Breast augmentation is a surgical procedure usually done on an outpatient basis but under general anesthesia. It is often performed when one breast is noticeably smaller than the other or if both breasts are smaller than typical for a woman's particular body type. A small incision is made in one of a number of possible locations on or around the breast. The location of the incision is selected to minimize scarring for that particular patient so it may vary but often the natural crease under the breast is used. The implant is inserted through the small incision and then is placed either under or on top of the chest muscle depending on the desired final appearance and body type.
The exterior of the implant is made of a pliable silicone material and the interior filled with either saline (salt water) or silicone. Many women prefer the silicone type of implant because it appears more natural and moves more like actual breast tissue. For a number of years silicone implants were not available in the U.S. but after exhaustive review and research they have been again certified as safe. The procedure takes about two hours and there will be a period of a few days when there will be a fair amount of moderate pain requiring pain medications. Your doctor will give you specific post surgery instructions which will certainly involve restricting strenuous activity for a couple of weeks The restrictions may be longer if the implant is placed under the chest muscle.
There has been a lot in the media about implants leaking, but there is a less than 10% chance that the implant will actually start to leak. Often the implant begins to leak because of some impact to the chest which cause it to rupture, but there is not always an identifiable reason for the leak. Many women report a change in nipple and breast sensation although most regain normal sensation after a period of time. Another problem is that a 'capsule' of scar tissue forms around the implant. This is normal but sometime becomes excessive thereby causing the breast to feel hard. Scarring will occur but by careful selection of an incision site it can be minimized. As with all invasive procedures infection also is always a possibility. A woman should carefully consider the risks and benefits in her particular case. Although the breast enlargement procedure certainly can be reversed it should not be considered a "try it to see if I like it" situation (as some celebrities seem to be doing) in part because it involves surgery under general anesthesia which has potential risks.
When looking for a plastic surgeon to perform your breast augmentation, you will want to find one with great credentials and lots of successful experience. You need to be very comfortable with the surgeon and the practice they have. Certainly avoid anyone who tries to in any way push you into the procedure. The decision is yours and yours alone. If the plastic surgeon needs business that bad there is a problem and you need to look elsewhere! You may feel that the surgeon is in some way trying to talk you out of the procedure (which in fact they may) but they also may just want to make sure you have carefully considered the pluses and minuses and are not jumping into this either uninformed or uncertain.
Being an elective procedure most insurance plans will not cover the procedure unless it is some how related to breast cancer surgery. The typical fees for the entire procedure are in the $5,500 to $7,000 range. Make sure that the quotes you get are complete: surgeon, anesthesia, implants, surgical facility etc. The fees for the surgeon make up the majority of the total at close to $4,000. Many plastic surgeons can offer you a payment plan either directly or through a third party but pay close attention to the terms offered. For more detailed pricing and financing information simply contact a plastic surgeon in your area and they will gladly give you an approximate price for the breast enlargement procedure. To find lower prices many people are traveling abroad to countries such as India. Before considering foreign surgery investigate the unique risks and benefits very thoroughly!
Although as accurate as possible, the information in this article may not relate to your particular medical condition and is not intended to be used in the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. In addition any sites to which we link may or may not contain information appropriate to your medical condition.
For additional breast augmentation information including links to hundreds of before and after surgery photos to give you an idea how you might look post enlargement visit: healthetopics.com/breast-enlargement where you can also find coverage on a variety of other health topics throughout the healthetopics.com website.
The author of this article Martin Rossi is a U.S. licensed pharmacist who is also specialty certified to provide patient education for a number of diseases.
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