Breast augmentation surgery, is the surgical placement of breast implants or the transfer of fatty tissue in order to increase the fullness and improve the symmetry of breasts. Breast augmentation surgery is also often sought out to restore breast volume lost as a result of weight loss, following pregnancy, and the natural aging process.
It is important to note that breast augmentation will not correct severely drooping breasts. If you want your breasts to look fuller and to be lifted as a result of sagging, a breast lift may be required in conjunction with breast augmentation.
Breast Implant Surgery
Breast augmentation surgery with implants is performed while the patient is under general anesthesia. The cosmetic or plastic surgeon will begin by making an incision either around the lower edge of the areola (called the periareolar incision) or along the crease beneath the breast (called the inframammary incision). The patient and the surgeon will determine where the incision will be located during a consultation meeting.
Following with the decision reached during the consultation, during surgery, the surgeon will create a pocket within your breast tissue. Depending on the preferences of the patient, this may be above or below the chest muscle. The surgeon will then insert the implant into the pocket. While silicone implants are added whole, saline implants are inserted empty and filled once in place.
Implant Revisionary Surgery
Many women who undergo breast augmentation surgery do so as a revision to a previous breast augmentation procedure. There are a number of reasons for seeking a revision surgery; some patients are unsatisfied with the results of their initial surgery and may seek to trade out their original implants for a larger or smaller size. Women with older implants may seek revision surgery to upgrade to a newer implant to take advantage of new materials or products. Other patients may require a revision surgery for the correction of a complication such as dealing with an implant rupture or capsular contracture.
Breast Implants Recovery After Surgery 
Today’s techniques allow for a relatively comfortable and brief recuperation after breast augmentation. Most patients take about 1 week off from work to rest and heal at home, although they are still able to move about the house and participate in light activities. However, it’s important to carefully follow your plastic or cosmetic surgeons’ directions for self-care after surgery.
You will likely need to refrain from heavy lifting and vigorous activities for at least several weeks. Additionally, upper body exercise is discouraged until your chest muscles have fully healed. You will also likely need to wear a soft surgical bra or compression bandage to aid in healing. At your follow-up appointments, your surgeon will gradually clear you to resume certain activities and transition to regular bras.
Breast Augmentation Considerations
As one of the most popular elective procedures in the world, breast augmentation is quite safe. However, no surgery is completely free of risk. In general, potential risks of breast augmentation include infection, excessive bleeding, loss of nipple sensation, development of excess scar tissue, implant malposition, and rupture of the implant itself. Breast implants are not lifetime devices and they will need to monitored regularly for rupture of the implant shell.
With the exception implant rupture, the results of your breast augmentation surgery should be relatively long-lasting: the lifetime of implants is thought to be at least 10 – 20 years.
