5 Things You Should Know About breast Augmentation Surgery

‘…really wish I had bigger boobs. I mean, not Page 3 size, not completely enormous and stupid, but you know, bigger. Just to know what it’s like…’*

If that sounds like your deep down wish, then you are at the right place. We understand that a woman’s curves are the most treasured of her assets and how not being naturally blessed with a beautiful cleavage can diminish her self-confidence by manifolds. Push-ups and pads offer a transient solution but nothing can replicate the feel of having the real thing. And because every woman deserve only the best, we have listed the must-knows before you opt for a breast augmentation surgery:

1. Type of implant 

You can either get a silicon-based or an autologous tissue implant. If opting for the former, make sure that it is FDA approved; for the latter the best option is to use fat taken out from an area of your body which has unwanted fat deposits. This is transferred to the breast tissue and you get complimentary body contouring in the process. The only flip side of using this procedure is that some of this transferred fat might get absorbed over time. 

2. Shape of augmented breast

You have the option to either maintain the natural shape of your breast which resembles a tear drop by choosing an anatomical shaped implant or you can balloon up both the upper and lower poles of your breasts by using a round implant.    

3. Visibility of scar

Most surgeons give an inframammary incision to put in an implant that gets hidden by the fall of the breast, although it may show when you lie down. Another approach is making a trans-axillary cut that is veiled in your armpit but it holds the risk of an implant shift. The best of all is a periareolar incision i.e. a cut made on the dark and light skin interface on your breast which heals beautifully and is very well concealed.  However, a plastic surgeon needs special training to be able to perform such a surgery. 

4. Placement of implant 

With respect to the location of an implant, plastic surgeons hold two schools of though, below the breast gland and below the pectoral chest muscle. Ideally a surgeon should be trained for both the techniques and must be able to tailor fit the procedure depending on the patient’s tissue characteristics. For example, if the patient is an athlete, the implant should not be placed below the muscle for the muscle movement may alter its position. 

5. Cleavage 

The depth of your cleavage can be designed based on your requirement and wish. 

With this we conclude our three-part series of the nitty gritties of a breast cosmetic surgery. Armed with this newfound knowledge, we urge you to go get your due. 

To read about the details of a breast reduction surgery, click here.

*Adapted from Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella 

Quick Guide: Scope And Possibility Of Breast Reconstructive Surgery

To go through the horrors of battling breast cancer is an ordeal in itself and to top that if it involves removal of one or both breasts it invokes unspeakable torment in a woman’s heart threatening to shatter her to the point of no return, for it is rhetorical to even wonder the importance of breasts for a woman and how indispensable and innate a part of her body and image they are. 

To want to get rid of the cancer as quickly as possible would be the top priority and it is instinctive for the patient and her family to want to tackle the treatment related procedures first. But once that is done and she is free of the cancer, the magnitude of the trauma of living without any breasts sets in. It is deeply unsettling for the patient, affecting her psychologically as well as emotionally. And in order to lead a normal life and feel no different from anybody around her, she would want to somehow get them back. A wish, that is sadly not granted to many as they are unacquainted with the options available to them after a mastectomy or feel that it is beyond their reach because of insufficient awareness and counselling. Some also have the misconception that a new breast can lead to the recurrence of the cancer or are not guided in the right direction at the time of surgery and are rendered clueless about whom to approach for a reconstruction. 

To clear the air around it, let us begin by answering these questions first. 

One, a reconstructed breast does not render one susceptible to cancer again as the breast gland has already been removed, and all that is there now posing as a breast is new tissue. So the cancer cannot strike back there. And two, a reconstructive surgery is the job of a Plastic-Reconstructive surgeon and not an oncologist. In order to craft totally natural looking and symmetric breasts, the surgeon needs to specialize in breast surgery. Breast reconstruction can be immediately performed after the mastectomy in the same surgical procedure so that the patient does not have to go through the pain of living with amputated breasts, but in case it hasn’t been done simultaneously, one can go for a secondary reconstruction i.e. the reconstructive surgery can be deferred to a later date.  

Reconstruction is of four types. A simple reconstruction involves putting in a silicone implant but it sometimes holds the threat of tearing the skin. This can be overcome by performing an implant plus tissue reconstruction where a muscle flap is used along with an implant.  The third type is an autologous tissue reconstruction. This involves taking out tissue mostly from the abdomen area and transferring it to the breast as a flap. It is advantageous in the sense that no foreign material is inserted in the body. Moreover it gives a shapely contour to the abdomen. The fourth type of reconstructive surgery is called fat grafting where undesired fat from different parts of the body is extracted through liposuction and used for sculpting new breasts. Any particular combination of these four techniques can be used depending on the requirements and individual needs of the patient. 

A breast reconstruction surgery, needless to say can have life altering implications for those who are rendered without this essential body organ, who are otherwise facing a lifetime ahead with a distorted body and quiet possibly self-image and worth, day in and day out living with the constant reminder of their illness, the agonizing experience and its vestiges.

So, if you know any woman who had to go through cancer and its aftermaths and can benefit from a breast reconstruction surgery, inform her about it, for you will be helping her get her life back. 

Coming up next week, the last in this series - 5 Things You Should Know About breast Augmentation Surgery! Till then…

Things To Know Before Going For A Breast Reduction Surgery

We all have that one friend who is tired of her big breasts and is forever conscious or that other one who is always picking out padded brassieres to boost her confidence.  In fact very few of us are blessed with those perfect feminine curves we envy on actors and models. Blame it on genetics or pregnancy and ageing, make peace with it or pretend that nothing’s wrong, the truth is that breasts form an integral part of a woman’s vanity and self-esteem; and having an option to alter their appearance can be a God-sent for many. Whether it’s a question of augmenting or lessening their size, or a breast-lift, the answer lies in cosmetic surgery which promises dramatic results, giving you a more assured, happier self!

In the first of this three part series, we are going to talk about the nitty-gritty details you should be aware of before undergoing a breast reduction/lift surgery.

Upper fullness 

Breasts slump due to excessive size so much so that the upper poles flatten. Merely reducing their size will compromise on their beauty and will prune your cleavage. Ensure that your breasts are shaped such that you have upper fullness and the desired cleavage. 

Size of nipples and areolae

Placement of nipples and areolae on the breast mound plays an important role in the physical appearance of your breasts. Therefore restoring the size, location and looks of the nipple-areola complex (NAC) to its younger self is essential. You should also be aware that’s its possible to restore NAC to a higher point on the breast mound if it has sagged naturally due to ageing, breast feeding and pregnancy.

Projection of the breast 

Your surgery can be designed in such a way that the projection of your breasts is manipulated. You have the option to choose amongst a low, medium or high projection.

Scar

A breast augmentation surgery will result in a scar and there is no way around it. So you need to decide whether you want huge scar less breasts which don’t look good and may give you pain in the your back or more aesthetically pleasing, smaller breasts with a minor scar. However you have a choice between the old inverted T practice and the latest vertical one that avoids the horizontal component of the inverted T technique, and gives a smaller mark.

Ergo don’t settle for just a reduced size ladies, strive to get gorgeous revamped breasts!