Relatively recently, a new branch of medicine has emerged - cosmetic surgery, whose goal is the breast implant. According to statistics, most of the time the fair sex, dissatisfied with the size of their breasts, resorts to the services of plastic surgeons. Breast augmentation operations are performed using special implants.
Indications for this can be:
- The patient's desire to increase the size of the breast and give it a more attractive shape.
- Breast reconstruction after radical mastectomy (removal) due to various diseases.
- Asymmetry of the mammary glands.
- Congenital anomalies and anatomical defects.
- Consequences of trauma.
When a woman decides that she needs breast augmentation surgery, she is faced with 3 main tasks, on which a positive outcome will largely depend: choosing a clinic, a specialist surgeon and types of breast implants.
Choosing an expert
How to choose the right clinic and plastic surgeon? In big cities, there are many clinics that offer plastic surgery services. There is a fear of meeting unscrupulous experts and then, for many years, paying with your health and nerves on edge. In legal practice, there are few precedents in which they were held responsible and obliged to pay material and moral damages.
It is worth remembering that the cost of good implants and the work of a team of doctors is quite high. You should not buy various promotions and discounts, if an operation is offered at a cost much lower than the market average, it is better not to risk your health and refuse.
There are several criteria for a competent choice of clinic:
- The institution has permits, corresponding licenses, its specialists have undergone specialized training and present certified copies of university graduation, specialization courses.
- The clinic has all the necessary equipment, including devices for resuscitation and intensive care.
- The operation is performed by a team of surgeons, resuscitators, operational nurses.
- The cost of services includes post-operative care and supervision.
- The clinic has good patient reviews and is respected in the medical community.
- The doctor talks in detail about the nuances of the operation and the service contract, including a section on possible complications.
- The clinic carefully checks the patient's health before setting the date for the operation.
Thus, the clinic and the plastic surgeon who will perform the operation were determined. It remains to choose breast implants.
Choice of implants
What are they? Breast implants are a shell filled with a certain composition.
As filling are used:
- saline;
- gel;
- mixture of solutions.
Breast implants with saline solution in the current stage of development of cosmetic surgery are practically not used. They cannot provide a long-term cosmetic effect - over time, folds and tubercles appear on the surface of the breast. The gel content in the implant cannot move as freely, so it is preferable.
The latest generation of implants from leading western manufacturers is based on a special gel that does not move when the body's position changes. As a result, the breast retains its attractive shape for many years.
Gel breast implants have:
- Durable silicone fiber outer coating.
- Cohesive gel filling with a gelatinous consistency.
- When broken, the gel does not leak into the breast tissue, but remains inside.
It is important to choose an anatomical implant that fits the natural shape of the patient's breasts. With a flat chest, it is recommended to install teardrop-shaped implants, with sagging - round. The surgeon and patient must reach a common decision about mammoplasty and implants. In good clinics, it is proposed to create a 3D model, which makes it possible to evaluate the result of a future operation.
In addition to the shape, the size of the implants is selected. In modern models, one size corresponds to 150 ml of gel fill. If it is planned to increase the size of the breast by two sizes, implants with a volume of 300 ml are selected.
There are special cases where the surgeon injects the filling into the shell during the operation. He makes an individual decision on how much gel to inject based on:
- body proportions,
- chest width,
- current breast size
- skin density.
After the implant is placed in the breast, a connective tissue capsule is formed over time, which penetrates into your pores. The breast is naturally soft to the touch and does not deform over time. In some patients, a very dense capsule is created, which makes the mammary glands hard. Over time, this can cause them to lose their shape.
Location of implants
How are implants positioned during surgery? The location of implants in the breast determines the shape of the mammary glands. How quickly and well they "take root" in the body depends on your correct choice.
There are several ways to place implants:
- Above the pectoral muscle. Patients quickly and easily pass the rehabilitation period, the edema disappears in a short time. Contraction of the pectoral muscles does not cause deformation of the implant. But over time, it can turn into a dense connective capsule, which makes mammography difficult.
- Under the pectoral muscle. In this case, the implant does not interfere with the mammogram, it is not covered by a dense capsule, but it can be deformed due to the contraction of the mammary glands.
- Intermediate position between the fascia of the pectoral muscle and the tissues of the mammary gland. This allows you to securely fix the implant and avoid negative effects.
The breast implant is performed in a clinic, usually under general anesthesia. The surgeon makes an incision under the armpit under the breast crease or around the areola. In this case, the less visible scars remain. The duration of the operation, depending on the complexity, is 1-2 hours.
Recovery period after mammoplasty
On the first day after the operation, the patient remains under the supervision of doctors and medical staff at the clinic. With normal health, she is discharged after dressing on the second day. On the 5th-7th postoperative day, control exams and, if necessary, dressings are performed, and on the 10-14th day, the sutures are removed. The remainder of the rehabilitation period, in the absence of complications, is performed by the patient herself.
She must:
- wear special compression underwear prescribed by a doctor,
- limit the physical load on the shoulder girdle,
- in the process of recovery to engage in a habitual way of life,
- protect the chest from injuries from overheating and hypothermia,
- gradually return to sport.
The entire rehabilitation period, when the edema has completely disappeared and the results of the mammoplasty can be evaluated, is 4 to 6 months.
Risks of breast augmentation surgery
Mammoplasty belongs to the category of complex operations, after which general surgical complications may occur:
- bleeding. The risk of bleeding is increased by poor blood clotting, sometimes an unsewn blood vessel or a torn suture can be the cause.
- Infection. The operative field of mammoplasty is extensive, an infection of the surrounding skin can enter the wound.
- The formation of dense scars. Sometimes disfiguring scars form at the suture site. They are removed by excision.
In addition to general surgical complications, there are specific complications inherent to breast augmentation operations:
- Implant rupture. In rare cases, this happens due to violations of the patient's regimen during the rehabilitation period or as a result of implant defects.
- Breast deformity with round implants. Occurs if the patient ignores the use of compression underwear or due to incorrectly chosen tactics for implant placement.
- Loss of sensation in the nipple and areola. The reason is a violation of the integrity of nerve endings.
- Edema due to impaired lymphatic drainage.
- The formation of a dense capsular membrane, which can deform the breast with anatomical implants.
Alternative breast augmentation
Is there an alternative to breast augmentation surgery? The use of cosmetics - creams, gels, ointments does not give positive results. You cannot enlarge your breasts that way. In addition, the hormones they contain can cause a state of imbalance that is very difficult to correct.
The lack of volume and asymmetry can be compensated for with a special bra. But still, only breast augmentation surgery can restore a woman's self-confidence and attractiveness.