Breast augmentation or breast augmentation or augmentation mammoplasty is a surgical procedure to increase the size, shape, or fullness of the breast.
For breast augmentation, a plastic surgeon places implants filled with special silicone, physiological or biocomposite material, breast implants under the large pectoralis muscle or under the breast tissue. Modern implants can serve a patient's entire life, and most manufacturers provide a lifetime warranty on implants.
Why should a woman have breast augmentation?
Breast augmentation:
is done for- Naturally enlarge small breasts
- Restore breast size and shape after pregnancy, weight loss or breastfeeding
- Restore symmetry when breasts are asymmetrical
- Reconstruction of the breast after breast removal surgery
Plastic surgery involves reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.
Reconstructive breast surgery is performed as part of the treatment of breast cancer. Aesthetic breast surgery is performed to improve the appearance. Breast augmentation is usually an aesthetic operation.
A 2007 study by researchers at the University of Florida found that breast augmentation with cosmetic surgery increased women's self-esteem and feelings and sexuality. It allows you to get a higher paid job, to gain more recognition.
What are breast implants?
A breast implant is a medical device that is placed under the mammary gland or under a large breast muscle to enlarge, reconstruct, or create an aesthetic nipple shape.
Breast implants can be made of silicone, saline or another mixture.
There are three main types of breast implants:
- Saline implantsare filled with sterile saline containing only sterile saline. The solution is inside the silicone shell. These implants can be filled with different amounts of saline. This affects the sensations felt when pressing on the mammary gland, it can be either softer or harder at the patient's request, in addition the different density will determine the different shape of the mammary gland. If the physiological implant is damaged and leaks, the solution does no harm to the patient, because the saline solution is natural to the body and will only be absorbed by the body without a trace, the only drawback is that the implant must be replaced as the mammary gland shrinks.
- Silicone Gel Implantsconsists of a silicone outer shell filled with silicone gel. If the silicone implant leaks, the gel will either remain in the sheath or fall into the breast implant pocket. And it will not spread to the body. Modern implants do not spread, even if the shell is damaged. These implants are the most widely used today.
- Alternative Composite Implantsare rarely used or may be filled with a biodegradable substance, soybean oil, or other material.
What should be decided before the operation?
Breast augmentation is a surgical procedure, so patients should carefully consider whether they really need this procedure.
- You need to choose where to place the implant - under the large pectoralis muscle or under the glandular tissue. Your surgeon will help you resolve this. Implants are often placed under the muscle.
- Before the operation, the surgeon selects the required implant size with the patient. This is done with the help of special gauges that fit into the bra, and the patient can assess the size and comfort of wearing it. In addition, the patient together with the doctor chooses the density and shape of the implant (round or anatomical). Implant manufacturer.
- Surgeons and patients should discuss incision options.
The following options are available:
- Under-breast layer, under-breast incision;
- underarm transaxillary incision;
- Incision at the edge of the areola, (periareolar) or passing through the areola (transareolar).
The choice of incision depends on several factors, including magnification, the patient's anatomy, the type of implant, and the surgeon's choice of patient.
In addition, the patient must choose the type of anesthesia, which is often performed under general anesthesia. However, if the patient wants, in principle, it is possible under local anesthesia.
How is the operation going?
After the patient goes to medical sleep or under local anesthesia, the surgeon cuts the skin in a place about 4. 5 centimeters long, depending on the type of access agreed with the patient, and then creates a pocket using special tools. an endoprosthesis is placed.
The pocket can be formed either directly under the breast tissue or under the large breast muscle (this is discussed with the patient before the operation):
- The axillary pocket is placed under the large pectoral muscle.
- The submammary or subglandular pocket is simpler, formed in the space between the breast and the pectoralis major muscle.
Wound suturing
In their practice, plastic surgeons often use so-called cosmetic or, more precisely, intradermal sutures, generally using several rows of sutures that do not need to be removed, and they resolve on their own over time. In addition, a plastic surgeon can use special surgical glue and special sterile strips to compress the edges of the wound, so that the scar will be less noticeable in the postoperative period.
The dashed lines will appear at first, but will fade over time.
Evaluate the results
Surgery can cause edema, hematoma (bruising), but it should be removed within two to four weeks. In general, the final result occurs 3-6 months before surgery. Therefore, the patient will be able to decide after a while whether the procedure meets his expectations.
Recovery period
Recovery time is 1 month. During this time, the doctor has certain limitations that will be explained to the patient, and a special note will be given for accurate implementation. Pain bothers the patient only on the first day of surgery, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used for pain relief. In rare cases, narcotic analgesics. Then the pain practically disappears. A slight concern remains. After the operation, you should not swim in open or closed water, bathe, lie on your back, do not raise your arms high, do not engage in active sports and strenuous physical activity. All these restrictions are temporary, for a period of 1 month. Then the patient can live as peacefully as before the operation, fly in a plane and dive. The most important thing in the postoperative period is to wear special compression underwear. Underwear should be worn strictly 1 month after surgery, then 3 more months during sports, strenuous physical activity.
The day after the operation, the patient can leave the clinic if he wants. The patient is monitored once a week, for the first two weeks, and then a month later. Then three months later. And then the annual inspection.
Crushed (swallowed) yarns usually dissolve within 6 weeks. The patient will solve the stitch independently at home. This is not difficult at all.
If the patient has non-absorbable sutures, an additional visit is required to remove them.
After the operation, the surgeon will not only tell you how to behave in the postoperative period, but also provide an extract with recommendations, which will be written here:
- How to take care of your breasts after the procedure;
- How certain medications are used;
- When to come for the next visit;
- When will you call your doctor?
If you live, you should seek immediate medical attention:
- any sign 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 operation increases the risk of sudden death from myocardial infarction, stroke, thromboembolism during or immediately after surgery. Fortunately, such complications are extremely rare. Modern clinics have all the resuscitation and anesthesia equipment that reduces these risks to almost zero.
Some risks and complications associated with breast augmentation:
- Painful mammary glands;
- Breast inflammation;
- Feeling in the breasts, the nipples may change temporarily or may be felt more or less;
- Implant rupture;
- Bleeding;
- Fluid accumulation (seroma).
A specific complication of this operation is capsule contracture - a thick capsule forms around the implant. Deforming the mammary gland or making it extremely painful and tight. During the consultation, the surgeon will explain to you in detail this complication and how to avoid it.
Also, cosmetic stitches can be red, thick and painful, or straight and wide. This can lead to a second operation to remove such traces.