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BREAST SURGERY
Breast Augmentation
One of the most frequently performed cosmetic surgery procedures in the U.S.; breast augmentation can give women with small or unevenly-sized breasts a fuller, firmer, better-proportioned look through the placement of implants in the breast. Women may elect to undergo breast augmentation for many different medical and aesthetic motivations, including balancing breast size, compensating for reduced breast mass after pregnancy or surgery and correcting a congenital breast defect. The procedure may be combined with others, such as, a breast lift for more satisfying results.
Implants are silicone shells filled with either saline (salt water) or silicone gel (recently approved by the FDA). Both implant types are very safe, and each offers its own advantages. We will help you decide which kind is right for you. They are placed behind each breast, underneath either breast tissue or the chest wall muscle. The procedure lasts one to two hours and is typically performed with general anesthesia.
Incisions are made in inconspicuous places on the breast to minimize scar visibility (in the armpit, in the crease on the underside of the breast, or around the areola, the dark skin around the nipple). The breast is then lifted, creating a pocket into which the implant is inserted.
Placement behind the chest wall muscle offers a few advantages over placement beneath the breast tissue only. These include reduced risk of capsular contracture (post-operative tightening around the implant) and less interference with mammogram examinations.
After the implants are placed and centered beneath the nipples, incisions are stitched, taped and bandaged. In a few days these bandages may be replaced with a surgical bra. Most patients feel tired and sore after surgery, but this usually passes in a day or two and many patients return to work within the week. Stitches are dissolvable and adhesive glue is placed over the incisions so that one may shower after 24 hours. Any post-operative pain, swelling and sensitivity will often diminish over the first few weeks. Scars will begin to fade in a few months and will continue to fade for months or years.
Breast Lift (Mastopexy)
A breast lift, or mastopexy, is performed to return youthful shape and lift to breasts that have sagged as a result of weight loss, pregnancy, loss of the skin's natural elasticity or simply the effects of aging and gravity. The procedure can also reduce areolar size (the dark skin surrounding the nipple), and it can be combined with breast augmentation or breast reduction for added firmness. It is usually done under general anesthesia, and lasts from one to three hours.
After surgery the breasts are wrapped with gauze dressings, over which an elastic bandage or a surgical bra is placed. After a few days this is replaced with a soft support bra which is worn 24 hours a day for about a month. Breasts will probably be bruised, swollen and uncomfortable for a few days but this will pass. Numbness in the breasts and nipples should lessen as swelling subsides, although occasionally it lasts for months or even permanently.
