Breast Enlargement | |
What is breast enlargement?
Breast enlargement surgery involves the technique by which a woman's breasts are augmented to be larger. This is performed by using an implant, usually filled with saline solution to increase the size of the breast. The implant is placed under the chest muscle (pectoralis major muscle) or above the muscle via several common incisions. This is usually performed as an outpatient under general or deep sedation anesthesia. Individual results may vary.
Breast Enlargement is traditionally a painful procedure which can take a week or more to recover from. Dr. Yang uses a simple but effective technique to minimize post surgical pain. This is achieved without the use of external tubes or pumps inserted into the patient's breasts. Some patients will experience mild pain, heaviness or a sense of pressure without the typical sharp discomfort this procedure is known for. The medication used causes a patient to experience long term pain relief, up to 5 hours after surgery. By that time, prescription pain medications are used to treat and control the post operative discomfort. Please contact our Maryland or Virginia offices for more information for this procedure.
Who benefits from breast enlargement?
- women who are bothered by the feeling that their breasts are too small
- weight loss has changed the size and shape of their breasts
- after having children, their breasts have become smaller and have lost their firmness
- dress that fit well around the hips are often too large at the bustline
- one breast is noticeably smaller than the other
- they feel self-conscious wearing a swimsuit or form fitting top
Is it safe?
Each year, thousands of women undergo breast enlargement surgery. Currently the surgery is performed using the saline filled implants. Silicone gel, had been used, but are under study to answer questions raised about their safety. To date, multicenter randomized studies do NOT show any increase in health risks due to the use of the silicone gel, but for now, are only available in medical research studies. Surgery always involves risks, such as bleeding, infection, or implant failure. Modern technique and carefully performed surgery minimizes risks but cannot guarantee a perfect result everytime. For further information, please contact our Maryland or Virginia offices for a free consultation to further answer your questions about breast augmentation.
On Friday, November 17, 2006, the FDA announced full approval for silicone breast implants. So now, patients have a choice between silicone and saline breast implants. The silicone are more expensive at $7500 instead of the $5600. In general, the differences are:
1. Silicone feels more natural
2. Silicone requires a longer incision under the breast since they are already prefilled (2-3 inches instead of 1 to 1.5 inches for saline)
3. Silicone cannot be adjusted to balance size if one breast is slightly larger (but two different sizes can be used)
4. Saline are easier to study with mammograms as the xray passes more easilty through the saline than the silicone. To date, there are no studies that suggest silicone prevents or inhibits cancer detection.
5. Silicone implant manufacturers recommend every 3 year MRI studies to check for implant leakage; this may not be covered by insurance plans. Routine mammograms are still covered.
6. Both implants have a lifetime warranty against rupture or leakage. Please contact the office for full details.
For more information please feel free to contact us.
