Breast Augmentation Surgery

The human breast is associated deeply in the minds of men and women with the female image. Since early times, women who developed less than the normal or desired amount of breast tissue have wished that something could be done.

If you are dissatisfied with your breast size, cosmetic augmentation surgery is a choice to consider. Breast augmentation can:

Increase fullness and projection of your breasts
Improve the balance of your figure
Enhance your self-image and self confidence

Our personal experience with breast implants spans more than 20 years, using both saline-filled and gel-filled implants. While nothing made by human beings will ever be perfect, the overwhelming majority of our augmentation patients obtain the desired results.

Much has been made of the breast implant controversy. The scientific evidence linking silicone implants with connective-tissue disorders is still lacking. A recent study by European scientists confirmed the safety of implants.

So, what implant options are available? Under present FDA rules, saline implants must be used in all cosmetic breast augmentations unless certain specific criteria are met. In those cases where a congenital deformity of the breast is present (such as Poland's Syndrome, tuberous breast deformity, or certain other problems), a patient may be included in a manufacturer's study, and obtain gel-filled implants. In some cases of severe breast sagging, when a breast lift procedure (mastopexy) is being done at the same surgery, a patient may also be included in the study.

The breast augmentation procedure is an outpatient cosmetic surgery, best performed under general anesthesia, and most patients can return to office jobs or light housekeeping work in 4 or 5 days. The operation itself takes about an hour and fifteen minutes, with another one or two hours spent in recovery, before going home. An adult caregiver must drive the patient home and stay the night with the patient. Most patients can be left alone, if necessary, on the next day.

A skin incision of slightly over an inch is necessary, usually placed in the lower part of the breast, just above the crease beneath the breast. Occasionally a patient prefers to have the incision in the armpit. This is possible in selected cases, but if sagging of the breast is a problem, this alternative may not be best for you.

The implants are usually placed under the pectoral muscle on the chest, since this technique results in decreased incidence of scar capsule contracture. This is the most common complaint following breast augmentation and is the result of the body's normal healing process and its natural tendency to 'wall off' anything not a part of itself. The prevailing opinion among surgeons is that placing the implant under the muscle keeps it from forming such a hard layer of scar tissue and makes the tissue more pliable.

As we have already discussed, under present FDA regulations, most patients may only receive saline-filled prostheses, unless certain criteria are met for being placed in a study involving gel-filled implants. Saline breast implants, of course, are also called 'inflatable,' and can be subject to 'deflation' as well. Since the filler is only saline, however, the body absorbs the salt water uneventfully. When this occurs, the patient only notices that one side is not the same size as it was. The manufacturers have taken this into consideration, and offer a free-replacement, lifetime guarantee on the implant. In addition, they will reimburse the patient for expenses involved in making the exchange for up to ten years.

A word of caution is in order: a slight degree of sagging of the breast can be helped by breast implants. Basically, if the nipple rides below the crease underneath the breast in the upright position, without a brassiere on, a procedure to lift the breast skin may be necessary in addition to the implant. This is called a mastopexy, and additional information is available on another page at our website.

For more information please read:

http://www.plasticsurgery.org/patients_consumers/procedures/AugmentationMammoplasty.cfm

To schedule an appointment to discuss this procedure with Dr. Johnson, click here.