Breast Augmentation

Breast Implant Augmentation

Breast Augmentation Cost

Types of Surgical Procedures

           - Areola (Nipple)

           - Transaxillary (Underarm)

           - Inframammary Fold (Crease)

           - Trans-Umbilical (Belly Button)

           - Submuscular (under the muscle)

           - Subglandular (over the muscle)

Candidates For Breast Implant Surgery

Types of Breast Implants

           - Saline-Filled

           - High Profile / Standard

           - Expandable

           - Smooth / Textured

           - Round / Tear-Drop

Choosing The Right Implant Size

Breast Augmentation Consultations

           - Preparing For Your Consultation

           - What To Expect

Risks of Surgery

Before Your Surgery

During The Procedure

After Breast Augmentation Surgery

           - Massage and Compression

           - Mammograms and Self-Exams

Finding The Right Cosmetic Surgeon

Before Breast Augmentation Surgery

Removing Breast Implants

Breast Implant Glossary of Terms

Breast Implant Complications

           - Re-Operations

           - Removal  

           - Rupture / Deflation

           - Capsular Contracture

           - Breast Pain

           - Breast Sensation Changes

Highland Plastic Surgery Centers is a division of Highland Medical Centers

OTHER RESOURCES:

Highland Pain Institute

Highland Bariatric Institute

Highland Sleep Institute

Highland GERD Institute

Before Your Breast Implant Surgery

How to prepare for breast augmentation surgery
In some instances, your plastic surgeon may recommend a baseline mammogram before surgery and another mammographic examination some months after surgery. This will help to detect any future changes in your breast tissue. Following breast augmentation, you will still be able to perform breast self-examination.

If you are a smoker, you will be asked to stop smoking well in advance of surgery. Aspirin and certain anti-inflammatory drugs can cause increased bleeding, so you should avoid taking these medications for a period of time before surgery. Your surgeon will provide you with additional preoperative instructions.

Breast augmentation is usually performed on an outpatient basis. If this is the case, be sure to arrange for someone to drive you home after surgery and to stay with you at least the first night following surgery.

Understanding the risks and procedures
The subject of risks and potential complications of surgery is best discussed on a personal basis between you and your plastic surgeon, or with a staff member in your surgeon's office.

Some of the potential complications that may be discussed with you include reactions to anesthesia, blood accumulation that may need to be drained surgically and infection. Although rare, an infection that does not subside with appropriate treatment may require temporary removal of the implant. Changes in nipple or breast sensation may result from breast augmentation surgery, although they usually are temporary.

When a breast implant is inserted, a scar capsule forms around it as part of the natural healing process. The capsule may sometimes tighten and compress the implant, causing the breast to feel firmer than normal. Capsular contracture can occur to varying degrees. If it is severe, it can cause discomfort or changes in the breast's appearance. In such cases, more surgery may be needed to modify or remove the scar tissue, or perhaps remove or replace the implant.

Breast implants are not lifetime devices and cannot be expected to last forever. If a saline-filled implant breaks, its contents are harmlessly absorbed by the body within hours. A definite change in the size of the breast is clearly noticed. Rupture can occur as a result of trauma to the chest, but more commonly it occurs spontaneously with no apparent cause. Surgery will be required to replace the implant, if desired.

If you are at an age when mammographic examinations should be conducted on a periodic basis, it will be important for you to select a radiology technician who is experienced in taking x-rays of augmented breasts. Additional views of your breasts will be required. Your plastic surgeon, in some instances, may recommend other types of examinations such as ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging. It is possible that the presence of breast implants could delay or hinder the early detection of breast cancer.

Some women with breast implants have reported problems including certain connective tissue and immune-related diseases. Women without implants also have these disorders, so the key question is whether breast implants increase the risk of developing the conditions. Several large studies have been completed that provide reassurance that women with breast implants do not have a significantly increased risk for these diseases.