Breast Augmentation


The breasts can lose volume and their shape can change after weight loss, childbirth or as a result of
aging. Breast augmentation can enhance the size of the breast as well as give you a better proportioned
figure.

Dr. Guichon will examine your breasts taking into consideration factors such as the size and shape of your
breasts, the quality of your skin and the placement of your nipples. If your breasts are sagging, a breast lift
may also be recommended.

Breast implants can makes it more difficult to read mammograms. Women at risk of breast cancer will
need to consider this prior to making a decision about whether to have implants. Saline filled implants can
be placed under the chest muscle so that they will interfere less with mammograms, but other factors also
need to be considered. Dr. Guichon will discuss this with you fully.

Breast augmentation is performed on an outpatient basis. Be sure to arrange for someone to drive you
home after surgery and to stay with you at least the first night following surgery. Individual factors and
personal preferences will help you and your plastic surgeon to determine your appropriate breast size, the
location of incisions, and whether the implants will be placed on top of or underneath the chest muscle.

In 1992, because further studies were needed to establish the safety of breast implants, the Food and Drug
Administration decided that silicone gel-filled implants would not be generally available for cosmetic breast
enlargement. Currently, all women undergoing breast augmentation receive saline-filled implants which
consist of a silicone shell filled with sterile saltwater.

Once the incision is made, the surgeon creates a pocket into which the implant will be inserted. This
pocket is made either directly behind the breast tissue or underneath the pectoral muscle which is located
between the breast tissue and chest wall.

Some of the potential complications include reactions to anesthesia, blood accumulation that may need to
be drained surgically and infection. Although rare, an infection that does not subside with appropriate
treatment may require temporary removal of the implant. Changes in nipple or breast sensation may result
from breast augmentation surgery, although they usually are temporary.

When a breast implant is inserted, a scar capsule forms around it as part of the natural healing process.
The capsule may sometimes tighten and compress the implant, causing the breast to feel firmer than
normal. Capsular contracture can occur to varying degrees. If it is severe, it can cause discomfort or
changes in the breast's appearance. In such cases, more surgery may be needed to modify or remove the
scar tissue, or perhaps remove or replace the implant.

Breast implants are not lifetime devices and cannot be expected to last forever. Surgery will be required to
replace the implant, if desired.

Some discoloration and swelling will occur initially, but this will disappear within 2-3 weeks. Most residual
swelling will resolve within a month. After breast augmentation surgery, it is often possible to return to work
within just a few days or a week.

Except in the event of implant deflation requiring surgical replacement with a new implant, the results of
your breast augmentation surgery should be long-lasting: the lifetime of implants is thought to be 10 - 20
years.