All You Need To Know About Breast Augmentation

“Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others” – Jonathan Swift.

This is as true of our vision of self, as it is for anything else. A woman is as entitled to have a vision for her body as anyone else is. This is true of any part of the body – the breasts included. A woman’s vision of herself, with the right breast size, is no longer just a dream – it is an attainable reality through a set of cosmetic surgery procedures aimed at the breast. When a woman is suffering from low self-esteem on account of smaller breast size, breast augmentation surgery comes to the rescue.

What is Breast Augmentation?

Breast augmentation, medically known as mammoplasty, refers to the set of cosmetic surgery procedures which enhance a woman’s natural breast size. It can be opted for by women who struggle with the following issues –

1. Small or non-existent breasts.
2. Broader shoulder and hip profile and smaller breasts which look out of place.
3. Woman wanting a deeper cleavage.
4. Women who have lost breast volume due to weight loss or with age.
5. Women with asymmetrical breasts and wanting to attain a bigger size.

Breast augmentation is a day care procedure which can help a woman attain the optimum, enhanced breast size. When you opt to go with a board-certified plastic surgeon who knows how to work with the latest surgical techniques and equipment and is constantly upskilling, it can be one of the best decisions you can take – a safe surgery with minimal scarring and other risks (like anesthesia risks, hematoma, bleeding, infection etc)  associated with surgery.

It is important for a woman to understand the procedure in great detail to arrive at the right decision for HERSELF. The decision should not be determined by what others want for you, rather, it should depend upon what you want for yourself, after understanding what the procedure entails.

It is also important to choose the right surgeon and the right facility – there are many who are not qualified to perform this procedure, or they do not have access to the right equipment. This may lead to complications in the surgery and a less-than-desired outcome. A good surgeon operating out of a world class facility can also show you 3D simulations of the potential outcome to approve from before finalizing the details of the procedure.

What are the different types of procedures used for breast augmentation?

Breast augmentation includes a set of cosmetic surgery procedures performed on the breast to increase its volume and size. There are two broad approaches to performing breast augmentation –

1. Breast augmentation using breast implants or artificial breast augmentation.
2. Breast augmentation using autologous fat transfer or autologous breast augmentation.

Breast Augmentation Using Breast Implants

Breast implants are artificial devices made from silicone gel which are inserted into the breast cavity to give volume and the right contour to your breast profile. Breast implants which are FDA approved are safe to use and do not get easily damaged. They also have a long shelf life – with care they can last as long as 10 years. They can also be used to attain the desired cup size, even if it is more than 1 size higher than your natural size, and are custom-made for the desired shape.

There are many types of implants to choose from –

1. Smooth Implants – These implants are smooth in texture and transparent in look. The latest in technology, they are used when a more natural outcome is desired.
2. Nano-Textured Implants – These implants are translucent to look at, and the nano-texture is negligible in touch. These also help attain a more natural look.
3. Textured Implants – There are several crests and troughs in these implants, and they are rough to touch. They give a more artificial look to the breast profile.
4. Saline Implants – These implants have a silicone gel outer casing, but saline fluid as the filler material.

Breast Augmentation Using Autologous Fat Transfer

In this procedure, excess fat is removed from another part of the body using liposuction techniques and grafted onto the breast for more volume. This procedure can be opted for by women –

1. Who are looking for up to 1 cup size breast enhancement and
2. Who have concerns about inserting a foreign object inside their body.

There is a limitation to the enhanced size as this procedure depends upon survival of fat cells in the new environment. Fat in breasts is grafted in the subcutaneous and subglandular space and this space has a limit. Putting more fat beyond this limit compromises with the survival of fat cells and can lead to complications like fat necrosis.

The benefit is two-fold, though – attaining a desired breast size while getting rid of excess body fat from elsewhere, like thighs, abdomen, arms etc. There is also no complication of a reaction within the body as the fat is from your own body. Women who are concerned about inserting a foreign object and a potential reaction from that can safely opt for this procedure, bearing in mind its limitations.

