Breast augmentation

Beautiful, elastic, toned breasts with an attractive shape - isn't this what every woman dreams of?Plastic breast augmentation is often associated with large size and unnatural appearance.In practice, very few patients require such radical changes.The most common is the desire to enlarge the breasts by several sizes - for example, from 1 to 3. Modern implants and surgical technologies make it possible to achieve the most natural appearance of the breasts, avoid complications and give women self-confidence.

Breast augmentation (enlargement) surgery is called augmentation mammoplasty.It is performed under general anesthesia using implants of various shapes and sizes.The advantage of breast augmentation in modern plastic surgery is the ability to achieve symmetry and correct all congenital defects.Including improving the appearance of the nipple-areolar complex.

Which implants are best to choose?

Implants vary in shape: anatomical and round.The former, due to the shape of the teardrop, create soft and natural breast contours.The mammary glands look very natural.Round implants give the breasts a visually larger size and make them appear lifted (push-up).With them, the contour of the upper neck becomes higher.

Breast implant profile types also vary: from low to very high.The surface of silicone implants can be smooth or textured.

Your doctor will help you choose implants.Having extensive experience in mammoplasty, the surgeon will recommend several manufacturers and also explain which form of implant will look best in your case.

During the consultation you will be able to try the implant models - sizers, in order to imagine how the shape of the future breast will be.

Ways to enlarge mammary glands

A plastic surgeon performs breast augmentation in different ways.They can be surgical or non-surgical.The first include:

• Augmentation mammoplasty with round or anatomical implants: breast enlargement of several sizes;the result of the operation is saved forever;
• breast lipofilling: increase by 1-1.5 sizes using injections of purified autologous fat taken from "problem" areas;The result of lipofilling lasts forever if you avoid severe weight loss.

A cosmetic method for breast enlargement is the injection of absorbable gel (fillers).This method is quite expensive: contour plastic surgery with fillers costs almost the same as mammoplasty surgery and the effect lasts on average up to 2 years.

The shape of the glands can be corrected using a thread lifter.The procedure will not increase the size of the breast, but will give it a beautiful shape.

Advantages of mammoplasty:

• Beautiful chest proportions.During the preoperative consultation for breast augmentation, the doctor will recommend the most suitable type of implant, its installation method (under the mammary gland or under the muscle), as well as access options (axillary, submammary, periareolar).Implants are always selected individually - the lines of leading manufacturers include hundreds of models that differ in volume, shape and size.
• Modeling the result.Modeling or size testing (models of prostheses used for selecting implants) allows you to estimate in advance how well the effect of mammoplasty will meet your expectations.
• Implant warranty.Clinics offer guarantees for breast implants. The safety of endoprostheses for breast enlargement has been confirmed by clinical studies: they do not affect the general condition of the body, are not dangerous in case of membrane damage (silicone gel with a dense structure does not penetrate the surrounding tissues), do not interfere with the preventive examination of the mammary glands and do not limit the possibility of breastfeeding in the future.
• Breast augmentation of several sizes.If breast augmentation using your adipose tissue (lipofilling) allows you to adjust the volume only within relatively small limits (sizes 1-1.5), then with the help of mammoplasty you can achieve an impressive effect in one operation.Once you get the desired volume, you can be sure that it will not change over time.
• Security and confidence in the result.The result of augmentation (breast augmentation) depends on the professionalism of the surgeon, so breast augmentation should be performed in a specialized clinic, by doctors with extensive experience. 

Methods of performing breast augmentation surgery

The implant can be placed:

• under the gland;
• under the muscle.

Installation of implants under the gland shortens the rehabilitation period.Recovery is less painful.But this method is fraught with complications later.For example, sagging breasts may be more visible.Constrictive fibrosis, if present, may be more pronounced.For girls who have not given birth but plan to have children, the implants are placed just under the muscle.

Possible approaches:

• submammary (incision under the breast);
• periareolar (cut around the nipple-areolar complex);
• axillary (cut to the side in the armpit area).

Submammary approach– the most preferred method from the point of view of controlled recovery.It is used for breast surgery if the patient then plans to give birth and breastfeed.Even very large implants can be easily installed through this access.The scars after the operation will be hidden in the folds under the chest.

Periareolar accesswell when breast lift and augmentation are performed simultaneously.This type of access allows you to change the shape of the nipple-areolar complex.If the areola is small, it will not be possible to install a large implant.Signs with the periareolar approach will follow the contour of the areola.Over time, they will become almost invisible to the naked eye.This type of access is not recommended for nulliparous girls, as the milk ducts may be damaged during the operation.

Axillary accessgood for installing small implants.But it is impossible to install anatomical implants like this, only round ones.The wounds in this case will be located in the armpit area.

Pictures before and after breast augmentation with implants are at the bottom of the page.

Types of breast augmentation implants

Silicone implants of different volumes (1 size is equal to 120 ml) and shapes: round or teardrop (anatomical) are used for breast augmentation.

• Mammoplasty surgery with the placement of round implants forms voluminous, lifted breasts with regular rounded contours.In nature, this shape of mammary glands ("apples") is quite rare, so after breast augmentation, the breast may look less natural than with the installation of anatomical implants.But this type of implant is suitable for correcting mild ptosis of the mammary glands without additional lifting.
• Teardrop-shaped implants reproduce the most common shape of mammary glands: in appearance they resemble a cone.With them, the chest acquires a fuller lower column with a smooth descent to it, characteristic of a natural bust.Sometimes only the use of implants of different volumes allows the existing asymmetry to be corrected.

