The Surgery
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Once you have met with your surgeon and come to the conclusion that you are ready to have breast enhancement surgery, you will begin the planning. While this site and the rest of the Internet might be a good source of information as you make your decision to have breast implant surgery, the best resource that you have is your doctor. Any question you have should not be too embarrassing or odd that you should not ask it. Being completely open with your doctor will settle any fears that you have and make your doctor aware of your situation.
In preparation to your surgery, there are a few common guidelines to follow. They usually involved smoking, eating, drinking and medication, and your doctor will give you the exact details. Most importantly, you will need someone to drive you home and make sure that you are comfortable after the surgery is performed. Depending on the doctor and his facilities, the surgery can take place in an office, medical complex, or hospital. Usually, you will be able to leave the very day you receive the implants, but some doctors will ask that you stay overnight for observations. Most doctors administer general anesthesia so that you will sleep throughout the operation. A few will use local anesthesia and give you sedative so that you will be drowsy but feel no pain.
Your anatomy and the preferences of the surgeon will determine exactly how he inserts your implants. The three available options are the crease where your breast meets your chest, around the areola (the area around the nipple), and in your armpit. Because of the nature of the surgery, every possible effort is made to make scars as unnoticeable as possible. Once the incision is made, the skin is lifted up and a pocket is formed in the appropriate area. This area can be either right under the breast tissue or just behind the pectoral muscle wall. The implants are centered beneath the nipple.
Capsular contracture is a condition that results from scarring inside the breast. If scar tissue forms around the breast implant, it can contract and cause the breast to feel tight and slightly hard. Some doctors believe that the chance of this happening is reduced if the implant is put just behind the pectoral muscle wall. However, it is believed that this in turn reduces the ability of a mammogram to correctly view the breast. Soreness might also last a few days longer than if the implant was put right behind the breast tissue itself. Both processes will take about one to two hours, and stitches will be used to close up the incisions.
This breast implant site can help you determine what might be the best size for you as you contemplate undergoing breast enhancement surgery.