15 facts you should know before getting breast augmentation

Your body is your business! But when you come to a plastic surgeon with a request for breast augmentation, they will definitely ask why they made the decision. And if this is the desire to look beautiful in a bathing suit or to fulfill your partner's dream of a large breast, then, most likely, you will be denied.

Because the breast can only be enlarged for you and only under the condition that you want to feel comfortable in your body!

Honest information about breast augmentation

periareolar mammoplasty of the breast

Breast augmentation surgery is serious surgery that requires an informed decision and careful weighing of the potential risks. You need to prepare for this: get tested, undergo the necessary examinations, stop taking certain drugs in advance, lose weight if your weight exceeds the norm, and stop smoking.

But even careful preparation is no guarantee of a favorable result. So before you decide to go under the surgeon's scalpel, find out what to expect and what can go wrong!

Before and after photos aren't always informative

Today every plastic surgery clinic has its own website where you can see photos "before" and "after" a specific doctor's operations. However, when looking at it, the patient must take into account that their breasts may look different.

To get an idea of what the breasts will look like after surgery, a doctor of medicine, plastic surgeon, advises evaluating the results of people with a similar physique. Such recordings give a more realistic picture.

Breast augmentation is possible without surgery

Many women are tempted to enlarge their breasts in one or two procedures without surgery. Cosmetologists and plastic surgeons can fulfill this wish by suggesting the use of fillers based on hyaluronic acid or your own fat cells.

It should be noted, however, that these are temporary solutions. They have both advantages and disadvantages. And the outcome of the procedure in this case is more difficult to predict than with surgical breast augmentation.

Correcting the shape with fat cells has a significant disadvantage.

Girl measures breast size with one centimeter

Not all fat cells are "transplanted". According to the Doctor of Medical Sciences,30 to 50% of the fat cells die.

At the same time, nobody knows which cells will survive and which will not. Therefore, your expectations of breast augmentation with fillers after the procedure may not match reality.

The first breast operation will probably not be the last

Implants are not a permanent purchase. According to the plastic surgeon, most of them need to be replaced within 12-15 years of surgery, some even earlier.

The implant may begin to leak or scar tissue may begin to form around the implant, affecting the shape of the breast and posing a health hazard. In addition, external and internal reasons can force the replacement of the implant - weight gain or loss, breastfeeding, gravity.

The doctor recommends planning surgery only if you are confident that the budget will allow for the reconstruction surgery in the next 12 years.

There are different types of incisions during the operation.

Experts say that depending on the initial shape of the breast and the desired parameters, the doctor may suggest surgery with an incision in the armpit, a fold under the breast, in the areola, and in some cases in the abdomen.

The most common options are an incision in the areola and in the crease under the breast. The location of the likely incision should be discussed with your doctor.

It is not always possible to enlarge breasts to the desired volume

If a representative of the fair sex is naturally A cup size, she will not be able to achieve DD volume in one operation. The breast skin, like the body, needs time to get used to the changes. Therefore, the doctor recommends a breast augmentation of 1-2 sizes and then, if necessary, after a few years, replacing the implants with larger ones.

Drastic changes can be expensive

Advice on breast enlargement from a mammologist

"The most important thing when planning breast augmentation surgery is to find a good implant, " says Dr. med. , Plastic surgeon. "According to my estimates, about 30% of errors and complications in plastic surgery are due to the doctor or patient doing ithas chosen the wrong implant. "

Choosing an implant that is too large for the patient can lead to thinning of the breast tissue and surrounding muscles that is difficult to reverse. A good doctor will always tell you the maximum implant size that the patient can use as a guide.

After the surgery, it takes time to recover

After both breast augmentation and reduction, the patient needs time to recover. The sick leave is at least 5-7 days. In the end, you can go back to work as long as no heavy physical labor is required.

Painkillers work wonders today, but don't overestimate them!

Implants can be felt under the skin

There is an opinion that implants are always felt when a woman's breast is touched,But that's not the case. Properly chosen and well installed are hard to find. Still, there is such a possibility!

Another person is more likely to suspect the presence of implants in a woman who initially had a small breast volume (and consequently little tissue) than a woman whose volume was larger.

Some implants can be harmful to health

How to choose implants for breast augmentation

Experts associate some types of breast implants with an increased risk of cancer. "We are talking about a variant such as anaplastic large cell lymphoma. There is an opinion that it is somehow related to textured breast implants as the most common oncology diagnosis among women with oncology, "warns the plastic surgeon.

The correction can affect the ability to breastfeed

"By making an incision in the breast, we are disrupting the natural anatomy, reducing the amount of breast tissue that milk produces, " says the doctor. - However, there is a high probability that you can still breastfeedWhen the nipple is removed, the milk ducts and glands are unlikely to be damaged. "

Temporary loss of nipple sensitivity after surgery

For several weeks after the operation, many patients notice a lack of breast tenderness, but in most cases this is a temporary phenomenon. Complete loss of feeling is rare.

A medical science doctor and plastic surgeon says that although she has operated on thousands of patients, she has never noticed a complete loss of breast tenderness in a woman.

Surgery can affect a woman's posture

Change of posture after breast augmentation

If a woman chooses a slightly larger breast volume than her natural data, it is unlikely to change her posture. But when it comes to impressive size breast implants, their weight can be noticeable and, accordingly, they become more difficult to carry.

If there is a known history of back pain, this factor should be considered.

Breast augmentation alone may not be enough

After pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, some women dream of breast augmentation as a panacea that solves all problems with their appearance. But it can't be enough.

