Breast Augmentation
Hospital or in-office procedure?
Hospital
Recovery time (home rest)?
7 days
Incision and Scar?
Hidden wound under the breast fold, 3-4 centimeters long.
Operation time?
1 hour
Discharge from hospital?
Same day of surgery
Facts about the Surgery:
Breast augmentation is a surgical procedure that enhances the size, shape and appearance of the breast in harmony with other body measurements. It is a very common procedure at the present time, as many women choose to do it to enhance their self-confidence. It’s most commonly done through the use of silicone implants. This operation is suitable for cases in which the breast size is small but without significant sagginess or droopiness in breast tissue. However, in cases where the breast is saggy, a breast lift operation must be performed with or without the use of silicone implants.
There are two main shapes of breast implants, the teardrop shape and the round shape. As for the size, there are different sizes, as well as dimensions for implants like projection, width and height. During the consultation appointment, the appropriate size is chosen based on the patient’s unique aesthetic goal, patient’s frame—including her weight, height and chest dimensions, the skin quality, the volume, shape and position of the existing breast. The doctor will discuss the future cup size, cleavage appearance, and breast shape with the patient.
Regarding the types of breast implants, the most commonly used types are smooth silicone implants, textured silicone implants and saline implants. Plastic surgeon Dr. Tarek Copty most commonly uses the smooth silicone implants because they’re the best option, they happen to be safer and give a more natural result, but for certain cases, he may use the saline implants.
The procedure is carried out under general anesthesia, a small incision, measuring 3 – 4 cm, is made in the fold under the breast (infra-mammary fold), and then a pocket is created under the chest muscle (sometimes above the muscle) to place the implant, absorbable (dissolvable) sutures are used in this surgery. There are other types of incisions such as the peri-areolar or the axillary incision. Dr. Tarek Copty has experience with all types of incisions, but usually prefers the inframammary incision as it’s cosmetically hidden under the breast. Plus, other incision types are associated with more complications. In certain cases, breasts can be enlarged using fat graft, but silicone implants give more natural, and long-lasting results. It’s not advisable to use filler for breast augmentation since they can never give satisfying results as other procedures can, and they have not been proven to be safe for breasts. In addition, enlarging breasts using fillers is cost prohibitive for the short-term results.
One of the things that some patients worry about after breast augmentation surgery is the capsular contracture complication (fibrotic or scar tissue that forms around the implant making the breast firm to touch and abnormally looking). Dr. Tarek Copty uses special techniques and approaches during breast augmentation to prevent the capsular contracture, one way of which includes using special solution lavage. The percentage of having that complication after using those special techniques is almost zero.
Science has proven that silicone implants are not associated with increased risk of breast cancer, and they do not affect future breast-feeding. Women with silicone implants can normally breastfeed. It’s recommended to exchange the implants after 10-15 years, although no harmful events have been reported after keeping them for much longer duration.
It’s an outpatient procedure so the patient can leave the hospital the same day of the surgery, patients may feel some pain and discomfort and this can be easily controlled with pain killers. During the first month post operatively, the patient must refrain from doing any exercises or sleeping on the abdomen, they must also commit to wearing a special garment during that period and avoid any kind of pressure on the breast. After a few months, the scars become unnoticeable. Patients may feel that the breast is placed too high right after the surgery, this is temporary and will settle down gradually, the final result of this surgery can be seen after 3 months.
Implants vs Fat Which Is Better for Breast Augmentation?