Saline-filled breast implants have always been safe. This is supported by more than 30 years of clinical experience in the plastic surgery community. Now, a new methodology for breast augmentation with saline-filled breast implants significantly reduces local complications and additional surgeries. This new methodology drastically reduced the reoperation rate to 10 percent for 287 patients, or 6.5 percent of 573 implanted breasts in the study. Previous studies indicated reoperation rates of 20 to 25 percent. The new methodology also helps women understand how the implants will look on them before they decide the size they want.
To begin with, seven in 10 women in the U.S. wear the wrong size bra, according to Bali intimate apparel company. Because women often wear the wrong bra size, patients were first measured to determine their pre-operative cup size.
Then, to ensure the right breast implant size, patients were encouraged to see how different breast sizes would look on their body type. Previously, patients had simply requested the cup size they thought they wanted. Using an extensive photo library, patients were asked to locate photos of women who matched their body type and assess which photograph had the breast size the patient desired. This allowed the patients to visualize how they would look after augmentation.
Physicians in the study used only smooth implants. Compared to textured ones, the smooth implants wrinkle less underneath the skin, giving the breasts a more natural feel. Physicians further followed a "no-touch" technique, designed to decrease capsular contracture, an unpredictable complication that occurs when naturally forming scar tissue around the implant tightens and squeezes it. The no-touch method included meticulously rewashing surgical gloves before handling any instrument and the implant, with only the head surgeon touching the implant, using a special Teflon cutting board and immediately placing the implant underneath the muscle. All of these procedures helped ensure that no foreign materials attach themselves to the implant, which could inflame the surrounding tissue and cause complications.
Choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon is the most important step. Only a physician who understands the patient's desired look and follows operative guidelines thoroughly can ensure a successful surgery. Taking all these steps to ensure successful breast augmentation is a major win for women, who can rest assured about receiving the right breast size for their body and knowing that their risk for local complications is significantly reduced.
Not all women who want breast implants are trying to increase their cup size; many women find that breast augmentation balances the shape of their breasts and aligns them with the natural contours of their bodies. Compared to the mid-80s, when 70 percent of women requested "C" cup and approximately 20 percent requested a more conservative "B" cup in breast enhancement, today 81 percent of women under age 35 and 85 percent of those over age 35 prefer cup size "C" with a larger cup size "D" as the second most popular choice.
The most commonly requested procedure in plastic surgery of the breasts is mistakenly referred to as a "breast lift." Aging breasts tend to sag, and the affects of gravity and childbirth often cause the breast and nipple to descend below the chest. Many women, in describing the look they desire, will lift the straps of their bra and ask for a "breast lift," mimicking the look they used to have when breasts sat higher on the chest wall. In plastic surgery of the breast, we aim to reverse the natural affects of aging and gravity; but this is often best accomplished by reshaping the breast itself so that it has a rounder, firmer appearance and thus, an uplifted look. In many cases, women who think they want a lift, really need a breast augmentation to fill out the sagging breast skin and reduce the appearance of droopiness.
I recommend that breast implants be done either before or after the childbearing years; during the childbearing years the body and the breasts undergo many changes and it's best to wait until things "settle." The most common age for breast implants is age 35-45; the second most common age is 18 to 25. If you're thinking of a breast lift, don't ask for it by name. Choose a board-certified plastic surgeon, and during your consultation, discuss the results you're trying to achieve, not the procedure you want.
With breast reduction, women cite the desire to eliminate back, neck and shoulder pain as the primary reason for the surgery. When asked the primary motivation for wanting reconstruction, 95 percent wanted to restore and maintain their self-image. Among the concerns women expressed about breast augmentation and breast reconstruction, 44-45% wanted to maintain a "natural" look and feel. With breast reduction, 54 percent were concerned about scarring, and their second biggest concern was complications (24 percent). Still, 76-100 percent of women who seek a consultation for breast reconstruction do elect to have the procedure.