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What is Breast Enlargement

Breast enlargement, medically known as augmentation mammoplasty, increases the size of a woman’s breasts by surgically inserting breast implants for cosmetic purposes. Breast implants are made of a soft, pliable plastic (such as silicone) sac that contains a saline (saltwater) solution. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has restricted the use of implants filled with silicone gel to women who are in approved research studies.

Your surgeon will decide the best way to insert the implant after performing a physical examination. Implants can be inserted through an incision in the natural fold under the breast, or through an incision around the areola (the dark skin around the nipple) or in the armpit. The incision site depends both on your anatomy and on the experience of the surgeon. Implants can be located either on top of or underneath the muscles of the chest wall. Your surgeon will discuss which location is best for you.

Breast Enlargement Risks

  • Anesthesia risks
  • Bleeding
  • Hematoma
  • Infection
  • Changes in nipple or breast sensation
  • Poor scarring
  • Wrong or faulty position of the implant
  • Implant leakage or rupture
  • The formation of tight scar tissue around the implant (capsular contracture)
  • Fluid accumulation (seroma)
  • Wrinkling of the skin over the implant
  • Persistent pain
  • Possibility of revision surgery
Breast Enlargement
Breast Enlargement

The Procedure

Breast enlargement surgery can be done using general anesthesia, or local anesthesia combined with sedation. Most breast augmentation is done on an outpatient basis.

After making an incision, the surgeon will lift your skin and breast tissue to make a pocket either right behind the breast tissue or under your chest wall muscle. He or she will then insert the implant and center it under your nipples. The incision is closed with stitches. The surgeon repeats the process on the other breast. Gauze bandages may be placed over your breasts to help speed healing.

After Breast Enlargement Surgery

You will probably feel tired and very sore for the first few days after surgery, but your surgeon will encourage you to get up and walk around immediately after surgery. He or she will prescribe pain medication to relieve the discomfort. Your breasts will look bruised and swollen and your nipples may burn for the first 2 weeks after surgery. The stitches are removed a week to 10 days after surgery. The soreness and swelling usually last about 3 to 5 weeks.

You may be able to go back to work in a few days. Your surgeon will tell you when you can begin exercising or lifting. Your scars will stay noticeably pink for several months and then begin to fade, although they will never disappear completely.

The most common complication of breast enlargement surgery is capsular contracture, in which scar tissue around the implant contracts and becomes tight. The tightening scar squeezes the implant, making the breast feel hard. Surgeons can treat this condition by surgically removing the scar tissue or making parallel cuts in it to widen it and make it more elastic. Another option is to remove or replace the implant.

Other possible complications of breast enlargement surgery include excessive bleeding, infection, and numbness of the nipples or incisions. Sensation usually returns over time but loss of sensation can sometimes be permanent. Breast implants can break or leak after an injury or, occasionally, during routine activity. If an implant leaks, your body will absorb the saline solution contained in the implant, but the implant itself must be removed and replaced. Before having the surgery, make sure you talk with your surgeon about the risks and possible complications.

Breast Cosmetic Surgery
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