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Breast Augmentation with Silicone Implants

Breast Augmentation with Silicone Implants increases a woman's bustline by one or more bra cup sizes.

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• Quick Facts about Breast Augmentation with Silicon Implants

  * Anaesthesia: local anaesthesia, combined with a sedative

  * Duration of the procedure: 1 ½ to 2hs

  * Hospital stay: not required - outpatient

  * Recovery time / time back to work: 14 days

  * Incisions: Generally hidden at the areola border.

• What can Breast Augmentation with Silicone Implants Do for You?

  Breast augmentation is used to:

  - To enhance the body contour of a woman who, for personal reasons, feels her   breast size is too small

  - To restore breast volume lost from weight loss or following pregnancy

  - To achieve better symmetry when breasts are moderately disproportionate in   size and shape

  - To improve the shape of breasts that are sagging or have lost firmness, often   used with a breast lift procedure

  - To provide the foundation of a breast contour when a breast has been   removed or disfigured by surgery to treat breast cancer

  - To improve breast appearance or create the appearance of a breast that is   missing or disfigured due to trauma, heredity, or congenital abnormalities

• The Surgical Procedure

  The method of inserting and positioning your implant will depend on your anatomy and your surgeon's recommendations. The incision can be made either in the crease where the breast meets the chest, around the areola (the dark skin surrounding the nipple), or in the armpit. Working through the incision, the surgeon will lift your breast tissue and skin to create a pocket, either directly behind the breast tissue (submammary or subglandular placement) or may be placed beneath the pectoral muscle and on top of the chest wall (submuscular placement). Once the implant is positioned within this pocket, the incisions are closed with sutures. A gauze bandage may be applied over your breasts to help with healing.

  *Anesthesia

  Local anesthesia, combined with a sedative.

• The Surgical Procedure & Implant Types

  

  Mentor Silicone Implants are one of two types of silicone implants to have received FDA approval, after a number of independent scientific panels confirmed their safety and efficacy. For their natural look and feel, silicone breast implants have been the favored implants in Europe and South America for over 30 years.

  The choice of implant size, shape, and texture, among other features, will be determined based on your breast anatomy, body type, and desired increase in size. Your lifestyle and personal preferences, as well your plastic surgeon's recommendations are also determining factors.

  Features to consider:

  - Texture: the implant shell may be smooth or textured

  - Shape: the implant may have a round profile or one that is anatomic (teardrop or tapered shape)

  - Profile: the implant may have a low, medium or high projection (the depth of the implant from the base to the highest point of the implant curve)

  - Diameter: the width of the implant measured across it's base (the side of the implant that will be positioned over the chest wall)

  You should be aware that breast implants are not guaranteed to last a lifetime and future surgery may be required to replace one or both implants. Regular examinations for breast health and to evaluate the condition of your implants are important.

• Post-Op Recovery & Time Back to Work

  Post-Op

  You're likely to feel tired and sore for a few days following your surgery, but you'll be up and around in 24 to 48 hours. Most of your discomfort can be managed by medication prescribed by your doctor. Within several days, the gauze dressings, if you have them, will be removed, and you may be given a surgical bra. You should wear it as directed by your surgeon. You may also experience a burning sensation in your nipples for about two weeks, but this will subside as bruising fades. Your stitches will come out in a week to 10 days, but the swelling in your breasts may take three to five weeks to disappear.

  Time Back to Work

  You should be able to return to work within a few days, depending on the level of activity required for your job. Follow your surgeon's advice on when to resume exercises and normal activities. Your breasts will probably be sensitive to direct stimulation for two to three weeks, so you should avoid most physical contact. Usually three to four weeks after surgery, 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, your scars will begin to fade, although they will never disappear completely.

• Uncertainty and Risk

  Breast augmentation is relatively straightforward. But, as with any surgery, there are potential risks and specific complications associated with the procedure. The most common problem, 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 an implant. This may occur at any time, but is most often seen within a week after surgery. In some cases, the implant may need to be removed for several months until the infection clears. A new implant can then be inserted. Some women report that their nipples become oversensitive, undersensitive, or even numb. You may also notice small patches of numbness near your incisions. These symptoms usually disappear within time, but may be permanent in some patients. Breast implants do not generally interfere with a woman's ability to breast feed, or present a health hazard during pregnancy to a woman or her baby. However, pregnancy and the associated changes to a woman's body may alter the results of any breast surgery, including surgery to place breast implants. Therefore, it is important to discuss the options of breast implant surgery with your plastic surgeon if you are interested in becoming pregnant and breast feeding in the future. 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 silicone-gel filled implant leak or break, the elastic silicone gel may remain within the implant shell, or may escape into the breast implant pocket (a capsule of tissue that surrounds the implant). A leaking implant filled with silicone gel may not deflate and may not be noticeable except through imaging techniques such as an MRI. For this reason, a woman with silicone breast implants is advised to visit her plastic surgeon annually to assess that her implants are functioning well. An ultrasound exam or MRI screening can assess the condition of breast implants; after 3 years it is recommended that all silicone implants be properly screened. Following the placement of breast implants, mammography is technically more difficult. Obtaining the best possible results requires specialized techniques and additional views. You must be candid about your implants when undergoing any diagnostic breast exam. In many cases, an ultrasound exam or MRI may be recommended in addition to mammography. While the majority of women do not experience these complications, you should discuss each of them with your physician to make sure you understand the risks and consequences of breast augmentation.

The information provided on surgeryBA.com is designed to support, not replace, the relationship between a patient and his/her physician. Individual results may vary according to each patient's individual objectives, health, and circumstances. The information provided here stems from our professional experience with patients and from our doctor's advise.

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