Breast augmentation surgery, also known as augmentation mammoplasty, is a surgical procedure that changes the way your breast looks improving the size, shape, or fullness of the breast. There are a number of ways that the breast implants are carried out.
The surgeon puts in silicone, saline, or breast implants under the muscles or breast tissue. These implants last at least 7 to 12 years on an average.
Why opt for breast augmentation surgery? If you are someone who feels conscious of your bustline and wished you looked different from the way you look now, you can change the appearance of your bustline with breast augmentation surgery. This surgery serves several purposes and is suitable for women who want to increase either their bust line or add firmness to sagging bust after pregnancy or weight loss. But, should you go for breast augmentation surgery? We will discuss different aspects of this surgery and how it can benefit different types of women.
Breast Augmentation Surgery – Should You Opt for it?
This type of surgery involves making an incision and then inserting the implants. There are many reasons that this surgery is a go-to for women who want to transform their bust line for good.
Breast augmentation is done to improve the following aspects,
- Enlarge the size of your breasts that are small.
- Improve breast size and shape after pregnancy, or after drastic weight loss or after breastfeeding.
- Bring symmetry to breast shape.
- Bring back shape post-surgery.
- Breast surgery is all-inclusive of both reconstructive and cosmetic surgery.
Women undergo reconstructive breast surgery after breast cancer surgery. Cosmetic breast surgery is done to fulfill aesthetic purposes. Breast augmentation is usually denoted as cosmetic surgery. This type of surgery usually boosts a woman’s self-esteem and helps restore a feeling of confidence.
What are breast implants?
We have heard about breast implants but do we know exactly what is it all about? Don’t worry we will tell you more about this process. In order to enhance the shape and size of the breast, a medical prosthesis is placed inside the breast to give it better form and volume and when it comes to breast reconstruction, it helps create the physical form of the breast.
Breast implants are composed of different types of compounds such as silicon, saline and so on. Let’s discuss in details about the three main types of breast implants.
Saline implants are filled with sterile saline solution, much like salt water. The solution is enclosed within an elastomer silicone shell. These implants are filled with varying amounts of saline solution. This impacts the feel, firmness, and also the shape of the breast. When the saline implant leaks, the solution is either absorbed or your body eliminates it naturally.
The silicone gel-filled implants have a silicone outer shell filled with silicone gel. At the situation of the silicone-filled implant leaking, the gel either stays put in the shell or seeps into the breast implant pocket. In this case, the silicone-filled leaking implant may or may not collapse.
Patients who choose this type of silicone implants may have to undergo regular check-ups. An MRI or an ultrasound scan can let us know more about the implants.
Alternative composite implants may be filled with polypropylene string, soy oil, or some other material.
What to expect?
Patients need to think about the pros and cons before selecting the right breast augmentation surgery. What are the points you should consider before selecting the right breast augmentation surgery for you?
The implants usually go under or over the pectoral muscle. The surgeon helps you choose the right size of the implant. You may have to wear different sizes of bra to find your ideal size. General anesthesia is carried out while the operation is carried out. Also, sometimes local anesthesia is carried out and the patient may be awake during the procedure.
Find out More about Incisions
The surgeon and patient must undergo thorough discussions before zeroing on the right incision procedure,
- The first Inframammary incision is performed right under the breast.
- Next, is transaxillary incision performed right under the armpit.
- The periareolar incision is performed around the nipple.
The choice of incision depends on a number of factors, the patient’s anatomy, the type of implant and so on.
How to Insert the Implant?
Usually, there are two types of implants and they are inserted in the pockets. Submuscular placement is hidden under the pectoral muscle. Here, recovery takes longer and there is more pain after the operation. Then there is submammary, or subglandular, and the placement is right under the breast tissue, over your pectoral muscle. The surgeon uses the technique of layered sutures or stitches in the breast tissue. The surgeon then uses stitches, skin adhesives, and the surgical tape to close the incision. The incision marks gradually fade with time.
The surgery does leave behind some swelling but expects it to get resolved in two weeks. Gradually, the patient will be able to decide whether the procedure is able to fulfill her expectations. After the operation, the patient may not be able to drive on her own, but gradually in a spate of six weeks, the sutures gradually dissolve and you will be able to get back to your regular routine. Sometimes the surgeons use dissolvable sutures and sometimes are placed near the breasts, you will have to visit the surgeon’s clinic again to have them removed.
Before you get back to your old life, you must take care of the following points,
- Continue to take the prescribed medications.
- Continue to follow the doctor’s instructions and keep meeting the doctor for follow-up treatments.
- Be mindful of sudden changes in the operated area and call your doctor, especially when you notice the following symptoms,
- Signs of infection, such as fever, redness or warmth in the breast area, chest pains, shortness of breath and signs of unusual heartbeats.
The patient should abstain from indulging in strenuous physical activities for at least 6 weeks. Also, you may be asked to follow certain exercises such as flexing and moving the arms to keep different types of post-operative pain at bay, also you must wear the proper bra to support your breasts.