Difference Between Breast Augmentation and Breast Lift

Many a times, women confuse breast augmentation with breast lift. These are two completely different procedures with two different outcomes.

Breast augmentation procedures involves the grafting of an implant on the breast for higher volume and desired contour. Breast lift, on the other hand, does not call for the placement of any type of implants. It is a procedure for tightening the breasts by REMOVING the excess tissue and reshaping the remaining tissue for a firmer, more youthful look.

Breast lift may also be used to reposition the areola and nipples for a perkier breast profile, something which cannot be achieved in a saggy breast with breast augmentation procedure.

What Breast Augmentation Does Not Do

While breast augmentation helps a woman attain her vision of the right breast shape and size, there are limits to what the procedure can attain. It is important to know what the procedure cannot do, while understanding it to take a decision.

1. It does not reorient the nipples and areola – this is performed in breast lift.
2. It cannot give you unnaturally large breasts.

What the procedure does help you attain is better symmetry, breast projection, and a high level of self-confidence when you love your own body.

How to Prepare for Breast Augmentation Procedure

Breast augmentation is a surgery, and there are protocols which must be followed to prepare for it. There are two aspects to this –

1. What the patient must do –
   1. Finalize your surgeon and the facility where the surgery will take place.
   2. Share your medical history including any current medications with your surgeon.
   3. Stop smoking or taking any anti-inflammatory drugs – these may cause complications during the procedure and recovery.
   4. Sharing your desired outcome with your surgeon.
2. What the surgeon must do –
   1. Prescribe some blood tests to understand the body’s readiness for surgery.
   2. Understand the patient’s medical history and make the requisite changes to their current medication to prepare their body for surgery.
   3. Understand the patient’s requirement and share simulated outcomes for approval.
   4. Plan the procedure based on this, including the site of incision (peri-areolar, inframammary fold, axillary) and the type of implant (fat graft or silicone gel, smooth or nano-textured or textured or saline). The procedure must be planned to the last step to avoid any last-minute rush during the surgery.

Post-Surgery Recovery

Recovery after the procedure is dependent both on the surgeon’s skills and the observance of all necessary pre- and post-surgery protocols.

What is normal during recovery –

1. Discomfort during the first couple of days.
2. Temporary swelling and bruising which may last up to one month.
3. Visible changes to the breast for 2 to 3 months till the implants settle into their final position.

Post-surgery protocols which must be observed by the patient –

1. No sudden movements or heavy lifting for up to two weeks. These must be resumed only on getting the green signal from your surgeon.
2. Use of compression garment for at least 6 weeks.
3. Consulting your surgeon in case of development of any out-of-the-ordinary symptoms.

Is Breast Augmentation Permanent?

There are three aspects to this –

1. Nature of implant – silicone gel implants have a long shelf life, and can last as long as 10 years. They are durable and do not easily get damaged. However once, they are past their life, you may need to get the implants replaced. Fat graft, on the other hand, is a permanent procedure, as the fat gets absorbed into your breast tissue resulting in higher volume.
2. Lifestyle – breast implants are placed into the breast cavity and are custom-made as per your requirement and your current body dimensions. Lifestyle changes, age or pregnancy may cause changes to the body structure, including the breast area. These changes may reverse the look you had achieved and a revision surgery may be required.
3. External impact to the implant – while silicone implants are highly durable, a sudden impact, like in an accident, may end up causing damage to the implant.

Under normal circumstances, with the right lifestyle and good care, the results of breast augmentation can last a considerable amount of time.

The Role of a Female Plastic Surgeon

Women are often conscious discussing their problems with men. In India, women are also conditioned to suppress their needs and desires. No one understands this better than another woman. A female plastic surgeon is the right person to understand your problems and needs.

Dr Priya Bansal is not only a female plastic surgeon, she is also a gold-medalist plastic surgeon. She is an expert surgeon for breast augmentation procedure and is well-versed in the latest techniques and use of the latest equipment to perform her surgeries.

As a woman and mother, herself, she understands only too well what women go through and what they need and makes the comfort and privacy of her patients her top priority.