Breast augmentation is a surgical procedure to enhance your breasts through the placement of breast implants under your breast tissue or chest muscles. Some women consider large breasts more attractive than small or average-sized breasts. For these women, breast augmentation may improve self-image and self-confidence.

In recent years, breast augmentation has been one of the most popular types of cosmetic surgery among women in the United States. If you're considering breast augmentation, be sure you understand fully what surgery entails, set realistic expectations, and consider the possible risks and complications associated with breast implants

 

Why U Need It?

Your reasons for choosing breast augmentation are highly personal. Breast augmentation may help you:

 

Enhance your breast appearance if you feel your breast size is too small

 

Adjust for a reduction in the size of your breasts after pregnancy

 

Reconstruct your breast after having breast surgery for cancer or other conditions

 

Correct a defect in the development of your breasts, such as having breasts of unequal sizes

 

Improve self-image

 

The best candidate for breast augmentation is a woman looking for an improvement — but not perfection — in her appearance. The outcome of the procedure may fall short of the ideal look you imagined. Discuss your goals with your surgeon so that you can develop a realistic expectation of what's to come.

 

Risks

Be aware of the risks associated with breast augmentation surgery:

 

Repeat surgery. You may need more surgery down the road, either to replace the implants or to remove them altogether. In clinical trials studying the safety and effectiveness of saline-filled breast implants, as many as one in four women required a second operation within five years of the initial surgery.

 

Rupture. Implants can rupture, causing fluid to leak into your breast and surrounding tissue. This can happen as a result of a blunt-force injury — if you're thrown against the steering wheel in a car accident, for example — or from tiny cracks in the implant shell that can occur over time.

 

If you have a saline-filled implant, a rupture will cause your implant to lose its original size or shape. If you have a silicone gel-filled implant, a rupture may not be as obvious. Your surgeon may use imaging tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging, to check for signs of rupture or other implant problems.

 

Deflation. A rupture or a slow leak can cause an implant to collapse, deflating the size of your breast. This may result in breasts that are noticeably different in size or in a change to the cosmetic appearance of your breast, such as sagging or wrinkling.

 

Capsular contracture. Fibrous scar tissue forms a capsule around your breast implant. The scar tissue may build up over time and constrict your implant — a painful and potentially disfiguring condition. Surgery is usually necessary to correct capsular contracture.

 

Infection. One potential complication of breast augmentation surgery is infection. Medications may help, but antibiotics aren't always successful in treating infections of this type. Removing your breast implants may be necessary if you develop a severe infection. You may have to wait six months to a year after implant removal before you can get new implants placed.

 

Hematoma. Blood and other fluids can pool around the implant, causing pain, infection or other problems. If you develop a hematoma, you might need to go back into the operating room so that your doctor can find the cause of the bleeding.

 

Pain. You could experience significant pain after surgery — more than what's considered normal — which indicates a bigger problem, such as implant rupture or capsular contracture. To remedy the problem, you may need surgery to remove or replace the breast implants.

 

Dissatisfaction with the results. You might experience changes in the sensation of your breasts and nipples, or you might be able to feel the implant beneath the surface of your breast tissue.

 

How U Prepare

Initially, you'll consult with Dr Deepak Kalia about your preferences for size, feel and overall appearance of your breasts. Dr Deepak Kalia will describe the surgical techniques and provide you with educational materials about the breast implant you select and the surgical procedure. Review these documents carefully and keep copies of all pertinent information for your records.

 

Dr Deepak Kalia may also send you for lab tests or for a baseline mammogram before your surgery. If you're a smoker, you'll be instructed to stop smoking four to six weeks before your surgery. You may also be told to avoid aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs or

other medications that may increase your bleeding risk during surgery.

 

Before you decide to have surgery, consider some important factors about breast augmentation:

 

Breast implants aren't lifelong devices. Your breast implants will likely need to be removed and replaced at some point.

 

You might need more surgery after breast implant removal. If you have your breast implants removed for any reason, you may experience unacceptable cosmetic changes — such as wrinkling, dimpling or droopy excess skin — which might require replacing the implants. Or you may need a breast lift (mastopexy) to remove excess skin and reposition your nipple.

 

Breast implants won't prevent your breasts from sagging after pregnancy. Some women actually need to consider a breast lift in addition to breast augmentation to correct sagging breasts. Also, depending on how it's done, breast augmentation surgery may make breast-feeding more challenging.

 

Mammograms may be more complicated. Additional, specialized views are necessary when obtaining images of your breasts. The quality of the mammogram will depend on the experience and expertise of your technician and the facility you select.

 

Insurance probably won't pay for the procedure. If it isn't medically necessary, many insurance companies won't cover breast augmentation. Be prepared to handle any financial obligations that accompany breast augmentation surgery and any related operations or imaging tests, such as MRI, you might need in the future.

 

Procedure

Breast augmentation surgery — also known as augmentation mammaplasty —performed in Dr Kalia,s Cosmetic Surgery Clinic. You'll probably go home the same day, but on occasion the procedure requires a hospital stay. Breast augmentation may be performed while you're awake and only your breast area is numbed (local anesthesia), in which case you'll also be given medication to help you relax (sedative). Alternatively, breast augmentation may be performed with general anesthesia, in which you're asleep for the surgery.

 

Breast implants may be smooth or textured, round or shaped like a teardrop. They consist of a silicone shell filled with salt water (saline) or silicone gel. Dr Deepak Kalia can help you decide on the best type of breast implant for you.

 

To insert the breast implant, Dr Deepak Kalia makes an incision in one of three places:

 

In the breast fold. An inframammary incision runs along the crease between the underside of your breast and your chest.

 

Around the nipple. A periareolar incision follows the natural line of the dark skin around your nipple (areola). This incision may leave a less noticeable scar than does the inframammary incision, but it might also affect your ability to breast-feed or affect sensation in your nipple.

 

Under the arm. The axillary incision is made in your armpit.

 

After making an incision, Dr Deepak Kalia separates your breast glandular tissue from the muscles and connective tissue of your chest to create a pocket either behind or in front of the outermost muscle of the chest wall (pectoral muscle). Dr Kalia inserts the implant into this pocket and centers it behind your nipple. Saline implants, when inserted, are empty. The surgeon fills the breast implants with sterile saline once they're in place. Silicone implants are already filled at the time they're placed.

 

Result

You'll be sore the first few days after breast augmentation surgery, but Dr  Kalia can prescribe medication to help relieve your pain. If you don't have a physically demanding job, you may be able to return to work within a few days. Getting back to normal activities may take longer — about two to three weeks — as your breasts will be sensitive to physical contact or jarring movements.

 

You'll have stitches (sutures) in place after surgery. Often, absorbable sutures are used, so you won't need to have them removed. Some women also have drainage tubes in place after surgery, although not many women require them. If you have drainage tubes, they'll probably be removed a few days after your surgery. Dr Deepak Kalia may recommend using a compression bandage or sports bra for extra support and positioning of the breast implants during this time.

 

You may notice a burning sensation in your nipples for a few weeks, but that usually goes away as you heal. Expect some pain, swelling, tenderness and bruising as you heal. If you notice warmth and redness in your breast or you run a fever, you might have an infection. Contact your surgeon as soon as possible.

 

After surgery, your scars may initially appear firm and pink. The scars fade gradually over time, but they won't go away completely. The darker your skin, the more noticeable your scars may be.