BREAST AUGMENTATION

Breast augmentation is a surgical procedure to enhance the size of breasts. This can be carried out for following reasons:
1. Personal reason
2. Loss of breast volume following pregnancy or weight loss
3. To correct the difference in breast size. Or
4. To reconstruct breast following breast surgery.

Currently the oldest and most popular procedure for enhancing the breast size is breast implants. Recently introduced procedure for breast enhancement is Fat transfer. Fat is harvested from different areas (for instance thigh or stomach) of the body, is filtered and processed and then injected into the breast. Generally fat transfer increase the breast size by ½ or 1 cup size only. Additional sessions of fat transfer can be done to further increase the size of breast.
Currently there are no bust creams or medicine to enhance breast size.

Breast implant is a synthetic device the shell (outer covering) of which is made of silicone. The filling inside this shell can either be saline (salt water) or silicone gel and they are called saline or silicone implant. It is important to note that the shell of both saline and silicone implant is made of silicone.

There are no studies which show that the saline implant is better or safer than silicone implant or vice versa. Both types of implant are US FDA approved or CE (europe ) certified. Silicone implants look and feel more natural. Also there is issue of rippling and palpability with saline implant. Majority of patients undergo silicone breast implant.

Currently in India following brand implants are available. They are 1. Eurosilicone 2. Nagore 3. Motiva. All these implants are CE (european) certified. Please click on the link for more details. However availability of the above implants may vary. Some of these brands offer warranty for certain duration. The warranty covers the cost of implant only.

Two main types of implant shapes are available: round and teardrop (anatomical) implants. In addition recently Motiva has come out with Ergonomix implants which assume round shape when patient is lying down and tear drop shape when patient is standing up. In majority of patients the shape of breast is not influenced by the shape of implant. So in these patients whether one uses round or teardrop implants there will be no difference in the final outcome. Tear drop implants suffer from some disadvantages like rotation and unnatural appearance when lying down. Having said that there are specific set of indications where teardrop implants will be useful. The final decision of the shape of implant is taken after detailed consultation with the doctor.

The size of the implant will depend on your desire, your doctor’s judgement, and the breast tissue characteristics. Commonly the implants vary in size between 200 to 350 cc.

For breast augmentation you will be required to be put to sleep (general anaesthesia).

Incision under the breast in the fold is the most commonly used. For saline implant incision around the nipple or in the arm is sometime used.

Commonly the implant is placed in front of the muscle. However in very thin individuals the implant will be placed behind the muscle. In very thin individuals the muscle provides extra layer of padding which helps to hide the edge of implant.

1. There will be padded dressing under the breast in the fold where the incision was taken.
2. Stretching sensation and heaviness will be felt as the breast size has suddenly increased. This will get better with each passing day
3. Pain: the soreness is similar to something you feel after heavy exercise. Pain control gets better with each passing day
Turning in bed may be sore for the first few days. Any pressure on the treated area may also be sore for sometime.
4. Medication: Antibiotics and painkillers are given for a week following the surgery.
5. Sensation: The nipple may feel numb or sometimes hypersensitive. This happens because tiny nerves going to the nipple are stretched during the surgery and they take time to regenerate. This regeneration of the nerves may give tingling sensation for few weeks. Complete recovery of sensation can take from 3 to 6 months.
6. Swelling: Swelling is a normal consequence of any surgical procedure. Swelling of breast (which won’t be noticeable in normal clothing) can take approximately 4 weeks to go away.
7. Bruising: may be seen around the incision site. It can take 2 to 4 weeks to go away.
8. Clothing: its best not to wear bra for the first month or so. This encourages the implant to settle down into normal shape. However for social engagement you can wear sports bra or any loose fitting bra without wires.
9. Hospital Stay: Mostly you will be discharged the same evening. Rarely you need to stay overnight.
10. Stitches: Melting (self dissolving) stitches are used so there is no need to remove them.
12. Dressing: Dressing will be removed within a week.
13. Result: Generally there is increase in 2 cup sizes after breast augmentation with breast implant. Initially for the first month or so the size may appear bigger because of swelling. Implant may appear higher initially. In approximately 3 months as the implant settle down the breast appears more natural.