Breast Enlargement
Breast size is important to many women for a variety of reasons. If you are dissatisfied with your breast size, augmentation surgery is a choice to consider. Breast augmentation can:
- Increase fullness and projection of your breasts
- Improve the balance of your figure
- Enhance your self-image and self confidence
Also known as augmentation mammoplasty, breast enlargement involves using either silicone gel or saline implants to fulfill your desire for fuller breasts or to restore breast volume lost after weight reduction or pregnancy.
Common incision locations preferred by Dr. Griffin include the breast crease incision and the periareolar incision (at the edge of the pigmented skin surrounding the nipple). Placement of implants beneath the chest wall muscle or directly behind breast tissue using pre-filled silicone gel implants or implants filled with a saline solution during surgery creates desired volume.
In my opinion, placement of the implant behind the pectoral muscle is the better option for most women due to a lower incidence of capsular contracture, less palpability and visibility of the implants, less rippling and easier reading of mammograms. The main drawback to subpectoral placement is movement and distortion of the breast shape with muscle flexion. There is nothing inherently wrong with placing the implants in a subglandular position, and in women with moderate breast sag but adequate tissue thickness, it may be the better option. There is a slightly higher incidence of capsular contracture with subglandular positioning and the implants may be more palpable, especially in thinner patients.
I prefer the smooth implant shell over the textured for a more natural look and feel with either silicone or saline implants. Textured surface implants have a higher tendency for leakage and can cause visible wrinkling of the skin because of adherence of the tissue to the implant. All smooth implants are round in shape and round implants come in low, moderate, and high profiles to fit different body and breast shapes. Teardrop-shaped implants are only available in a textured surface. In my opinion, a very natural breast shape is possible using round implants if the correct implant volume and projection are chosen to fit each patient.
Breast implant surgery is generally performed as an outpatient procedure under general anesthesia.
Results of breast enlargement plastic surgery are immediate. Swelling should subside in 2 to 4 weeks, and incision lines will continue to flatten and fade for up to a year.