Breast Augmentation

What Is Breast Augmentation?

Breast augmentation (breast enlargement) is performed to increase breast size and/or correct breast asymmetry. Candidates include women who want larger breasts and those who want to restore the breast volume lost as a result of pregnancy or significant weight loss. Breasts can be enlarged with implants or fat transplantation. Breast augmentation is not a substitute for mastopexy, which is a procedure to “lift” breasts that sag significantly.

Types of breast implants

The implant types most commonly used in breast augmentation are silicone and saline. Silicone implants feel more like natural breasts than saline ones. We offer a variety of shapes and sizes for both saline and silicone implants, which are matched to the patient. Breast implants can be placed either above or below the chest muscle. The procedure lasts up to two hours and is typically performed using general anesthesia, although local anesthesia combined with a sedative may be used instead. We make incisions in inconspicuous places (e.g., in the crease underneath the breast or around the areola) to minimize scar visibility. Depending on the patient’s needs, implants can be shaped or round, smooth or textured, saline, or silicone.

Breast augmentation with fat transfer

Breast augmentation with fat transplantation, also known as fat transfer, uses liposuction to harvest excess fat from other parts of the body, which can be injected into the breasts. Breast augmentation is appropriate for women who are not looking for a dramatic increase in breast size and want breasts that look and feel as natural as possible. First, we remove fat using liposuction. We then purify harvested fat cells. In a second procedure, which takes place the same day, we inject fat into the breast through small incisions. The procedure takes approximately four to five hours.
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Breast augmentation recovery

You will receive a surgical bra typically put over the bandages to minimize swelling and support your breasts. For a few days after surgery, you might be sore, but most patients return to work within a week. Scars begin to fade in a few months. After augmentation with fat transplantation, the recovery time is short. Normal activities can resume as soon as you feel comfortable. You will wear compression garments over the areas that received liposuction.