Breast Augmentation
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The Best Candidates for Breast Augmentation:
Women who feel that her breasts are too small, when clothes fit well around the hips but are too large around the bust line. This can be due to the fact that, the breasts have not developed properly, or evenly, leaving one breast smaller than the other or that the original shape and volume may have been lost due to weight loss, childbirth or aging. One decision more and more women are making everyday is to have breast augmentation (a procedure to enhance the size of your breasts by using breast implants.) If you’re considering breast augmentation with breast implants, this site will give you a basic understanding of the plastic surgery procedure–who it can help, how it’s performed, and what results you can expect. Please consult us if there is anything you don’t understand about the procedure
Planning for Breast Augmentation:
Beyond any discussion of breast shape and size, your surgeon will want to evaluate your current physical health and health history before scheduling you for surgery. Breast augmentation is elective surgery. Before you proceed, you and your surgeon will have to decide whether the benefits of breast augmentation surgery outweigh the risks in your particular case. If you have any condition that could compromise the healing process, or if surgery could jeopardize any pre-existing condition, your surgeon may prefer not to operate until the condition is resolved. Pre-existing infections, a history of poor wound healing, and some medications may be reasons not to operate. Your surgeon can discuss the choice of anesthesia with you in more detail.
The Surgery:
There are several choices either an incision of one to two inches underneath the breast along the fold, a half moon following the lower edge of the areola, or an incision within the armpit. There are three common incision sites: under the arm (axillary), around the nipple (periareolar), or within the breast fold (inframammary) and now thru the umbilicus(naval). If the incision is made under the arm, the surgeon may use a probe fitted with a miniature camera, along with minimally invasive (very small) instruments, to create a “pocket” for the breast implant. After the incision a pocket is made into which the implant will be inserted, either behind the breast or under the pectoral muscle. If the breasts are flaccid a breast lift may be recommended in conjunction with the augmentation.
Operating Time: 1 to 1 and half hours.
Anesthesia: Local anesthesia with sedation is preferred, general anesthesia can also be used.
In/Outpatient: Usually performed on an outpatient basis. The surgery is usually performed on an outpatient basis, whereby you will return home the same day.
After Breast Augmentation Surgery
You’ll probably feel somewhat tired and sore for 1 or 2 days following the operation, and your breasts may remain swollen and sensitive to physical contact for as long as a month. You may also experience a feeling of tightness in the breast area as your skin adjusts to your new breast size. The full results of your augmentation may not be visible until your breast tissue (and muscle, if the implant has been placed submuscularly) adjusts. Post-operative care is usually quite simple, perhaps involving the use of a post-operative bra or jog bra for extra support and positioning while you heal. At your surgeon’s recommendation, you will most likely be able to return to work within a few days, although you should avoid any strenuous activities that could raise your pulse and blood pressure for at least a couple of weeks
Risks:
Nipple or breast sensation may change, usually temporarily. Surgical removal and replacement of the implants may be required to treat capsular contracture, which can provoke breast hardness.
Duration of the Results:
Results are variable but usually long-lasting; however implants may require removal or replacement. Mammograms are routinely prescribed annually after the age of 40. Significant weight loss can affect the result. Pregnancy and breast-feeding can alter breast size in an unpredictable way, although breast implants do not affect pregnancy or the ability to breast-feed. If, with aging, the appearance of the breasts change, it is possible to undergo a breast lift to improve contour.
