Breast Augmentation Surgery
Breast enhancement surgery, otherwise called breast enlargement or breast augmentation surgery, is one of the best known cosmetic operations in terms of name recognition, but there are relatively few people who are familiar with the details of the procedure. Over 350,000 breast enlargement procedures were conducted in the US alone in 2008, according to statistics provided by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, or ASAPS, making it one of the top 5 most commonly performed cosmetic surgical procedures for women.
Women seek breast augmentation surgery for a wide variety of reasons. Breast augmentation can be used in order to address an asymmetry of the breasts, as well as to reconstruct one or both breasts in the event of a mastectomy or other similar operation; in cases such as these, the procedure is usually called “breast reconstruction surgery.” Breast augmentation is also used to deal with genetic issues involving the breasts such as micromastia, which results in the severe underdevelopment of the breasts, as well as other conditions which can result in the absence of breasts in females.
Most commonly, though, the majority of women who elect to undergo breast augmentation surgery do so for purely cosmetic reasons. Many women are self-conscious about their breasts, and the feelings associated with this can have detrimental social and even effects upon the individual’s career. An appropriate way of preventing or dealing with these problems, therefore, is to tackle their root cause. Thus, the popularity of breast augmentation is not surprising.
There are a number of different methods in use for breast enhancement surgery procedures, which can vary in terms of their suitability to the individual dependent upon several factors including the degree of augmentation desired, physical characteristics, operations undergone previously, and so on. Breast augmentation surgery involves the use of implants, prostheses which are inserted beneath the mammary tissue or the muscle. Two basic kinds of breast implants are currently in use: saline implants and silicone implants.
Saline implants are somewhat less common than silicone ones, and are comprised of a silicone elastomer shell which, after initially being implanted during the breast augmentation procedure, is filled with a a saline solution, containing water and salt. This makes them slightly more adaptable in comparison to silicone implants. However, saline implants are generally appropriate only for relatively minor augmentation procedures. They’re also somewhat susceptible to wrinkling and rippling, as well as being thought to be more obvious to the touch compared to silicone implants, although there is some disagreement on this point.
Silicone implants have a silicone elastomer shell which is pre-filled with a silicone gel of properties that differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. Silicone implants, like saline implants, have been in use since the 1960s, although the constitution of silicone implants has seen changes gradually over time. Today’s silicone implants are substantially different in comparison to the earliest ones; a semi-solid gel is now the norm, and this virtually erases the problems with leaking that first-generation implants, which made use of a liquid-like gel, often suffered from.
Several techniques are used for the surgical procedure itself. The most commonly used method for breast enhancement surgery is the inframammary incision method. This technique makes use of an incision made in the area directly below the breast, which is known as the inframammary area. The implant is inserted by way of this incision. This technique has the lowest risk of complications of any kind of breast enhancement procedure, and the scars left afterward are almost always completely hidden underneath the breast afterward.
The periareolar incision method makes use of an incision along the outside of the areola. Due to the limited size of the incision used in this procedure, saline implants must be used. However, this method does allow for the surgeon to reposition the breast entirely, which may be requested by the patient in some cases.
Depending on a number of factors, the patient may desire the surgeon to to make an incision in an area farther away from the breast; this can also be requested by patients who are worried about scarring appearing in the vicinity of the breast. The transumbilical incision is one made in the navel area, which can be performed alongside a tummy tuck, while a transaxillary incision is an incision made below the armpit. In both cases, the surgeon may use an endoscope in order to aid with the correct positioning of the implant. Saline implants are generally necessary for either of these procedures.
Every type of surgery involves some risk, and breast enhancement is no exception. Also, following this kind of procedure, the patient will usually take at least six weeks to fully recover, and strenuous exercise must be avoided during this period in order to ensure that the operation is a success in the end.
December 22 2009 09:19 pm | Uncategorized