In different cases, your surgeon may recommend implants with a smooth or textured surface.

• Smooth round models are suitable for installation through the axillary (transaxillary) approach.
• Anatomically shaped models with a textured surface are often chosen for breast augmentation through an access under the mammary gland (breast), which allows you to achieve a beautiful natural result.

Indications for breast augmentation

• unsatisfactory breast size;
• breast asymmetry;
• ptosis caused by breastfeeding / sudden weight loss;
• excess adipose tissue;
• excess glandular tissue;
• unsatisfactory nipple shape.

Plastic surgery using implants is indicated for reconstructive correction of the breast - after the removal of tumors or a complete mastectomy.Thus, the operation is not only aesthetic in nature.It can also be performed for medical reasons.

Contraindications for mammoplasty of the mammary glands

• early age (up to 18);
• period of pregnancy and lactation;
• problems with blood coagulation;
• liver diseases;
• cardiovascular and endocrine diseases;
• diabetes mellitus;
• oncology;
• diseases of the respiratory system;
• infectious and viral diseases;
• mental disorders.

If the results of the pre-operative tests are unsatisfactory, the operation is postponed for a later time or cancelled.

Two weeks before the operation, you should stop taking blood thinners and hormonal medications.

How is the breast augmentation procedure performed?

1. The patient talks to the surgeon.Preoperative markings apply.Then follows a conversation with the anesthesiologist.
2. The operation itself takes place under general anesthesia and lasts from 1.5 to 3 hours.The doctor makes small incisions under the breast / in the armpit / in the area around the nipple.Through an incision, the implant is placed under the gland or muscle.The position of the implant is discussed in advance during the consultation.
3. Drains are then placed and sutures placed.
4. After recovery from anesthesia, the patient stays in the hospital for 24 hours after surgery, as patients need round-the-clock monitoring.

What examinations should be performed before the testing procedure?

If your doctor is planning cosmetic correction under local anesthesia, you will need to undergo some basic tests before the procedure:

• Clinical general blood test (complete + platelets)
• Coagulogram (blood clotting time, bleeding time, INR, prothrombin index, fibrinogen, APTT)
• Biochemical blood test: ALT, AST, bilirubin, cholesterol, urea, creatinine
• Blood sugar (glucose) test
• Tests for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV, syphilis

Blood group test (with Rh)

• EKG (electrocardiogram)
• Fluorography
• General urine test
• Examination by a mammologist, including breast ultrasound or mammography
• The therapist's conclusion on the possibility of surgery (for patients over 30 years old)

*Your doctor may order additional tests to more accurately predict the outcome and minimize the risk of complications during breast augmentation.

Rehabilitation period

After the operation, you stay in the hospital under the supervision of the medical staff until the morning.Sometimes you have to stay in the clinic for two days.Then you go home.In the first days, swelling, soreness, a slight increase in body temperature and a feeling of "tension" are the norm.Swelling and pain usually go away within 10-14 days after surgery.After 2 weeks, the surgeon removes the stitches.Until this time, you should take medications prescribed by your doctor.In the first days after plastic surgery, you must take antibiotics, which means that alcoholic beverages are prohibited.Pain medications recommended by your surgeon will reduce pain after surgery.

After plastic surgery, it is necessary to eliminate the risk of allergic reactions.Therefore, it is not recommended to consume foods that cause allergies.The doctor will provide a list of them during the consultation.Allergies are dangerous due to increased swelling and, as a result, pain.

What not to do during the recovery period?

• exhaust yourself physically and emotionally;
• go to the sauna, pool, gym;
• sunbathing;
• sleep on your side;
• raise your hands up;
• touch and rub the torso.

You must wear compression garments for a month.For the next two months, it is best to wear a sports bra without wires.3 months after mammoplasty, you can update your linen clothes.

The doctor will prescribe an examination plan.It is important to follow it to avoid side effects.

Possible complications

If the doctor's recommendations are not followed, the implant can be displaced and inflammatory processes can develop.For a controlled result, we leave the drain in place.This reduces the risk of postoperative complications.

In a later period, there is a risk of the formation of constrictive fibrosis - the formation of a dense capsule around the implant.Implant manufacturers indicate the potential percentage risk of capsular contracture.We work with implants with the least risk of connective tissue growth around them.

Sometimes the mammary glands do not completely cover the contours of the implant due to their small size.In this case, lipofilling can be performed to mask the implant and give the breast a natural appearance.

Due to injury, the implant may rupture.If there is a rupture, an operation is performed to remove it and replace it with a new one.

When should you contact a surgeon?

• the chest becomes hard to the touch;
• the color of the skin in the implant area changes;
• a vascular network appears;
• the chest is deformed;
• pain occurs.

Patients often come to us after operations in other clinics with complaints of capsular contracture.A repeat mammoplasty is then performed with implant replacement and fibrous tissue removal.

Constrictive fibrosis occurs more often when the implant is placed under the gland.If it is under the muscle, small signs of fibrosis may not be visible and harmless.

If you want to find a place that does cheap breast augmentation, think twice about the fact that we are talking about your health - physical and mental.Take your time and make an informed decision.

Price for breast augmentation

The price of breast augmentation varies from clinic to clinic.It is formed by a number of factors:

1. competence of the surgeon
2. Plastic method
3. the cost of implants
4. the volume of consumables
5. duration of anesthesia
6. length of hospital stay