Before Breast Enlargement Surgery

Once you have decided to undergo breast enlargement through implant placement surgery, there are a few steps that must be completed before the procedure can take place. Your surgeon will go over most of these steps in detail during your surgery pre-examination, but this is a general overview designed to give you an idea of what to expect.

Preparing for Breast Augmentation Surgery

Before undergoing breast enlargement surgery, you must select surgeon and schedule a consultation. The consultation will allow you and the surgeon to discuss your expectations and go over important considerations such as size, shape, type of implant, and the location of your incision.

In preparation for the breast implant surgery, you will be asked to follow a set of instructions provided by your doctor. It is important to take these directions seriously and follow them faithfully. Failing to do so will increase your risk of developing complications during or after surgery.

Generally, you will be asked to avoid taking aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs for a period of 10 days prior to your breast augmentation surgery, because these medications thin the blood and make surgery more dangerous. If you smoke, you’ll be asked to stop at least two months before the procedure, as smoking will delay the healing process. You should have any prescriptions that you will need after the breast enlargement surgery filled beforehand. On the day of surgery, you should wear loose-fitting clothes that can be removed and replaced easily. It is important that you arrange for a close friend or relative to drive you home after the surgery and stay with you for 24 to 72 hours while you begin your recovery.

Please remember that these are general guidelines only. Your breast augmentation surgeon knows your medical history and your individual needs best. Follow his or her specific pre-operative instructions carefully.

Breast Implant Surgery Options

While you are planning your breast augmentation surgery, you will need to decide what type of implants you want, how they should be placed, and where your incision will be located. Your surgeon will advise you during this process, but these decisions should be mostly up to you. It is important to be well-informed about each of your options.

Implant Shape

The available breast implant shapes are round and anatomical. Round implants, when placed on a surface, look like a flattened sphere. They have equal volume at all points. Anatomical implants are designed to look more like a natural breast and have a teardrop shape, with most of the volume at the bottom. The benefits of round implants is that if they shift or turn within the capsule, there is no distortion of the breast shape. If anatomical implants turn or flip, additional breast implant surgery is required to move them back into position. However, if you have very little breast tissue, anatomical implants may provide a more realistic shape.

Implant Surface Texture

Breast implant texture refers to whether the surface of the shell is smooth or roughened. Roughened, or textured, implants were designed as an attempt to reduce the chances of capsular contracture. It is not clear whether they are useful for that purpose, but it has been shown that textured implants are less likely to turn inside the capsule, which is why all anatomical implants are made with a textured surface. Smooth implants, however, may have less chance of rupture. Ultimately, choosing smooth or textured implants will not significantly affect how your breast augmentation surgery is executed or how the results will look or feel.

Implant Size and Volume

The size of your breast implants will be measured in three ways: width, volume, and projection. The width is how wide the implant is across its base. This is important because an implant with too much width for your body type will stretch the skin and may be visible around the edges. Volume is how much filling the implant has. This will have the greatest impact on increasing cup size. Projection is how far the implant sticks out. Most implants are available in moderate, midrange, and high projection profiles.

It is important to consider the advice of your surgeon while choosing a breast implant size. This is not to say that you should not make up your own mind based on your own desires, but you should take into account the expert opinion of a qualified surgeon. In general, small breast implants are less likely to trigger complications after breast enlargement surgery, such as rippling or displacement, but large breast implants are also available for women who want them and have the breast tissue to support them.

Implant Placement

Once you have chosen the size, shape, and texture of your implant, you need to decide where it will be placed. Submuscular breast augmentation surgery involves positioning the implant beneath a layer of muscle in the chest wall. A subglandular breast implant is placed on top of the chest muscle and just behind the breast tissue. Benefits of submuscular placement may include decreased risk of capsular contracture and less interference with mammography. However, breast implant surgery with subglandular placement can take less recovery time and may involve a lesser amount of postoerative pain.

Incision Site

There are four incision locations regularly used in breast enlargement surgery. One of the most common types is the inframammary breast augmentation incision. This incision is placed along the crease beneath the breast, where the scar will be naturally concealed. Another popular type is the of transaxillary breast augmentation incision . This is when the implant is placed through an incision in the armpit. It is also possible to place breast implants through periareolar breast implant incisions, which creates a tiny scar around the edge of the pigmented area surrounding the nipple. The newest type of incision is the T.U.B.A. breast augmentation incision, which allows the breast implant to be placed through an incision in the navel. Your surgeon will discuss each of these options with you, including the risks and benefits of each.

Contact a Breast Augmentation Surgeon in Your Area

Whether you are considering breast augmentation for breast enlargement or implant surgery to replace depleted fullness, contact a qualified surgeon near you to discuss your options and begin the cosmetic surgery process.