Breast Augmentation - Breast Enhancement Information - Guide to Breast Surgery

saline-vs-silicone There are many reasons why women consider breast augmentation surgery, ranging from the desire to have larger, more shapely breasts, to recovering breast shape and volume lost due to childbirth and age, to breast reconstruction after mastectomy.

Breast augmentation surgery can:

Increase breast size and shape
Bring a sense of balance and symmetry to your body
Bolster self-esteem and confidence

The actual procedure, called augmentation mammaplasty, involves surgically inserting a breast implant prosthesis under either the fatty tissues of the existing breast or under the breast muscles, depending on the look you want to achieve.

What Breast Augmentation won’t do

Breast augmentation surgery is a very specific surgery that can fulfill your desire to have larger, fuller breasts. However, this surgery is not appropriate for those who have severely sagging breasts. This condition may require a separate procedure, known as the breast lift because it literally lifts the breast back to its original state before gravity and age took their toll. There is the option of using the breast lift technique along with the breast augmentation procedure, if the desired intention is not only to correct the sagging, but also increase fullness. Your surgeon will consult with you on the various possibilities available to you.

Is Breast Augmentation right for me?

The decision to undergo breast implants surgery, as it is commonly referred, is one that you should carefully consider. As with any cosmetic surgical procedure, be sure that your motivations are centered around fulfilling and enhancing your own sense of innate beauty and self-image.

female-1 Breast augmentation surgery can be a good option for those who:

Are physically healthy
Have realistic expectations
Have fully developed breasts
Feel the necessity for larger, fuller breasts
Wish to restore their breasts to pre-childbirth condition and reverse the natural sagging produced by age and fluctuations of weight gain and loss
Have uneven, asymmetrical or misshapen breasts

In order to create the best possible results from your breast augmentation surgery, it is important that your surgeon consult with you to discuss your desires and expectations, as well as how breast augmentation surgery will impact your health, lifestyle and general well-being. It is a good idea to prepare by considering the following before your consultation:

General medical history, including any genetic propensity for breast cancer, results of previous mammogram’s and any previous surgeries
A detailed account of current prescription medications, supplements (vitamins or others) that you take
Any use of tobacco or other drugs
What are your motivations for surgery? What are your expectations?

At the consultation, your surgeon will also:

Evaluate your current health
Examine the condition of your pre-operative breasts for size, shape and irregularities and photograph your breasts
Based on the information gathered, your surgeon will discuss your surgical options and recommend a course of treatment
Disclose the risk of common complications associated with breast augmentation surgery and the use of anesthesia
Cover what to do the day of surgery
Cover post-operative care and recovery

Preparing for surgery

In the weeks before surgery, your surgeon may request:

Further laboratory testing or medical evaluations
Adjusting current prescriptions
That you get a mammogram pre and post surgery to document any changes in breast tissues
That you avoid the consumption of alcohol, drugs and abstain from smoking for a certain period surrounding surgery

Finally, your surgeon will go over the options you may have regarding the location of your surgery. Typically, breast augmentation procedures are done on an outpatient basis, which means that the surgery can be performed in an accredited office-based surgical center, outpatient ambulatory surgical center or a hospital.

Photo courtesy Tom Pousti, M.D., F.A.C.S. of San Diego
Results vary from patient to patient.
Visit our Breast Augmentation Photo Gallery for full photo sets

Anesthesia

Depending on your individual circumstances, your doctor will suggest either intravenous or general anesthesia.

The Incision

One of the most important decisions to be made between you and your doctor is perhaps the location of the incision. No matter where the implant is located, it will be in a hidden area to minimize visible scarring and will mostly be determined by the type and size of the desired implant and your anatomical structure.

Implant choice

Another important decision is the type and size of your implants, depending on your desired breast size and shape. It is important to be honest with your surgeon regarding the results you want to achieve, so that your surgeon can determine the best ‘fit’ for you based on your anatomical scale and proportion and skin elasticity.

Breast Implants Options

There are several types of prosthetic implants available today, including the most popular implants made from saline and silicone gel.

