Breast Implants / Breast Augmentation Procedure Information and Recovery Time
It is important to be clear about your reasons for having breast implants. Women may seek breast enlargement because they:
- have a congenital (naturally occurring) absence or deformity of one or both breasts;
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have had a mastectomy and may consider an implant as part of a breast reconstruction or rebuilding process;
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wish to regain breast shape or size, for example, after having children;
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wish to correct uneven breasts (i.e. the term “asymmetrical” breasts refers to breasts of different shapes and sizes);
- are generally dissatisfied with the size and shape of their breasts.
Breast implants can bring psychological benefits for women who may feel that their breasts are unwomanly and inadequate.
They can help restore lost self-esteem and improve the quality of life. However, you should think carefully about your reasons for having implants and be sure that breast implants are the best solution to your particular anxiety or dissatisfaction.
Your surgeon will wish to explore with you the psychological aspects of having breast implants, as well as the physical details of the operation.
There are two main parts to an implant: the outer shell and the inner filler.
All breast implants are surrounded by a firm, silicone elastic (or elastomer) shell. The surface of the implant may be smooth or textured.
There are currently two types of implant filler available in the U.K.:
- a filler made from a silicone gel, which is semi-liquid and moves easily so that it can maintain a good shape. It is generally accepted that a silicone implant gives the most “natural feel” to a new breast;
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saline filled implants that are usually placed inside the breast before they are filled with salt water.
Implants come in many different shapes and sizes, and with a number of different implant manufacturers and distributors active in the U.K. there is usually no problem in finding the appropriate implant for you.
Please see our Products section on the left hand menu for more information on implants available in the U.K..
It is important that during your first discussion with a surgeon, you should explain clearly what you expect from the treatment and how you would like to look afterwards.
Careful discussions regarding the reasons for wanting implants, and the suitability of implant surgery are very important at this stage. Make sure that you obtain as much information as you can to enable you to make a fully informed choice about the procedure. You need to think about the type and size of implant that may be suitable for you before your operation, as well as the point at which the implant will be inserted into your breast, how it will be placed inside your breast and the type of anaesthetic used.
A medical history should also be taken, to ensure that there are no reasons why you shouldn’t have this operation. At this point, you would normally be asked to sign a consent form stating that you have understood the potential benefits and risks associated with breast implantation.
Photographs may also be taken by the practitioner, as the basis for a “before and after” comparison at a later date.
The surgeon will wish to write to your G.P. giving details of the operation so that if there are any problems associated with surgery in the short- or long-term, the G.P. is aware of the procedure and can help you as you recover.
Careful discussions regarding the reasons for wanting implants, and the suitability of implant surgery are very important at this stage. Make sure that you obtain as much information as you can to enable you to make a fully informed choice about the procedure. You need to think about the type and size of implant that may be suitable for you before your operation, as well as the point at which the implant will be inserted into your breast, how it will be placed inside your breast and the type of anaesthetic used.
A medical history should also be taken, to ensure that there are no reasons why you shouldn’t have this operation. At this point, you would normally be asked to sign a consent form stating that you have understood the potential benefits and risks associated with breast implantation.
Photographs may also be taken by the practitioner, as the basis for a “before and after” comparison at a later date.
The surgeon will wish to write to your G.P. giving details of the operation so that if there are any problems associated with surgery in the short- or long-term, the G.P. is aware of the procedure and can help you as you recover.
Your surgeon should also send information about your operation to the National Breast Implant Registry (N.B.I.R.) so that information about breast implants can be collected from all over the country and used in further research or in the gathering of statistics about cosmetic surgery. This has proved to be very important in recent years when some types of implants have had to be recalled by their manufacturers and their patients informed immediately.
However, you do not have to register your implant operation with the N.B.I.R.. This is a purely voluntary action to help future research. If you do choose to do this, you will be asked to sign a form that will contain all the information given to the Registry including your implant details.
Anaesthesia
Breast augmentation can be performed under a general anaesthetic, although some surgeons use a local anaesthesic, combined with a sedative to make you drowsy, so that you remain awake but feel very little discomfort during the operation.
Remember that a general anaesthetic will always carries a greater risk than a local anaesthetic, but you should discuss your thoughts about this with your surgeon before you undertake the treatment. He/she will offer you the best advice for your comfort.
The operation
Every patient’s needs are assessed individually and it depends entirely on your body as to which method of inserting the implant is used. A short incision can be made either in the crease under the breast, or around the areola (the dark skin around the nipple) in the armpit, or even via the navel (belly button). The latter is generally not recommended, however. It may reduce the level of scarring in a much less obvious area than the breast, but it is a more complicated procedure and can only be used for inflatable saline implants.
Implants may then be positioned either between the glandular tissue of the breast and the pectoral muscle (sub-glandular - as in the right hand picture below) or behind the muscle (sub-muscular - left hand picture below).
Saline filled implants are generally inserted empty and then filled with the salt water solution – this helps to reduce the size of the cut required and consequently leaves a smaller scar afterwards.
Drainage tubes are rarely needed following the operation. The surgery generally takes about ninety minutes to complete. Slow dissolving stitches are usually used to sew up the wounds.
Recovery time
You should be able to return home soon after the surgery. Often patients go home in the afternoon following surgery in the morning, or they may require just a night’s stay in the clinic. Most patients find that they can return to work after a few days’ recuperation.