Relatively recently, a new branch of medicine has appeared - cosmetic surgery, the purpose of which is breast implantation. According to statistics, most often 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 (ablation), due to various diseases.
- Asymmetry of the mammary glands.
- Birth defects 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 successful outcome will largely depend: the choice of a clinic, a specialist surgeon and thetypes of breast implants.
The choice of a specialist
How to choose the right clinic and the right plastic surgeon? In large cities, there are many clinics offering plastic surgery services. One is afraid of running into unscrupulous specialists, and then paying for many years with their frayed health and nerves. In legal practice, there are many precedents where they were held liable and forced to pay material and moral damages.
It should be remembered 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 notarized copies of graduation from the university, specialization courses.
- The clinic has all the necessary equipment, including resuscitation and intensive care devices.
- The intervention is carried out by a team of surgeons, resuscitators, operating nurses.
- The cost of services includes postoperative care and monitoring.
- 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 agreement, including a section on possible complications.
- The clinic carefully checks the patient's state of health before setting the date for the operation.
Thus, the clinic and the plastic surgeon who will perform the operation have been determined. It remains to choose breast implants.
Choice of implants
What are they? Breast implants are a shell filled with a certain composition.
As filler are used:
- saline;
- freeze;
- mixture of solutions.
Breast implants with saline at 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 contents 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 position of the body changes. As a result, the breast retains its attractive shape for many years.
Gel breast implants have:
- Durable silicone fiber outer shell.
- Cohesive gel filler having a jelly consistency.
- When broken, the gel does not leak into the breast tissue, but stays inside.
It is important to choose an anatomical implant that will match the natural shape of the patient's breasts. With a flat chest, it is recommended to install teardrop-shaped implants, with a sag - round. The surgeon and the patient must make a joint decision regarding mammoplasty and implants. In good clinics, it is offered to create a 3D model, which allows you to assess 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 filling gel. 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 filler into the shell during the operation. He makes an individual decision on the quantity of gel to inject depending on:
- body proportions,
- chest width,
- current breast size
- skin density.
Once the implant is placed in the breast, a connective tissue capsule forms over time, which penetrates its pores. The breast becomes 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 the implants in the breast determines the shape of the mammary glands. How quickly and how well they "take root" in the body depends on its correct choice.
There are several ways to place implants:
- Above the pectoral muscle. Patients quickly and easily pass the rehabilitation period, edema disappears in a short time. The 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 mammography, does not become overgrown with a dense capsule, but may be deformed due to 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.
Breast implantation is performed in a clinic, usually under general anesthesia. The surgeon makes an incision in the armpit under the breast crease or around the areola. In this case, less noticeable 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 of the clinic. With normal health, she comes out after getting dressed on the second day. On the 5-7th day after the operation, control examinations are carried out and, if necessary, dressings are applied, and on the 10-14th day, the sutures are removed. The rest of the rehabilitation period, in the absence of complications, is carried out by the patient herself.
She must:
- wear special compression underwear prescribed by a doctor,
- limit the physical load on the shoulder girdle,
- in recovery to engage in a habitual lifestyle,
- protect the chest from overheating and hypothermia injuries,
- gradually return to sport.
The entire rehabilitation period, when the edema completely disappears and the results of mammoplasty can be assessed, is 4-6 months.
Risks of Breast Augmentation Surgery
Mammoplasty belongs to the category of complex operations, after which general surgical complications can occur:
- Bleeding. The risk of bleeding is increased by poor blood clotting, sometimes an unsutured blood vessel or a torn suture can be the cause.
- Infection. The operating field of mammoplasty is large, infection of the surrounding skin can penetrate the wound.
- The formation of dense scars. Sometimes disfiguring scars form at the site of the sutures. They are removed by excision.
In addition to general surgical complications, there are specifics inherent in breast augmentation operations:
- Implant rupture. In rare cases, this occurs due to violations of the patient's diet during the rehabilitation period or as a result of implant defects.
- Breast deformity with round implants. Occurs if the patient ignores the wearing of compression underwear or due to incorrectly chosen tactics for the installation of the implant.
- Loss of sensation in the nipple and areola. The reason for this is a violation of the integrity of the nerve endings.
- Edema due to poor 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 this way. In addition, the hormones they contain can cause a state of imbalance that is very difficult to correct.
Lack of volume and asymmetry can be compensated by wearing a special bra. But still, only breast augmentation surgery can restore a woman's self-confidence and attractiveness.