Breast augmentation alone will not tighten and tone the breasts. In some cases, two surgeries are required at the same time: a breast augmentation and a lifting. The doctor can do them at the same time.

The decision about an operation must be balanced

Before contacting a plastic surgeon, find out answers to the following questions for yourself:

  • Is my current breast volume really a problem for me?
  • Why do I have to have an operation?
  • Do I have an "airbag" - free resources that may be needed if something goes wrong?
  • Am I ready to accept the possible risks of breast augmentation?
  • Do I really have to have an operation?

The answers to these questions will help you make the right decision.

Expert comment
Oncologist, general surgeon

Mammoplasty, or breast augmentation, is a type of surgical procedure that requires special preparation.

Mammoplasty is performed as part of aesthetic surgery, i. e. at the request of the patient, with the exception of breast reduction (reduction mammoplasty), which is often performed for medical reasons. The girl must independently assess the risks before making an appointment with a plastic surgeon.

First you need to study the contraindications to the procedure. If a woman has severe diseases of the cardiovascular system, varicose veins, bleeding disorders and oncological diseases, then these chronic diseases become an absolute contraindication to mammoplasty. Such surgical interventions are also prohibited during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, rheumatism, mastopathy, and obesity should consult their doctor before having breast augmentation surgery. In addition, the chronic disease should be in stable remission for the duration of the procedure.

The woman also needs to think about a future pregnancy. If after the operation the girl plans to become a mother, it is better to do the operation through an incision under the breast or in the armpit. Inserting implants through an incision in the areola can compromise the integrity of some of the milk ducts, making it more likely that it will be difficult for the baby to feed.

You need to understand that a quality process won't come cheap. The average cost of a mammoplasty in a good clinic is quite high. Register for a consultation only with trustworthy specialists with many years of experience. Careful selection of a doctor will reduce the likelihood of complications after surgery. An appointment with a plastic surgeon usually takes about an hour and a half. During this period, the girl needs to ask the doctor about implants to determine the volume, future size and shape of the bust.

After the consultation, the date of the operation will be set. The preparation time is around two weeks. During this time, the patient will take the necessary tests to assess the state of health. The list of mandatory studies includes the following medical manipulations: clinical and biochemical blood tests, tests for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis, urinalysis, coagulogram, EKG, mammography, fluorography (X-ray), vascular ultrasound.

The hospital stay lasts about 3-5 days. During this time, the main operation is performed, during which the patient's condition is monitored after the mammoplasty and the first bandage. Then the girl goes home for rehabilitation.

You must wear special compression underwear for a month, and you should not lift your arms over your shoulders and lift heavy objects. For two or three weeks you just need to sleep on your back, for the next 4-5 months - on your side or on your back, you can only turn over on your stomach after six months. Classes in the gym and trips to the bathhouse or sauna must be postponed by 2-3 months.

During the rehabilitation phase, the patient has to come to the bandage and seal the scars himself with a special silicone plaster. Recovery takes about six months, after which you can return to an active life.

Expert comment
plastic surgeon

All implants approved for use in our country come with a lifetime guarantee. That means they don't need to be changed for medical reasons over time.

There are three types of access: axillary, periareolar (on the edge of the areola) and submammary (through the breast fold). In my practice, I use the axillary approach most often, as in this case the scar is practically invisible. It's located in the armpit and becomes like a crease over time. There are no visible scars on the chest.

I use an endoprosthesis through the areola if the axillary access does not allow a full-fledged operation. I use the submammary approach for a second operation if the implants were previously placed in the same way. All types of access are secure when owned by the surgeon.

Implants differ in gel softness, shell, type and size. The surgeon can only pick you up for a personal consultation. All implants are of good quality, but surgeons usually have their own preferences. So focus on the surgeon's work and correlate it with your own ideas about beauty.

I usually don't use large volume implants - more than 450 cc. see Large implants cause tissue shrinkage and become visible over time, even if they are in the armpit. That is, from above they are covered with muscles, and from below they are contoured. This occurs in patients with a low amount of fiber and a tight chest. If a woman has a wide breast, larger implants can be used. But such cases are quite rare.

Expert comment
plastic surgeon

Despite the fact that mammoplasty is one of the most popular plastic surgeries and has become quite a common procedure, before performing it, it is necessary for the patient to learn a few nuances so that they do not surprise after the operation.

  1. Nothing lasts forever and implants have their own lifespan. It is impossible to install them in and out forever. Sooner or later they will have to be changed as there is such a thing as a write-off. And how these processes take place in individual cases, how the tissues will behave, nobody knows in advance, everything is individual. Therefore, after breast correction, all girls are recommended to see a mammologist at least once every six months.
  2. Patients with certain chronic diseases and especially a decreased immune status should inform their doctor, who will order an additional examination. And only then will it make its own judgment as to whether it is worth installing implants or not.
  3. If the breast is a lowered ptosis, and the main part of the mammary gland is in the lower half, then in this situation it is better to install a round implant. If there is no pronounced upper pole, it always means installing an endoprosthesis under the muscle.
  4. If the nipples are "looking" to the sides but the patient wants to bring them closer, this is only possible if there is a large volume of skin and breast tissue. If it is not there, it will be impossible to bring it closer and when the implant is inserted, the nipples will remain in their original position while the prosthesis is installed in the center of the nipple.
  5. So having a close interthoracic distance keeps the patient naturally beautiful during the installation of endoprostheses. If it's big enough, more than 2-2. 5 cm, it can be reduced when placing implants. However, it is important to take into account that the implant is palpable at this point and over time the appearance of a visual defect - called tearing or skin irregularities - cannot be ruled out.