The number one complaint after surgery is that patients regret that they didn’t have larger implants. This arises from the fact that when trying on implants before surgery, women are either shy or have not gotten used to having larger breasts. To avoid this, I recommend that you choose the largest implant size that you can feel comfortable with.

The second most common reason for dissatisfaction is that women feel that once they get breast implants they should instantaneously be ready for the swim suit, with the “Perfect New Breasts”! Obviously, it takes weeks to months for implants to settle, swelling to subside, and breast tissue to accommodate the new implant. Therefore, be patient.

A third very common reason for dissatisfaction is having unreasonable expectations. Most women quickly forget the shape of the breasts that they had before their augmentation, just several weeks ago. The aesthetic outcome of Breast Augmentation greatly depends on what your breasts looked like before surgery. For example, if you had significant breast asymmetry, tubular breasts, or extensive sagging beforehand, surgery would not be able to give you “perfect breasts”, but only breasts that are better looking than where you started.

To avoid being dissatisfied with your breast augmentation surgery, do your homework and communicate with your plastic surgeon before your surgery. You need to have all your questions answered to your satisfaction and also make sure that you get a feel that your surgeon really understands what you need and you understand what your surgeon is telling you about potential outcomes and the limitations of your surgery.

Breast Lifts

Mastopexy is the surgical term for a breast lift, a cosmetic procedure involving the removal of extra skin and the tightening of localized tissue, to raise the breasts into a normal position. This results in a more attractive breast.

The breast lift is best for women not satisfied with the shape of their breasts, with nipples which have dropped under the fold of the breast, whose breasts are not aligned, whose areolas and nipples point downward, with engorged areolas or with extended skin.

A breast implant is not used in this operation; the plastic surgeons merely use the natural breast areas.

Why Breasts Sag

Many factors are responsible for the sagging of breasts. A genetic predisposition, gravity, natural aging, drastic weight loss or gain, loss of the skin’s natural elasticity, pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Mastopexy offers the least risks to women with a healthy lifestyle – do not smoke, generally with good health, normal weight – and have realistic expectations of the procedure.

Breast Augmentation

Breast Augmentation, or breast enlargement plastic surgery, is the best alternative for women who wish to acquire a bigger breast size. This cosmetic operation is ideal for women who feel that a bigger breast size would give them more satisfaction or self-confidence, women whose breasts have sagged due to age, abrupt weight loss or childbirth, or those who consider their breasts to look asymmetrical.

Types of Plastic Surgery Breast Implants

Women who opt for a breast lift procedure instead of an increase in breast size, breast implants can make their breasts look fuller. Silicone and saline implants differ only in the solution filling the bags.

Most breast implants are composed of a silicone elastomer shell. Saline implants are filled with a saline solution while silicone gel fills silicone breast implants.

Breast Reduction

Those who wish contrary to a breast lift or breast implants could avail of a breast reduction plastic surgery. This is a procedure which results in the opposite of a breast lift or breast implant; it decreases the breast size.

This type of surgery is also used to make the areola around the nipple smaller. Breast reduction is an ideal choice of procedure for women with back and neck problems brought about by their large breast size; have poor posture; have scars or shoulder impressions from bra straps; or have difficulty breathing and developed rashes under the breast.

This operation is not advisable for women under eighteen years and breastfeeding mothers. A breast lift would serve them better.

When women are making the decision whether or not to go through with breast augmentation surgery, they are faced with several decisions that will affect the way the implants look and feel. Not only that, but the method of implantation can even effect the accuracy of mammograms, likelihood of implant rupture, breakage and hardening, and the ability to breastfeed.

These are some very serious considerations for a woman who is thinking about having this cosmetic procedure, and should be discussed thoroughly with the plastic surgeon prior to any decisions being made.

There are several methods of breast implantation available to women today, and I’m sure even as we speak there are more being tested! First, we’ll talk about the method of entry for the implant device. When this surgery first became popular, the method of choice was an incision in the “breast fold” between the rib cage and where the breast tissue rests. After that, the underarm incision method became popular, since the incision could be made to be less noticeable in this area.

Nowadays, many women are opting for navel, or belly button incisions (trans-umbilical implants), as well as entry through the areola (the darker skin surrounding the nipple). The belly button method seems to be gaining popularity, and the areola is a close second. The obvious drawback for the underarm implant entry is the visibility of the scar. It has also been argued that insertion of the implant through the belly button may make “implant migration” occur more easily, but that is debatable. Some women who have had areolar implant incisions complain they have lost sensitivity in the nipple area, or have a constant numbness or tingling sensation.

Another important decision has to do with the placement of the implant in the women’s breast. The two choices here are behind the muscle and over the muscle, the “muscle” being that of the pectoralis in the chest cavity.

Over the muscle implant operations tend to cost less as they are somewhat less invasive and take less operating time, but this method tends to result in more cases of ruptured implants, since the implant is less protected without the muscle’s protective encasement. The other drawbacks to over the muscle implants are the possibility for difficulty in breast feeding, and mammograms that are tougher to decipher since the necessary tissue for analysis is obscured by the implant. Also, over the muscle implants tend to look much more artificial than the other, which is a big reason most women do not choose this method of breast augmentation.

Regardless of the methods you choose for the operation, you must be aware that there are several risks involved that may not even be immediately apparent, but can appear over the next several years after you have the surgery. These include capsular contracture (shrinking of the scar tissue surrounding the implants resulting in painful hardening of the implant), implant rupture, implant migration, hardening of the implant, the “ripple” effect, and more less-known complications that are not as common.

As long as you pick an excellent, board certified, and very reputable surgeon, you can at least know that you are in the most capable hands. You should also know that there are some great natural methods to breast augmentation that are totally effective, and safe. Do your homework, and really consider how you want to look and feel before you make any decisions. After all, breast augmentation surgery is a very serious decision!