Breast Enlargement: so Many Choices!

If you are interested in breast enlargement surgery, there is a lot to think about first. It is major surgery and not something to rush into without first discussing all the options with your cosmetic surgeon. In 2007, there were 399,440 breast augmentations done, which made it the second most popular cosmetic surgery that year. Only liposuction was more popular, with 456,828 procedures done.

So you have lots of company in your breast augmentation project, and there are many surgeons out there who will be happy to help you with it. Your first job is to choose an excellent surgeon. This is one of the two best ways you have of ensuring a good outcome. The other way is to follow your surgeon’s instructions exactly, both before and after your procedure.

Saline-filled or Silicone Gel?

Many consider the silicone gel implants to be more natural in look and feel. But they come pre-filled and therefore can’t be inserted through a TUBA incision (at the belly button). They also can’t be adjusted afterwards if you decide you’d like them to be slightly smaller or larger. Saline implants are inserted folded and empty and then filled, and some can be adjusted later. The saline solution is a standard fluid used throughout the medical world, as it is matched in salinity (salt content) to the body’s natural fluids.

From 1992 to 2006 the FDA restricted silicone implants to reconstruction rather than cosmetic breast enhancement, because of a lot of media “panic” which turned out to be based on nothing substantive. The 14 years of research and testing found no connection between silicone implants and any disease.

The research did improve them however, so that now the shell is even more sturdy and the silicone gel is more strongly self-adhesive. In the very unlikely event that the shell should rupture, the gel would not leak. Even if it did, we all have plenty of silicone in our bodies already. It is used in hairsprays, dish detergents, laundry detergents and hand lotions to name just a few common items. Silicone is made from silicon (with no “e” at the end), which is Earth’s second most common element after oxygen.

What Incision Location?

Wherever the incisions are you will have scars and nobody wants them to be very visible. There are three good choices for placing the incisions:

· The armpit (transaxillary location) – the resulting small scars will be visible only when you raise your arms while wearing a sleeveless top

· The breast crease – the scars will be a bit longer but will be hidden beneath the breast in the crease and covered by a bra or swimsuit

· The areola – around the nipple where the skin changes color and texture. This provides good camouflage for the scars and they’d normally be covered by clothing or swimsuit.

A fourth choice, which is not offered by all cosmetic surgeons, is in the navel. This is called the TUBA incision site, for TransUmbilical Breast Augmentation. A surgical tool known as an endoscope is used for implant insertion. This choice leaves no scars on the upper body at all, but does leave a small one in the navel where it’s virtually invisible. However there are surgical considerations because of the distance between the navel and breast implant positioning sites, so your cosmetic surgeon will discuss this option with you and may or may not recommend it.

Under the Muscle or Over it?

Your breast implants can be positioned beneath the breast tissue but over the pectoral muscles, or beneath both. Factors in this decision are how much breast tissue you already have, what sort of lifestyle you live, and your goals for the outcome.

Round or Pear-Shaped?

The pear-shaped implants position themselves in a natural-looking way as you move around. The round type can give you more cleavage. It depends on what your goals are for your breast enhancement and where you’re starting from.

Textured or Smooth?

Some breast implants have a smooth surface and some have a slightly roughened surface. The purpose of the textured surface is to keep the implant from rotating. If you have a very active lifestyle you might want to learn more about textured implants.

What Size of Implant?

Breast implants are not classified in cup sizes like bras, 34A, 36C, etc. They are classified according to how many cubic centimeters of fill they contain. You will need an implant size to make up the difference between what nature has given you and what your goal is. Again, your cosmetic surgeon can clarify this issue and make recommendations.

A Breast Lift Instead?

Many women do not realize that a breast lift might be all they need. If time and breastfeeding have caused sagging but not robbed you of any volume, a breast lift can raise the breasts and reposition the nipples, so as to give you a youthful shape again.

To effectively choose among all these options requires that you do some homework. Most cosmetic surgeons have informative websites where you can learn a lot about how breast augmentation can be done. Most have a Question and Answer page and mini-form for submitting a question.