Breast Augmentation FAQ
Other Atlanta Procedures
Considering Breast Augmentation? You’ll Want Answers on Five Important Questions
Breast augmentation has held the top spot for popularity of cosmetic surgical procedures in the United States for a few years. In 2008 over 300,000 women made this choice, as breast augmentation has made the transition from Hollywood Boulevard to Main Street. The motivation for cosmetic surgery is usually three-quarters self esteem, and nothing is more important to a woman than her figure.
Like most things in life, there are trade-offs in cosmetic surgery. There are several paths you can take with breast augmentation surgery; you need to be familiar with all of them. Above all, your choice to pursue breast augmentation should be an educated one.
1. Breast augmentation is the surgical procedure for installing breast implants. There are two types of implants; both are contained in a flexible envelope called a lumen. The more traditional choice, and for years the only choice, has been a lumen filled with saline solution. There have been some historical difficulties with the other choice, silicone implants, but the silicon products on the market today are considered safe and were approved by the FDA for cosmetic use in 2006.
Saline implants are more easily placed; the surgery requires smaller incisions and less scarring than for silicone implants. All implants take a while to settle into place; the consensus seems to be that silicone implants feel more natural and less intrusive. They are less likely to shift from their surgically established position. Talk it over with your doctor and with women who have already made the choice.
2. You need to know that breast implants are not permanent. Under the best of circumstances, implants should be replaced after a period of years; usually no more than ten. Breast implants can also leak. The two types leak in different ways – saline implants lose more volume and the fluid is disposed of by the body in natural ways.
Silicone implants that leak will usually lose a certain amount of mass that doesn’t migrate far; often leakage in silicone implants goes unnoticed for a period of time. However silicone loose in the body can lead to health complications and for either type of implant replacement of a leaker is necessary. Ask Dr. Howard if there are costs for replacement of a faulty implant, and about costs – if any -associated with additional surgery associated with post-op problems such as an implant shifting out of place.
3. Breast implants are not a fix for breasts that have lost elasticity and are drooping. Surgery to improve that physical problem is called a breast lift. For many women, the placement of implants doesn’t make sense unless the breasts are restored to their youthful position. The breast lift procedure can involve substantial surgical work that may even extend to repositioning the nipple; the average cost for a breast lift is higher than the cost of breast augmentation.
It is important that you understand exactly what it will take for you to get the results you want – and it is critical that your doctor be honest about what is necessary to achieve your goals. Implants alone may not do the job; if you and Dr. Howard reach that conclusion then a discussion of costs for combined procedures is in order.
4. Full recovery from breast augmentation occurs over an extended period. You can expect to be out of circulation for at least a week, during which your arm and shoulder movement will be limited. The dressings applied after surgery are replaced with a surgical bra as you return to a normal schedule. However the breasts remain sensitive for several weeks and some swelling may persist; moreover the implants take a period of months to truly settle into place and feel like they belong there.
Many of these changes are unnoticed by anyone but you, but understand what your life will be like as your body goes through the adaptation process with your breast implants. Talk with Dr. Howard about the length and degree of physical limitation that follow breast augmentation surgery and the pace of full recovery.
5. Cosmetic plastic surgeons have gotten better and better at hiding scars for all cosmetic procedures, but scars are a reality that you should discuss with your surgeon at length. Don’t let the anticipation of a new profile steer you away from learning everything you can about the impacts of the surgery.
There are surgical techniques for breast augmentation today that allow the implant to be inserted from the armpit and placed in the chest wall. Dr. Howard utilizes this technique when appropriate’ however it is important that you educate yourself about all the permanent physical changes, not just the improved profile. If Dr. Howard engages in some breast lift procedures when the implants are placed there will be additional scarring. Ask to see some photographs of patients who have had the same procedures that you will undergo.
Breast augmentation seems like a wave of the magic wand sometimes – one day your friend looks like her old self, and the next time you see her she’s had a major change in physical appearance. That is more or less true from an outside perspective, but the reality of the surgery, recovery and risks is more complicated than that. Millions of women have found the boost in appearance and self esteem that they were pursuing with breast augmentation, but all of them will tell you that it can be a challenging achievement at times.
Apart from an Atlanta breast augmentation surgery, there are other breast enhancement surgeries to consider that can improve the contour or appearance of your breasts. These breast enhancement procedures include Atlanta breast lift, Atlanta breast reconstruction, and Atlanta breast reduction.
Schedule a Breast Augmentation Consultation
Dr. Brian Howard is a remarkably skilled Atlanta plastic surgeon who is part of a select group of medical professionals who has certification in plastic surgery. His Roswell office is the preferred choice for Atlanta breast augmentation procedures in the region. If you live in the Atlanta area and are interested in such procedures, contact the office of Dr. Brian Howard today.
