Breast Augmentation Procedure
Breast augmentation surgery is usually performed as day procedure or out-patient procedure. The patient may go home the same day, later after the surgery, or stay for a short while (recommended by the doctor on the basis of patient’s condition).
The patient is given an intravenous sedation and local anesthesia or a general anesthesia for the surgery. The doctor will discuss and recommend the best choice for anesthesia prior to the procedure. With a local anesthesia, the patient remains awake during the surgery but the breast area is numbed for the operation. In case of a general anesthesia, the patient is asleep during the surgery and will not feel any discomfort.
The surgeon makes the incision on the breast skin, depending on various factors such as the type of implant chosen, desired enlargement effect (patient’s preference), the particular anatomy of the individual and surgeon’s recommendation.
Usually, the incisions are made in a way to minimize visible scarring. There are various types of incisions that can be made for placement of breast implants. The options for incisions include:
- Along the areolar edge (peri-areolar incision)
- Fold under the breast (inframammary fold)
- In the armpit (axillary incision)
Then, the step is Insertion and placement of the breast implant. Once the incision is made, the surgeon inserts a breast implant into a pocket either by submuscular and subglandular breast implant placement.
A submuscular placement is done by inserting the implant under the pectoral muscle
A submammary/subglandular placement is done by directly inserting the implant behind the breast tissue, over the pectoral (chest) muscles.
The choice of method for insertion and placement of breast implants is determined on the basis of – the type of implant, the body shape of the patient, expected outcomes of the surgery, and the surgeon’s recommendations.
After the positioning of implants, the surgeon closes the incisions using layered sutures over the breast tissue. Other options for closing the incision include skin adhesive and surgical tape over the breast skin.
With time, the incision lines from the surgery will fade away. The degree of scar varies depending on various factors, such as the patient’s genetics, exposure of the body to nicotine (smoking) and some infections.