Breast Enhancement Surgery: The Facts

Breast enhancement surgery is a surgical option for women who are unhappy with the appearance of their breasts for a variety of reasons, which can include the size, firmness or symmetric appearance. Breast cancer survivors may also be viable candidates for breast enhancement surgery to reconstruct a breast lost to cancer.

Your options for breast enhancement include either breast augmentation to increase breast size, and/or a breast lift to help alleviate saggy breast tissue. If you are considering breast enhancement surgery, the first step in the process is to find a plastic surgeon that is a board member of the American Board of Plastic Surgeons. This certification verifies that your doctor has actual hands on experience with the procedure and at least five years of actual surgical experience. Once you select a surgeon you should discuss what your expectations are for your surgical results which will vary depending on a variety of factors including your overall health and age as well as what you want done.

If your breasts are saggy due to age, breast-feeding or childbirth, or a combination of any of these factors, but overall you're pleased with your breast size, you may only need to have a breast lift. This can be done either under general or local anesthesia as an outpatient in about two to three hours. Your doctor will reshape and lift your breasts by making incisions where excessive skin is removed. The degree of lift needed will dictate the length and number of incisions needed to lift your breast. It is also possible that depending on the degree of breast sag, your doctor may need to remove your nipple and areola and reattach them higher up on your breast. Since this can interfere with the future possibility of breast-feeding, it is best to wait until your done having children and done breast-feeding.

Breast augmentation, which can also be done with or without a breast lift, involves increasing your breast size by implanting either saline or silicone breast implants. Each type of implant carries its own risks and benefits that you should carefully research and you should go over any concerns with your doctor to select the type that will be best for you. This surgery takes one to two hours to perform and can be done under either general or local anesthesia as an outpatient.

How long it takes to recover will depend on a few factors including how many procedures you had done at once and how extensive the surgery was as well as your overall health and age. Generally most patients are advised to avoid excessive activity including sex and exercise while they heal, but can expect to go back to normal activities including work after about a week.