BREAST
AUGMENTATION
Since 1960, more than two
million women have chosen increase the size of their breasts through breast
augmentation. Often, after weight loss, childbirth or as a result of aging,
the breasts lose
volume and their shape changes. Breast augmentation can enhance your breast
size and shape,
and give you the more proportional figure that you always wanted.
Breast augmentation can
be performed at any age after the breasts are fully developed. Breast augmentation
takes between one and two hours and is performed as an outpatient under sedation.
Breast implants are made of a silicone shell and filled with a sterile saline
solution after the implant is placed. Silicone- filled implants are available
under clinical trials in the United States and can be used for reconstructive
purposes. A patient can choose from either a round implant which provides more
fullness at the top of the breast, or a teardrop- shaped implant which provides
a more natural look. Implants can be placed through incisions made either under
the breast just above the crease, around the lower edge of the areola (the pigmented
skin surrounding the nipple) or through an incision in the armpit. A patient
and the cosmetic surgeon will determine which technique is to be used. Once
the incision is made, the cosmetic surgeon creates a pocket into which the implant
will be inserted. The pocket is made either directly behind the breast tissue
or underneath the pectoral muscle which is located between the breast tissue
and chest wall. The implants are inserted, centered and the incisions are closed.
Most patients can return
to work in a few days, however heavy lifting should be avoided for a few weeks.
Physical activity can be resumed at that time. Bruising and swelling will disappear
gradually. Any discomfort can be controlled with medication prescribed by your
surgeon. Sutures are removed in about a week. Scars are minimal and fade gradually
over time. A sports bra is generally worn post operatively for about three weeks.
For weeks, and sometimes even months a patient may experience firmness or numbness
in their breast and nipples; usually sensitivity returns to some degree.
Following breast augmentation
many women find they are able to wear clothes they could never fill out before.
Just imagine…. a new figure….a new attitude….a new you.