The most commonly performed cosmetic surgery in the United States is breast augmentation, which is the use of implants to enlarge or reconstruct the breast. This procedure is common after mastectomies, or as part of a sex change operation (male-to-female). A large percentage of these surgeries are classified as elective procedures for women seeking larger breasts.
Breast augmentation is commonly referred to with the slang term, “boob job” as well as the technical terms: mammoplasty enlargement, breast enlargement and augmentation mammoplasty.
While there are only two types of implants legal for use in the United States, in Europe, there are more choices than simply silicone or saline. These products are not available in the U.S. due to the high standards and clinical trials required by the FDA.
Aside from the choice of which type of implant is best for the situation, there are placement options to consider as well. Some implants will be placed behind the breast tissue but in front of the chest wall muscle while others will be behind the soft tissue of the pectoral muscle. Additional positions include behind the chest muscle after loosening some of the muscular attachments and under the chest muscles without loosening the muscular attachments. Different placements are required for different anatomies and reasons for surgery.
One more choice is how the implants will be placed into your body. The incisions vary widely and can result in different complications and scarring. The most common incision is below the breast in the fold. This is especially common for silicone implants, because the shells holding the silicone are filled before transplantation and need a larger incision. Another technique is insertion through the nipple, but can affect breastfeeding due to the trauma on the milk ducts and nipple. Other incisions include ones in the armpit as well as the bellybutton.
Risks for breast augmentation revolve mostly around the possibility of the implant rupturing, requiring additional surgeries for correction. Other risks include hardening of the breast, infections, possible leaching of platinum into surrounding breast tissue (silicone implants), difficulties with breastfeeding, false negative mammography results and possible nerve damage.
Although the risks are many, the popularity of breast enhancement procedures isn’t slowing down. An unexpected fact about breast augmentation comes from Holland, where the largest number of breast enlargement procedures in the world takes place. This is partially due to the fact that Holland’s national health care plan subsidizes the procedure.
Whether Holland, America or anywhere in between, there are many choices a patient will face when making the decision to undergo breast augmentation, so research and reflection are a very important aspect of the pre-operational concerns.
