| Breast Augmentation, is it right for me? | |
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By
Dr. Ali Adibfar |
One of the defining characteristics of beauty, femininity, and sexuality of the human figure is the female breast. For whatever personal reason, many women want to have breast enhancement to create a larger, fuller, and shapelier bust line.
Breast augmentation has been available in the United States and Canada for over 40 years. Besides the positive aesthetic outcomes of breast augmentation, data has shown that many patients enjoy substantial psychological benefits, including enhanced self-esteem after breast implants. In addition, the surgical techniques and breast implants themselves are continuously being refined, increasing the safety and reliability of the procedure.
The best candidates for breast augmentation are women who are looking for improvement, not perfection, in the way they look. If a woman is physically healthy and realistic in her expectations, she may be a good candidate for this surgery. It is important to discuss your individual expectations regarding the change you seek in the shape and size of your breast with your doctor who will be able to consider the optimal surgical approach to satisfy your desired outcome.
The methods for inserting and positioning implants depend on the patient's anatomy and doctor recommendations. Incisions are made in as inconspicuous an area as possible - usually the armpit, around the areola (nipple area), or under the breast itself to minimize visible scarring. Working through these incisions, your surgeon inserts the implant into a "pocket" behind the breast tissue or the chest muscle to add volume and enhance shape to small or underdeveloped breasts, or to restore volume lost as a result of weight loss, childbirth, or aging. After a post-surgical recovery period of 24 to 48 hours and an additional reduced-activity period of a few days, patients will likely experience soreness and swelling for a few weeks. Exercise and normal activity can resume at the direction of the surgeon.
The surgical techniques and breast implants themselves are continuously being refined, increasing the safety and reliability of the procedure. It is worth explaining the differences between a silicone gel-filled and a saline-filled breast implant, which is an alternative to the silicone gel implant. The outer shell of both silicone and saline implants is made of a solid silicone material. Solid silicone is widely used in implantable medical devices. In contrast, silicone gel implants are filled with silicone gel, which is a semi-solid. Saline-filled implants are filled with the same kind of salt water that is used in I.V. fluids.
Many surgeons and patients with breast implants have the opinion that silicone implants have a more natural look and feel than saline implants due to the fact that silicone gel has a texture similar to breast tissue.
Saline implants have some advantages over silicone implants. Silicone implant ruptures are harder to detect. When saline implants rupture, they deflate and the results are usually seen almost immediately. When silicone implants rupture, the breast often looks and feels the same because the silicone gel may leak into surrounding areas of the breast without a visible difference.
After rigorous scientific review, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved on November 17, 2006 the marketing of silicone gel-filled breast implants made by two companies for breast reconstruction in women of all ages and breast augmentation in women ages 22 and older. The two manufacturers of these products are Allergan (formerly Inamed Corp.) and Mentor Corporation.
A Plastic Surgeon should review all of the options with you and customize the treatments to your individual needs.
View Dr. Adibfar perform breast augmentation surgery at www.dradibfar.com (on media page).