Many women seek breast augmentation to improve their appearance or self confidence. Sometimes they do it simply to become larger. Other times they seek to fill in the volume which has become lost following pregnancy. Among plastic surgery procedures, breast augmentation is currently one of the most popular – and with a very high rate of patient satisfaction.
A breast implant is a fluid filled sac that is inserted under the breast tissue and is designed to enhance the size of the breast and to change its shape. For appropriate and well-informed candidates, breast augmentation can provide very pleasing results.
There are two different types of breast implants. The first is saline-filled and the second is silicone gel-filled. Some women are of the belief that silicone implants cause illnesses in women, like autoimmune diseases. This is a serious issues, but fortunately this has been shown to not be the case. There can be risks to the procedure, like with any surgery. Local side effects like breast pain, capsular contracture and rupture or deflation of the breast implant are possible. It is also important to remember that breast implants don’t last a lifetime and one should be prepared for long-term follow up if adjustments become necessary.
After reading about breast implants, you should give yourself time to make an informed decision about whether or not having breast implants are right for you. You should decide whether or not you want to have breast implants based on what you think your outcome should be. It is important to have realistic expectations. There is no guarantee that what your breast implants will look like those of other women. Think about how healthy you are now, what your chest structure is, your capabilities of healing such as whether you’ve had surgery, whether you smoke, if you have bleeding tendencies and the skill of the surgical team doing the procedure.
Description of Implant
Breast implants each vary according the surface of the shell (textured versus smooth), the shape of the implant (round versus shaped), profile (how far the implant sticks out), and the volume (size) of the implant. Most implants consist of a shell, a filler and a patch that covers the manufacturer’s hole. The bulk of them are single lumen, although some have a lumen inside another lumen (double lumen). Some breast implants have a fixed volume of filler while others are filled during the operation and others allow for adjustments to the volume of the filler.
Saline Implants
There are three types of saline implants. The first is a single lumen implant that is generally filled up during the procedure with saline through a port. After the operation, the size of the implant remains the same. The second type of saline implant is a single lumen implant that is filled during the procedure through a port. The size of the implant can be changed after the operation. The third type of saline implant has a fixed volume of saline in it and has no valves for filling or removing saline.
Silicone Gel-Filled Implants
Silicone implants, unlike saline, come pre-filled by the manufacturer. They thus require a slightly longer incision during the procedure. In many cases, they tend to feel softer and more natural than saline implants.
Risks
Breast implants may not last forever. They may rupture, leaking fluid into the breast fluid. If this happens, you will likely need have the implants replaced. It is safest to assume that you will have reoperations one or more times in your lifetime. If you choose to have your implants removed completely, you might have dimpling, wrinkling, loss of breast tissue or puckering of the breast.
When you have any of the complications of implants, you may need removal of the implant. The various complications include asymmetry, inflammation, breast pain, calcium deposits, contracture of the capsule, chest wall deformity, rupture, deflation, scarring, lumps, unsatisfactory style or size, or infection.
Breast augmentation can offer improvements in appearance and confidence. Many women have great satisfaction from the breast augmentation. But the procedure is not for everyone and it is important to make a fully informed decision prior to going forward.
Lloyd Krieger is a Los Angeles cosmetic surgeon who specializes in breast augmentation.
