the surgery and recovery explained.
- Breast augmentation
Did Maddy Burciaga have breast augmentation? Yes, and she explained why herself
Maddy Burciaga explained why she had breast augmentation in 2011, at 18. What she said, how the operation is done today and what recovery involves.
- Breast augmentation
Does Maeva Ghennam have breast implants? She confirmed it herself
French reality TV star Maeva Ghennam confirmed she has breast implants in her own video about writing her will. What she said, and how breast augmentation works.
- Breast augmentation
Breast Augmentation Abroad: Safety Checklist, Recovery and Flying Home
Considering breast augmentation abroad? A safety checklist for choosing a clinic, implant questions, recovery week by week and when you can fly home.