Breast Augmentation

Answers to the Most Commonly Asked Questions about Breast Augmentation
By Christine Harrell

Breast Augmentation

Hundreds of thousands of women undergo breast augmentation surgery each year. While breast implants have become very common, it’s important to remember that breast augmentation is a real surgery that requires careful consideration and research to find a plastic surgeon that can achieve the results you want. Below you’ll find answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about breast augmentation surgery.

What is a breast augmentation?
Breast augmentation is the process of adding a saline implant or a gel implant into the breast for those who are unhappy with the size of their breasts or have experienced sagging after weight loss or pregnancy. Implants are either inserted underneath the chest muscle or directly under the breast to create a natural looking and feeling breast with a youthful, full appearance.

Will there be scarring?
Because the augmentation is a surgical procedure, scars are inevitable. However, a plastic surgeon can greatly minimize the visual scars with strategic incisions. Depending on how the surgery is done, an incision is made either around the areola, along the natural crease below the breast, through the armpit, or through the navel. The choice of incisions is dictated by the patient’s anatomy taking advantage of the areas where a scar is most easily hidden.

What size breast is right for my body type?
Your desired size depends on your perception of the ideal proportions. The difficultly however, is in conveying this ideal to your doctor. Speaking in terms of cup size alone is unreliable. Instead your breast augmentation surgeon should allow you to try on a bra in your choice of size along with a sample implant to find the ideal size. This way there is less room for misinterpretation and a higher chance that you’ll be satisfied with the outcome.

Will I lose sensation in my breasts after augmentation?
Loss of sensation may be expected. The placement of the implants beneath the breast and / or muscle tissue involves division of some of the sensory nerves to the breast.

Are implants safe?
There are always risks with any type of surgical procedure but for the most part, implants are extremely safe. The number of women getting breast augmentations has steadily increased over the years with very relatively few complications. Today’s breast augmentations are done with safe, natural looking saline implants that cause very few complications.

Is it going to hurt?
A breast augmentation is a true surgery and does involve the possibility of pain, swelling, bruising, and tenderness. It is performed under a general anesthesia so that you won’t feel pain during the breast augmentation procedure itself. In the first 48 hours after breast augmentation you will be most comfortable if you use ice and elevation. If the implants have been placed beneath the muscle, muscle relaxants are used to prevent the cramping discomfort associated with stretched muscles. The pain is usually at its greatest during the first 48 hours, after which the body begins to heal and swelling begins to subside. Your doctor will prescribe pain medications that will drastically reduce the pain but may leave you feeling drowsy. After 48 hours of rest and elevation you may begin to increase activity. Many women are driving at 4-6 days and you may expect to resume aerobic activity at three weeks.
A breast augmentation can make a dramatic impact on a woman’s sense of self esteem and level of confidence. By asking the right questions of prospective plastic surgeons, you can greatly reduce the chances of complication and enjoy full, supple breasts that look and feel great.