Breast augmentation, also called augmentation mammoplasty, is a medical procedure carried out to increase breast size.
Why Do Women Have Breast Augmentation?
There are several reasons why women opt for this surgery—the main one being; self-confidence. Many women feel empowered once they are confident with the way their body looks to them.
Loss of weight during pregnancy or any illness can reduce a woman’s breast size. Even after breastfeeding, several women face the problem of having uneven breasts.
Thus through breast implants under the breast and chest muscle, all these issues are resolved.
How is the Medical Procedure Performed?
The surgery takes up to 2-3 hours. Usually, the patient is discharged on the same day and can go home after being kept for a few hours under observation.
The patient is either given general or local anesthesia. The cut is made either around the nipples or under the breast and arm. The incision separates the breast tissue from the muscles. A pocket is made in which the surgeon inserts the breast implant and fixes it behind the nipple. The implants are either saline or silicone; the surgeon decides which one fits best for the patient.
As it’s a main surgical procedure, the patient is asked to follow up for a few weeks. Scarring or bruising is quite common post-surgery.
The Downside of Breast Augmentation
The patient is most likely to feel pain and swelling in the breasts for a few days post-surgery. Pain medication and antibiotics are provided.
There is a risk of infection or swelling around the breasts. For up to 2 weeks, critical care is required in which the patient is asked to restrain from carrying out any demanding physical activity.
After the surgery, the patient must know that breast augmentation isn’t a long-lasting procedure. Moreover, the surgery does not solve the problem of saggy breasts. Those women who wish to conceive in the future are asked to refrain from breast augmentation as breastfeeding might become difficult or impossible after the surgery is done.
