Cosmetic breast surgery

Alternative Names: Breast augmentation; Breast implants; Implants - breast; Mammaplasty

Breast augmentation is a procedure to change the size or shape of the breasts.

See also:

• Breast reconstruction - natural tissue
• Breast reconstruction - implants
• Breast lift

Description of Procedure

Cosmetic breast surgery may be done at an outpatient surgery clinic or in a hospital.

• Most women receive general anesthesia for this surgery. You will be asleep and pain-free.
• You may also be given medicine to relax you and local anesthesia. You will be awake and will receive medicine to numb your breast area to block pain.

There are many different ways to place breast implants:

• In the most common technique, the surgeon will make surgical cut on the underside of your breast, in the natural skin fold. Your surgeon will place the implant through this opening. Your scar may be a little more visible if you are younger, thin, and have not yet had children.
• The implant may be placed through a surgical cut under your arm. Your surgeon may perform this surgery using an endoscope (a tool with a camera and surgical instruments at the end that is inserted through a vein). There will be no scar around your breast, but you may have a visible scar on the underside of your arm.
• The surgeon may make a cut around the edge of your areola, the darkened area around your nipple. The implant is placed through this opening. You may have more problems with breastfeeding and loss of sensation around your nipple with this method.
• A newer technique involves placing a saline implant through a surgical cut near your belly button. An endoscope is used to move the implant up to the breast area. Once in place, the implant is filled with saline.

Breast implants may be placed either directly behind the breast tissue (subglandular) or behind the outer layer of chest wall muscles (submuscular). The type of implant and implant surgery can affect:

• How much pain you have after the procedure
• The appearance of your breast
• The risk of the implant breaking or leaking in the future
• Your future mammograms

Your surgeon can help you decide which procedure is best for you.

Risks of Cosmetic breast surgery

Risks for any surgery are:

• Bleeding
• Infection

Risks for any anesthesia are:

• Reactions to medicines
• Breathing problems, pneumonia
• Heart problems

Risks for breast surgery are:

• Difficulty breastfeeding
• Loss of feeling in the nipple area
• Small scars, usually in an area where they do not show much. Some women may have thickened, raised scars.
• Uneven position of your nipples
• Different size or shape of the two breasts
• It is normal for your body to create a "capsule" made up of scar tissue around your new breast implant. This helps keep the implant in place. Sometimes, this capsule becomes thickened and larger and may cause a change in the shape of your breast, hardening of breast tissue, or some pain.
• Breaking or leakage of the implant
• Visible rippling of the implant

The emotional risks of surgery may include feeling that your breasts don't look perfect, or you may be disappointed with people's reactions to your "new" breasts.

Breast lift (mastopexy) - series	Breast reduction (mammoplasty) - series	Breast augmentation - series

Review Date: 2/8/2011
Reviewed By: David A. Lickstein, MD, FACS, specializing in cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery, Palm Beach Gardnes, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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