Breast Enhancement Surgery

Even with the arrival of new procedures in the field of cosmetic surgery, breast augmentation continues to be one of the most common cosmetic operations since the early 20th century.  Over 350,000 breast enlargement procedures were conducted in the United States alone in 2008, as shown by statistics provided by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, or ASAPS, making it one of the most popular cosmetic operations for women.

 Women pursue breast augmentation surgery for a number of reasons.  This type of surgical procedure can be used in order to correct a difference in the size of the breasts, or to reconstruct the breasts after a mastectomy or other surgical procedure; in these cases, the operation is usually referred to as “breast reconstruction surgery.”  Surgery may also be used as a way to address genetic conditions affecting the breasts including micromastia, which results in severe underdevelopment of the breasts, as well as other conditions involving the absence of breasts in females.

 Above all, though, the majority of women who choose breast enhancement surgery do so for purely cosmetic reasons.  Detrimental effects upon the individual’s social and work life are often associated with misgivings regarding one’s appearance, and this includes the appearance of the breasts.  A useful way of preventing or dealing with these issues, then, is to tackle their basic cause.  Thus, the popularity of breast augmentation is not surprising.

 Breast enhancement surgery can make use of any of a variety of approaches and techniques, which differ in terms of their suitability to the individual dependent upon various factors such as the amount of augmentation desired, physical characteristics, operations undergone previously, and others.  All breast augmentation procedures involve the use of implants.  There are two common kinds of breast implants: silicone implants and saline implants.

 Of these two types, saline implants are the less popular one, and are made of a silicone elastomer shell which, after first being implanted during the surgical procedure, is inflated with a saline (salt and water) solution.  This means that they are slightly more versatile in comparison to silicone implants.  By the same token, saline implants are generally appropriate only for less significant procedures.  They’re also slightly susceptible to wrinkling and rippling, and they are thought to be more obvious to the touch than silicone implants, although there is some debate on this point.

 Silicone implants, meanwhile, are pre-filled with a silicone gel, while using a silicone elastomer shell not particularly different from that of the saline implant.  Silicone implants, like saline implants, have been around since the 1960s, but the constitution of silicone implants has seen changes steadily since that time.  Modern silicone implants are quite different from the ones used initially; the gel in use currently is semi-solid, and this virtually eliminates the leaking issues that earlier implants, with their more liquid-like gel, were known to experience.

 A number of techniques are used for the surgical procedure itself.  The most commonly used technique for breast augmentation surgery is the inframammary incision method.  This technique makes use of an incision in the area directly below the breast, called the inframammary area.  An implant can be inserted through this incision.  This method is the least risky of any kind of breast augmentation operation, and the scars that result are usually well hidden underneath the breast afterward.

 An incision is made around the border of the areola in the periareolar incision method.  Saline implants are necessary for this technique, as silicone implants are too large to be inserted through this type of incision.  On the other hand, this method does permit the surgeon to change the position of the breast substantially, which may be desired by some patients.

 In some cases, the patient may desire the surgeon to to make an incision farther away from the breast; patients who are concerned with scarring being visible in the area of the breast may also request this type of procedure.  The transumbilical incision is one made in the navel area, which can be performed simultaneously with a tummy tuck, while a transaxillary incision is an incision made below the armpit.  In both cases, an endoscope may be employed in order to help in properly positioning the implant.  Saline implants are usually necessary for either of these procedures.

 As with any type of surgical procedure, there are some risks involved in breast enlargement surgery.  Additionally, after undergoing this kind of operation, the patient will usually take at least six weeks to recover fully, and strenuous exercise must be avoided during this time in order to make sure that the procedure is a success in the end.

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