Breast augmentation, or breast augmentation or mamoplasty enlargement, is a surgical procedure to increase the size, shape, or fullness of the breast.
For breast augmentation, plastic surgeons place implants filled with special silicone, saline or biocomposite materials, breast implants under the pectoralis major muscle or under breast tissue. Modern implants can serve the life of a patient, and most manufacturers provide a lifetime guarantee of their implants.
Why does a woman need to enlarge her breasts?
Breast augmentation is performed for:
- Enlarge small breasts naturally
- Restore breast size and shape after pregnancy, weight loss or breastfeeding
- Restore symmetry when the breast is asymmetric
- Breast reconstruction after breast removal surgery
Plastic surgery includes reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.
Reconstructive breast surgery is performed as part of breast cancer treatment. Aesthetic breast surgery is performed to improve the appearance. Breast augmentation is usually an aesthetic surgery.
In 2007, a study by researchers from the University of Florida showed that breast augmentation through aesthetic surgery increased women's self-esteem and feelings as well as their sexuality. Allows you to get a job with a higher salary, earn more recognition.
What are breast implants?
A breast implant is a medical device placed under the mammary gland or under the pectoralis major muscle to enlarge, rebuild, or create an aesthetic breast shape.
Breast implants may contain silicone, salt, or other compounds.
There are three main types of breast implants:
- Salt implantsare filled with sterile salt, which is just sterile salt water. The solution is in a silicone shell. These implants can be filled with different amounts of salt. This affects the sensation experienced when pressing the mammary gland, it can be softer or harder, at the request of the patient, in addition, different densities will determine the shape of the mammary glands. If the implant is damaged and leaked, the solution will not be harmful to the patient, because the salt solution is natural for the body, and will only be absorbed by the body without a trace, the only negative is that the implant should be changed as the number of mammary glands will decrease.
- Silicone Gel Implantsconsists of a silicone outer shell filled with silicone gel. If the silicone implant leaks, the gel will stay in the holster or fall into the breast implant pocket. And it will not spread throughout the body. Modern implants, even if the shell is damaged, do not spread. These implants are most commonly used nowadays.
- Alternative Composite Implantsare rarely used and can be filled with biodegradable ingredients or soybean oil or some other ingredient.
What to decide before surgery?
Breast augmentation is a surgical procedure, so patients need to carefully consider whether they really need this procedure.
- You need to choose where the implant will be placed - under the pectoralis major muscle or under the glandular tissue. Your surgeon will help you resolve it. Often, the implant is placed under the muscle.
- Before surgery, the surgeon together with the patient selects the required implant size. This is done either with the help of a special measuring device that fits the bra, and the patient can assess the size and comfort of wearing it. In addition, the patient, along with the doctor, chooses the density of the implant, its shape (round or anatomical). Implant manufacturers.
- Surgeons and patients should discuss incision options.
The following options are possible:
- The incision under the breast, made at the bottom of the breast;
- Transaxillary incision in the armpit;
- Incision around the edge of the areola, (periareolar) or through the areola (transareolar).
The choice of incision depends on several factors, including enlargement, patient anatomy, implant type, and patient-surgeon choice.
In addition, the patient must choose the type of anesthesia, this operation is often performed under general anesthesia. But if the patient wants it, in principle it may be done with local anesthesia.
How does the operation work?
After the patient has fallen asleep under medical conditions, or after undergoing local anesthesia, the surgeon performs a skin incision on the spot, according to the type of access agreed with the patient, about 4, 5 centimeters long, and then with the help of special pocket shaping tools, where endendrosthesis is placed.
Pockets can be formed either directly under breast tissue or under large breast muscles (this is discussed with the patient before surgery):
- With an axillary pocket, it is placed under the pectoralis major muscle.
- Submarine or subglandular pockets are simpler, with pockets formed in the space between the mammary gland and the pectoralis major muscle.
Heals wounds
In practice, plastic surgeons often use so-called cosmetic tools, or, more precisely, intradermal sutures, usually several rows of threads are used, which often do not need to be removed, eventually they dissolve on their own. In addition, plastic surgeons can use special surgical glues and special sterile strips to tighten the edges of the wound so that the scars are least visible in the postoperative period.
The cut line will appear at first, but over time it will almost disappear.
Evaluate Results
Surgery can cause edema, hematoma (bruising), but this will go away in two to four weeks. Typically, the final result is formed no earlier than 3-6 months from surgery. Therefore, the patient will be able to decide whether the procedure meets his expectations only after some time.
Recovery period
Recovery period takes 1 month. During this period, there are certain restrictions that will be notified to the patient by the doctor and a special memo will be issued for its proper implementation. Pain worries the patient only on the first day after surgery, for the purpose of relieving pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used. In rare cases, narcotic analgesics. Then the pain practically disappears. There are a few difficulties. After surgery, you can not swim in the open and closed waters, take a bath, sleep on your back, raise your arms high, engage in active sports and hard physical work. All of these restrictions are temporary, for 1 month. Then the patient can live calmly while he is alive before surgery, you can fly by plane and dive with scuba diving. The most important thing in the postoperative period is to wear special compression underwear. Underwear must be worn strictly for 1 month after surgery, and for another 3 months during sports, doing strenuous physical activity.
The next day after surgery, the patient can leave the clinic if he wants to. Patients were monitored once a week, in the first two weeks, then after a month. Then three months later. And then the annual inspection.
Absorbable (absorbable) yarn usually dissolves within 6 weeks. The patient will keep the stitches independently at home. This is not difficult at all.
If the patient has an unabsorbed suture, an additional visit is required to remove it.
After the operation, the surgeon will not only tell you how to behave in the postoperative period, but also give recommendations with extracts, in which it will be written:
- How to treat your breasts after the procedure;
- How to use the prescribed medication;
- When to come for the next visit;
- When to call your doctor.
You should seek immediate medical attention if you suffer from:
- any signs of infection, such as fever above 38 degrees, fever or redness in the chest area;
- severe chest pain, or a sharp increase in breast size /
What are the risks of this operation?
Any surgery increases the risk of sudden death due to myocardial infarction, stroke, thromboembolism during or immediately after surgery. But, fortunately, such complications are very rare. And in modern clinics there are all the resuscitation and anesthetic devices that minimize this risk to almost zero.
Some risks and complications associated with breast enlargement:
- Painful mammary glands;
- Inflammation of the breast;
- Taste in the breast, nipples may change temporarily or become more or less;
- Breaking implants;
- Bleeding;
- Fluid accumulation (seroma).
A special complication of this operation is the contraction of the capsule - thick capsules formed around the implant. Which can damage the mammary glands or make it very painful and dense. During the consultation, the surgeon will tell you in detail about these complications and how to avoid them.
Also, cosmetic stitches can be red, thick and painful, or flat and wide. This can lead to a second operation to remove the scar.