Breast augmentation or breast enlargement can enhance your appearance and your self-confidence but it won’t necessarily change your looks to match exactly what you want, or cause other people to treat you
differently. Before you decide to have surgery, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with your surgeon.
The best candidates for breast augmentation and breast enhancement are women who are looking for improvement, not perfection, in the way they look. If you’re physically healthy and realistic in your expectations, you may be good candidate.
Breast augmentation and breast enhancement is relatively straightforward. As with any operation, there are risks associated with surgery and specific complications associated with this procedure.
The most common problem of breast enhancement is capsular contracture. Capsular contracture occurs if the scar or capsule around the implant begins to tighten. This squeezing of the soft implant can cause the breast to feel hard. Capsular contracture can be treated in several
ways, and sometimes requires either removal or “scoring” of the scar tissue, or perhaps removal or replacement of the implant.
As with any surgical procedure, excessive bleeding following the operation may cause some swelling and pain. If excessive bleeding continues, another operation may be needed to control the bleeding and remove the accumulated blood.
A small percentage of women develop an infection around the implant. This may occur at any time, but is most often seen with a week after surgery. In some cases, the implant may need to be removed for some period of months until the
infection clears. A new implant can then be inserted.
Some women report that their nipples become over-sensitive, under-sensitive, or even numb. You may also notice small patches of numbness near your incisions. These symptoms usually disappear with time, but may be permanent is some
patients.
There is no evidence that breast implants with affect fertility, pregnancy, or your ability to nurse. If, however, you have nursed a baby within the year before augmentation, you may produce milk for a few days after surgery. This may
cause some discomfort, but can be treated with medication prescribed by your doctor.
Occasionally breast implants may break or leak. Rupture can occur as a result of injury or even from the normal compression and movement of your breast and implant, causing the man-made shell to leak. If a saline-filled implant
breaks, the implant will deflate in a few hours and the salt water will be harmlessly absorbed by the body.
THE PROCEDURE:
Breast augmentation is performed under general anesthesia in the hospital on an outpatient basis.
The method of inserting and position your implants are subpectorally, that is, under the pectoral muscle with the incision made in the armpit. Working through the incision, the skin, breast tissue,
and pectoral muscle are lifted to create a pocket. The implant is then centered beneath the nipple. Placement beneath the muscle is more painful for the first few days after surgery but is the best procedure to use with saline implants.
After surgery your are likely to feel tired and sore for a few days but you’ll be up and around in 24-48 hours. Most of your discomfort will be controlled by medication. The sutures will be removed in 7-10 days from the day of your
surgery. The swelling in your breast may take 3-5 weeks to disappear.
Your breast will probably be sensitive to direct stimulation for 2-3 weeks so you should avoid physical contact. After that breast contact is fine once your breasts are no longer sore. Your scars will be firm and pink for at least six
weeks. Then they may remain the same size for several months or even appear to widen. After several months, however, your scars will begin to fade, although they will never disappear completely.
MASSAGE AFTER BREAST ENHANCEMENT SURGERY:
This is the best tool that the patient possesses to prevent capsule formation. Massage helps to keep the pocket open and stretched out. Massaging needs to be done a minimum of six times per
day on each breast for the first six months after surgery then two times daily forever.
RISKS AND COMPLICATIONS:
Capsule formation: the pocket shrinks around the implant; the breast then feels firm or hard.
Unilateral capsule: a capsule forms on only one side; the breast looks uniformly smaller than the other breast with the position of the implant either higher or lower than the other. This
condition requires an open capsulotomy to correct the position.
There may be a change in the breast of nipple sensation to numbness.
Infection and bleeding may occur. The breast may appear to be of different size and shape or appear to be different positions on the chest. This condition requires second surgery, the cost of
which is borne by the patient. One must remember that if there is asymmetry of the breasts before surgery, it will be emphasized after surgery.
THE BREAST IMPLANT
There are three types of breast implants, all of which are intended for breast
augmentation, breast reconstruction, and/or revision (i.e., replacement) of a breast implant. The saline-filled implant has an external silicone shell and is filled with sterile saline (salt water). The silicone gel-filled implant also has
an external silicone shell but is filled with silicone gel. An alternative breast implant may have a different shell material and/or a different filler. Dr. O'Donnell will decide which implant is the best for you in your specific
situation.
