WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BREAST AUGMENTATION

Breast augmentation, or breast augmentation or augmentation mammoplasty, is surgery to increase the size, shape, or fullness of the breast.

For breast augmentation, a plastic surgeon places implants filled with special silicone, saline or biocomposite solution, breast implants under the pectoralis major muscle or under the breast tissue. Modern implants can serve a patient's entire life, and most manufacturers give their implants a lifetime warranty.

Why would a woman need to enlarge her breasts?

Breast augmentation is performed for:

• Enlarging naturally small breasts
• Restore breast size and shape after pregnancy, weight loss or breastfeeding
• Restore symmetry when the breasts are asymmetrical
• Breast reconstruction after breast removal

Plastic surgery includes reconstructive and cosmetic surgery.

Reconstructive breast surgery is performed as part of the treatment of breast cancer. Cosmetic breast surgery is performed to improve the appearance. Breast augmentation is usually cosmetic surgery.

In 2007, a study conducted by researchers at the University of Florida found that breast augmentation with cosmetic surgery increased women's self-esteem, feelings and sexuality. Allows you to get a better paying job, get more recognition.

What are breast implants?

A breast implant is a medical device placed under the mammary gland or under the pectoralis major muscle to enlarge, reconstruct or create an aesthetic shape of the breast.

Breast implants may contain silicone, saline or other compound.

There are three main types of breast implants:

1. saline implantsare filled with sterile saline solution, which is simply sterile salt water. The solution is inside a silicone case. These implants can be filled with different amounts of saline solution. It affects the feeling felt when pressing on the mammary gland, it can be softer or harder, at the request of the patient, in addition, different density will determine the different shape of the mammary gland. If the saline implant is damaged and leaks, the solution will not cause any harm to the patient, because the saline solution is natural to the body and will simply be absorbed by the body without leaving a trace, the only negative point is that the implant will have tobe changed because the volume of the mammary gland will decrease.
2. silicone gel implantsconsist of an outer silicone shell filled with silicone gel. If the silicone implant leaks, the gel will remain in the sheath or fall into the pocket of the breast implant. And it will not spread throughout the body. Modern implants, even if the shell is damaged, do not spread. These implants are the most commonly used today.
3. Alternative Composite Implantsare rarely used and may be filled with biodegradable material or soybean oil or other material.

What to decide before surgery?

Breast augmentation is a surgical procedure, so patients should carefully consider whether they really need this procedure.

1. It is necessary to choose where the implant will be placed - under the pectoralis major muscle or under the glandular tissue. Your operating doctor will help you resolve this problem. Most often, implants are placed under the muscle.
2. Before the operation, the surgeon selects the required implant size with the patient. This is done either 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, along with the doctor, chooses the density of the implant, its shape (round or anatomical). Manufacturer of implants.
3. The surgeon and the patient should discuss the incision options.

The following options are possible:

• Incision under the breast, made in the crease under the breast;
• Transaxillary incision in the armpit;
• Incision around the edge of the areola, (periareolar) or through the areola (transareolar).

The choice of incision depends on several factors, including magnification, patient anatomy, implant type and surgeon-patient preference.

In addition, the patient must choose the type of anesthesia, this operation is often performed under general anesthesia. But if the patient wishes, this is in principle possible under local anesthesia.

How is the operation going?

After the patient falls into a medical sleep, or after performing local anesthesia, the surgeon makes a skin incision at the site, depending on the type of access agreed with the patient, of approximately 4. 5 centimeterslong, and then using special tools forms a pocket in which a stent 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 surgery):

• With an axillary pocket, it is placed under the pectoralis major muscle.
• The submammary or sub-glandular pocket is simpler, the pocket being formed in the space between the mammary gland and the pectoralis major muscle.

Suture the wound

In their practice, plastic surgeons often use so-called cosmetic or, more precisely, intradermal sutures, generally several rows of threads are applied, which most often do not need to be removed, over time, they dissolve on their own. In addition, a plastic surgeon can use special surgical glue and special sterile bands to tighten the edges of the wound so that the scar is less noticeable in the postoperative period.

The cut lines will be visible at first, but over time they will almost disappear.

Evaluation of results

The surgery may cause edema, bruising (bruising), but this should go away within two to four weeks. Usually, the final result is formed no earlier than 3-6 months after the operation. Therefore, the patient will not be able to decide whether the procedure meets her expectations until after some time.

Recovery period

The payback period takes 1 month. During this period, certain restrictions will be communicated to the patient by the doctor and a special note will be issued for their exact implementation. Pain worries the patient only on the first day after the operation, in order to relieve pain, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used. In rare cases, narcotic pain relievers. Then the pain practically disappears. A slight drawback remains. After the operation, you should not swim in open and closed waters, take a bath, sleep on your back, raise your arms, engage in active sports and heavy physical labor. All these restrictions are temporary, for 1 month. Then the patient can live peacefully as she lived before the operation, you can fly on a plane and dive with scuba diving. The most important thing in the postoperative period is to wear special compression underwear. Underwear should be worn strictly for 1 month after the operation, and then for another 3 months when playing sports, intense physical activity.

The day after the operation, the patient can leave the clinic if she wishes. The patient is followed up once a week, for the first two weeks, then after a month. Then three months later. And then an annual check.

Absorbable (absorbable) sutures usually dissolve within 6 weeks. The patient will take care of the sewing independently at home. It is not at all difficult.

If the patient has nonabsorbable sutures, an additional visit will be necessary to remove them.

After the operation, the surgeon will not only tell you how to behave in the postoperative period, but also provide you with an extract with recommendations, where it will be written:

• How to take care of your breasts after the procedure;
• How to use prescribed medications;
• When to come for the next visit;
• When to call your doctor.

You should see a doctor immediately if you experience:

• any signs of infection, such as fever over 38 degrees, fever or redness in the chest;
• severe chest pain or sharp increase in breast size /

What are the risks of this operation?

Any surgery increases the risk of sudden death from myocardial infarction, stroke, thromboembolism during or immediately after surgery. But, fortunately, such complications are extremely rare. And in modern clinics there is all the resuscitation and anesthesia equipment that minimizes these risks to almost zero.

Some of the risks and complications associated with breast augmentation:

• Painful mammary glands;
• inflammation of the breasts;
• The sensation in the breasts, nipples may change temporarily or become more or less pronounced;
• Implant rupture;
• Bleeding;
• Fluid buildup (seroma).

A specific complication of this operation is capsular contracture - a thick capsule forms around the implant. This can deform the mammary gland or make it extremely painful and dense. During the consultation, the surgeon will explain this complication in detail and how to avoid it.

In addition, even cosmetic dots can turn red, thick and painful, or flat and wide. This can lead to a second operation to remove these scars.