Both types of implants are comprised of a shell which is then filled with either saline, (sterile salt water) or silicone gel. Both offer the option of varying size and shape, which will affect the nature of the implants such as firmness and shape. Saline and silicone have their advantages and disadvantages, but both have been approved by the Federal Drug Administration as being safe to use. However, if an implant were to rupture, the results are dissimilar depending on the type of implant. Since saline is essentially water, it can be absorbed and expelled naturally by the body. In the case of silicone, however, the elastic gel may or may not leak out of the shell, but if it does, the silicone gel will leak into the breast implant pocket, creating an uneven, unnatural look.

In either condition, the implant will need to be removed and/or replaced.

Inserting and placing the implant

The implant is inserted through the incision and placed either:

Under the breast muscle (sub muscular), or
Behind the fatty tissue of the breast, over the breast muscle (sub glandular)

Silicone implants are inserted fully inflated or filled, which oftentimes necessitates a larger incision, whereas the saline implant is inserted in a deflated state and then inflated after it has been placed in the breast pocket.

Closing the incisions

Once the implant has been inserted and placed correctly, the incision is closed with layered sutures and surgical tape. You can expect the scars to completely heal and begin to disappear after six to eight months.

See the results

Although you will notice immediate results, your tissues will continue to recover even further as swelling subsides and scars begin to fade, and you will find that your results will continue to unfold over time.

Important facts about the safety and risks of breast augmentation

Ultimately, the decision to undergo breast augmentation surgery is yours alone. After careful consideration of both the risks and benefits of surgery, you’ll have to weigh the risks against the potential benefits to make an informed decision that you can live with. Your health care professional will go over all potential risks of surgery and will make themselves available to answer any and all of your questions.

Here is a listing of some of the risks associated with breast implants surgery:

Adverse scarring
Excessive bleeding (hematoma)
Infection
Complications associated with scar healing, including pain associated with surgery
Potential loss of breast sensation, which can be either permanent or temporary
Capsular contracture, which is the hardening of scar tissue surrounding the implant itself
Leakage or rupture of the implant
Wrinkling of the skin over the implant
Potential risks of anesthesia use
Blood clots

Other important considerations:

As with any prosthesis, breast implants are not guaranteed to last a lifetime. Replacement surgery may be required due to any number of factors, including weight gain or loss, pregnancy and fluctuations in hormones, among others. Once again, check with your surgeon for all potential risks so you can make an informed decision.

My recovery

Recovery from Breast Augmentation Breast Implant surgery is a very individualized process, but there are some common effects one can expect. Bruising and swelling are, of course, normal. Recovery time is different for everyone, but a minimum of 5-7 days of resting with very little physical activity is recommended. In addition, observance of 10 -14 days without strenuous physical exercise is essential, in order for the incisions to heal and swelling to reduce. Increasing your fluid intake and mild exercise such as easy walking is recommended. Finally, it is important that no heavy lifting and no lifting above the head be performed from 4-6 weeks after surgery.

Here are some important questions to ask your doctor before surgery:

Where will I recover directly after surgery?
Will I be prescribed any post-surgery medications?
How often do my bandages need to be changed and when will they be removed permanently?
When will the stitches be removed?
How soon will I need to return for a follow-up visit?

Be careful

After any surgery, it is important to closely monitor how you feel, especially directly after surgery. Varying degrees of pain are certainly to be expected, however, if you experience any kind of tightness or shortness of breath, pains deep in your chest or an irregular heart beat you should go to the doctor immediately. To avoid complications, it is of paramount importance that you strictly follow your doctor’s post-surgical instructions and be careful!

The results will be long-lasting

The results of your breast augmentation surgery will be long-lasting. You will find it easier to wear certain styles of clothing and swim wear.

Like many women who have had breast augmentation, you may also have a boost in self confidence.

How much will breast augmentation surgery cost?

Cost depends on many varying factors, including the experience of the surgeon, the type of implants being used and the location of the procedure. Be sure to interview several surgeons when doing your research so you can get a clear picture of your options. Oftentimes, higher cost is not indicative of higher quality; but, it can also be said that you get what you pay for. Shop around and do your homework.

Costs you can expect to incur:

Surgeon’s fee
Facility fee
Anesthesiologist
Cost of implants
Medications
Laboratory tests

In addition, many plastic surgeons offer their own patient financing plans, so be sure to ask your doctor!

Learn About Breast Implants and Breast Augmentation!