Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation, technically known as augmentation mammoplasty, is a surgical procedure to enhance the size and shape of a woman's breast for a number of reasons:

• To enhance the body contour of a woman who, for personal reasons, feels her breast size is too small.
• To restore breast volume after pregnancy or weight loss.
• To balance a difference in breast size.
• As a reconstructive technique following breast surgery.

By inserting an implant behind each breast, the surgeon is able to increase a woman's bustline by one or more bra cup sizes. Breast implants may give a small lift to the breasts but they cannot correct significant sagging of the breasts. A breast lift may be needed, alone or in conjunction with breast augmentation to correct sagging.

The Best Candidates for Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation can enhance your appearance and your self-confidence, but it won't necessarily change your looks to match your ideal, or cause other people to treat you differently. Before you decide to have surgery, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with your plastic surgeon.

The best candidates for breast augmentation are women who are looking for improvement, not perfection, in the way they look. If you're physically healthy and realistic in your expectations, you may be a good candidate.

All Surgery Carries Some Uncertainty and Risk

Breast augmentation is relatively straightforward. But as with any operation, there are risks associated with surgery and specific complications associated with this procedure. Surgical risks include bleeding, infection, poor healing and changes in sensation of the nipple or breast. Capsular contracture, implant leakage or deflation, visible wrinkles, asymmetry of the breasts, implant shifting or other possible complications will be discussed with you by surgeon.

Planning Your Surgery

In your initial consultation, your surgeon will evaluate your health and explain which surgical techniques are most appropriate for you, based on the condition of your breasts and skin tone. If your breasts are sagging, he may also recommend a breast lift.

Be sure to discuss your expectations frankly with your plastic surgeon. He will be equally frank with you, describing your alternatives and the risks and limitations of each.

Your surgeon will give you instructions to prepare for surgery, including guidelines on eating and drinking, smoking, and taking or avoiding certain vitamins and medications.

The Surgery

The method of inserting and positioning your implant will depend on your anatomy and the desired breast size increase. The incision can be made either in the crease where the breast meets the chest, around the areola (the dark skin surrounding the nipple), or in the armpit. Every effort will be made to assure that the incision is placed so resulting scars will be as inconspicuous as possible.

Working through the incision, the surgeon lifts your breast tissue and skin to create a pocket, either directly behind the breast tissue or underneath your chest wall muscle (the pectoral muscle). The implants are then centered beneath your nipples.

Breast implants may be placed either under the breast or under the pectoralis muscle. Putting the implants behind your chest muscle may reduce the potential for capsular contracture. This placement may also interfere less with breast examination by mammogram than if the implant is placed directly behind the breast tissue. Placement behind the muscle may be more painful for a few days after surgery than placement directly under the breast tissue.

Implants used may be either saline filled or silicone gel filled, textured or smooth. Your surgeon will discuss the pros and cons of all these alternatives before surgery to make sure you fully understand the reasons for and implications of the recommendations.

Content courtesy of PlasticSurgery.org