In 2012, more than 330,000 women in the United States elected to have breast augmentation surgery; worldwide, that number exceeded 1.5 million. Although media coverage suggests otherwise, only a minute percentage of the women who get breast implants are actresses and models. They come from all walks of life; they include policewomen and CEOs, teachers and soldiers, young mothers and nurses.
About 30 percent of the women who get breast implants are in their 20s. They often report being self-conscious about their lack of development or embarrassed about their breasts being asymmetrical or uneven. About 35 percent are women in their thirties, many of whom lost breast volume after childbirth. Some want to recapture their pre-pregnancy breast size, while others liked the breast fullness they had during pregnancy and want to recreate it with implants.
Whether women are having cosmetic breast surgery (augmentation, lift or reduction) or reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy, their goals are similar: They want to look feminine, natural and proportional. They want their clothes to fit better.
In consultation, women ask dozens of questions about the safety, durability and longevity of saline and silicone gel implants – the two types that are approved for sale by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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Your Choices of Breast Enhancement
Breast surgery has been around for more than a century. Each year an increasing number of women opt for cosmetic breast surgery, mainly augmentation (to enlarger size) surgery.
If you have thought long and hard about breast augmentation and have decided you want it, then you will next need to decide on what form of augmentation. Here there are two particularly popular forms of implants which are explained below:
Implants (Silicone or Saline)
Implants are perhaps the more common form of breast enhancement. These involve implanting a foreign object into the breasts as ‘fillers’ to pad these out. These implants can be placed wither directly below the skin, or can be ‘submuscular’ (which is recommended for those who already have larger breasts) and this will make some difference to the appearance. At the same time there are different types of implants that can be used, though most often silicone implants are used. While saline implants (bags filled with a mixture of salt and water) can also be effective and have their own advantages, these are more prone to aesthetic problems which can include rippling and other problems.
History of cosmetic breast surgery
Breast augmentation surgery involves placing of a silicone gel-filled implant in the intrices of breasts with the aim to enhance size.
Implants made of different materials have been tried in the past; use of silicone implants began in 1962. The commonest kind of breast implants used today are saline and silicone implants.
• Saline implants – as the name suggests, these are filled with sterile salt water which is either pre-filled or can be filled in at the time of the procedure. Saline implants requires a smaller incision (as compared to silicone implants) – this is usually taken under the crease of the breast or the armpit and thus is very hard to detect.
• Silicone gel-filled implants – are made of a silicone gel and come only in pre-filled variety. Although, these require a much larger incisions, they are much safer than the saline ones – chances of an infection greatly decrease with silicone based implants.
This information is brought to you courtesy of Dr. Mark Bishara and The Paragon Plastic Surgery & Med Spa
For those looking to improve their breast shape and/or size, breast augmentation is an option to explore. But through exploration, many women come across the same questions and concerns, leaving them to wonder what they should and shouldn’t believe. What are the most common myths regarding breast implants:
1) Saline is safer than silicone.
False. Saline implants were largely used because silicone implants were thought to cause medical problems. In scientific studies and in real life, silicone implants perform equal to or better than saline implants, which are filled with salt water. They produce more of a natural feeling. However saline implants require less surveillance and don’t necessitate MRIs.
2) Under the muscle is more natural looking than over the muscle.
False. The practice of placing breast implants under the pectoralis major muscle depends on individual breast anatomy and the type of breast implants selected. Some patients get better, more natural-looking results with the breast implants under the pectoralis major muscle, while others over the muscle. It really depends on your unique anatomy.
3) You cannot breast feed after you have had a breast augmentation.
False. When a breast augmentation is done via an incision through the inframammary fold, armpit or belly button, there is not usually a problem with breast-feeding.
4) Natural breast augmentation with fat is better than breast implants.
False. Taking a person’s own fat with liposuction and adding it to the breasts may create future problems because some of the fat transferred will perish within a year. It’s a new technology, and there is no regulatory approval in the U.S., so the technique is not yet standardized. So at this point, the procedure is very controversial, and there is concern about the long-term safety and efficacy.
5) You need breast implants for a breast lift.
False. Breast implants are not a treatment for breast sagginess. Only a breast lift (mastopexy) corrects sagginess.
For more information regarding breast augmentation, breast lift (mastopexy), or breast revision please contact the office of Dr. Mark Bishara, with offices in both Mansfield and Southlake, TX. Dr. Bishara provides a wide range of cosmetic procedures to help patients look and feel their best. These procedures are designed to improve the appearance of the face and body through minimally invasive techniques that provide highly effective results. Please contact our office at (817) 473-2120 or visit our website at www.MarkBisharaMD.com.
Click here for more information on Breast Augmentation
This New Year’s, why not do something for yourself that you know will have you feeling great for the next 365 days? Many women will be making the decision to undergo breast enhancement surgery to start 2014 with a boost in self-confidence and a positive self-image.
Most Women are Unhappy With their Current Breasts
It’s a fact. Whether they’re too small, have lost shape or volume after pregnancy or weight loss, are asymmetrical or even too big. This can often lead to a negative self-image and a lack of confidence in both one’s personal and professional life. Breast augmentation continues to be the most popular cosmetic surgery in the United States since 2006 because many women – around 300,000 a year – are doing something about it.
Breast enhancement procedures like augmentation have also been tied to an increase in self-confidence both in a woman’s personal and professional life. Why? When someone feels good about the way they look, it often translates to being more comfortable dealing with the everyday aspects of life.
Isn’t that what New Year’s resolutions are all about? Doing something to make sure you feel better during the next 365 days than you did the last?
Breast enhancement surgery has helped many women feel more confident and happy with their everyday lives. The New Year is the perfect time to start with your ideal breasts, because you have enough time to heal and look great for Valentines as well as the upcoming bikini season.
Ninety-eight percent of women undergoing breast augmentation surgery say the results met or exceeded their expectations, according to a prospective outcome study published in the May issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Women also report improvements in self-esteem and quality of life after breast augmentation. The study adds high-quality information regarding expected outcomes after breast augmentation – including recovery time and psychological benefits.
On a 10-point scale, the women reported an average pain score during recovery of 5.9. On average, they used prescription pain medication for five days and were off work seven days. Patients felt they were “back to normal” about 25 days after surgery.
Eighty-five percent of women rated their new breast size “just right.” Thirteen percent would have preferred a larger size and less than two percent a smaller size. Only one percent expressed dissatisfaction with their scars, which were usually located in the crease under the breast. Seventy-five percent of women rated their breast firmness “just right.” When asked to rate the result, over half of the patients gave it a perfect 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. Almost all patients (98 percent) reported that the results met or exceeded their expectations.
Breast augmentation is the most popular cosmetic surgery procedure in the United States – approximately 286,000 operations were performed in 2012, according to ASPS statistics. The study results provide new information for women considering breast augmentation, particularly in terms of their expectations of the recovery and results. “This study is valuable in providing information from the patient’s perspective, not the surgeon’s,” according to Dr. Swanson. “Patient satisfaction is the most important measure of surgical success.”
This news is brought to you courtest of Dr. Mark Bishara and The Paragone Plastic Surgery & Med Spa
Dr. Bishara, with offices in Mansfield and Southlake, TX- provides a wide range of cosmetic procedures to help patients look and feel their best. These procedures are designed to improve the appearance of the face and body through minimally invasive techniques that provide highly effective results. Many of these procedures can be combined in order to achieve your desired appearance. Please call our office for more information at (817) 473-2120.
Cosmetic Surgeon Dr. Mark A. Bishara, M.D., serving Fort Worth, Arlington, and the surrounding area.
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