Breast Implants:
10 common questions about breast augmentation surgery answered.
Many women considering breast enhancement do months of research before going ahead with surgery. If you are thinking about breast augmentation here are some of the most commonly asked questions about the procedure.
1. What does a ‘boob job’ entail?
A breast augmentation also known as an augmentation mammaplasty, is a surgical procedure performed by a plastic surgeon, to enhance the size and shape of the breasts using breast implants. It can also be used to replace breast volume lost after pregnancy or weight loss or to improve tubular breasts or breast asymmetry.
2. How long does the procedure take?
Surgery is done under general anaesthesia and takes about 30-45 minutes per breast. However, the recovery process for healing after the surgery can take a little longer. Read more about the plastic surgery recovery guide here.
3. Are there different types of breast implants?
Breast implants come in a wide range of makes and sizes. All implants are made of an outer layer (shell) of silicone or polyurethane and are filled with silicone or saline (salt-water). There are two breast implant shapes: round and anatomical (teardrop) shape. There are different ranges of fullness or projection to give the desired improvement to the breast shape.
4. How small and how big can one go?
The choice of size varies from minimal to very full. It ultimately depends on your personal preference, lifestyle and body shape.
5. What if you would like to keep your current cup size but get a breast lift?
This is different to a breast augmentation. A breast lift or mastopexy reshapes sagging breasts to give a more rejuvenated uplifted contour to the breast. The areolar may enlarge over time and breast lift can improve this, restoring balance between the areolar and breast. Sometimes a lift needs to be done along with a breast augmentation to get the best improvement.
6. What if you are planning a family and want to get a boob job, should you wait until after you have had kids?
Planning to have a family one day in the future, should not stop you from feeling confident about your body today. That being said, breast size and shape can change with pregnancy to a greater or lesser degree and this can affect the appearance of your results over time. This may mean that a revision, replacement or breast lift may be needed, but it is impossible to absolutely predict how pregnancy will affect results.
7. What is the best incision?
There are three commonly used incisions for breast augmentation. In the breast crease, in the armpit, or along the areola. My preference is to place the incision in the breast crease as it is well-hidden and heals nicely.
8. Are there any side effects of surgery?
As with any surgical procedure, side effects can happen. Numerous medical studies have found that silicone breast implants are safe in general but can have rare, serious side effects. The commonest problems associated with breast implants are capsular contracture, implant movement, and implant rupture. It is obviously important that you feel well informed about the benefits and risks of breast augmentation, and so take the time to discuss these with your plastic surgeon.
9. How often do you have to have your implants redone?
While there is no hard and fast rule for replacement time, implants are not guaranteed to last a lifetime and do need regular check-ups to make sure you are still satisfied with appearance and shape.
10. How long is the down-time after this surgery?
Recovery takes about 10 days, pain is well managed with regular prescription pain killers, and most women return to work at two weeks after surgery. Have a look through our post-surgery recovery guide for more information on this.
Breast augmentation surgery is one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries performed, and it can make a wonderful difference to a woman’s sense of self confidence. If you want to find out more about breast surgery feel free to get in touch with Dr Clare Neser.