Breast Augmentation

Plastic surgery today knows only one way of safe and predictable breast augmentation – that is placing artificial implants inside the breast. These implants in their composition resemble natural tissue of mamma. So, speaking the language of plastic surgeons, the topic of this section is endoprosthesis of breasts. “Endo” stands for “inside”, “prosthesis” means artificial organ, implant.

Cost of the operation for breasts endoprosthesis is formed by the work of a surgeon and the price of breast implants. Nowadays breast implants cost between 300 and 2000 conventional units per pair, where the difference in price is not conditioned by difference in reliability or esthetic results. The pricing policy is a matter of choice of manufacturers. Companies with stable long-lasting positions in the market, such as McGhan, can afford the highest prices. Less popular brands – Silimed, Eurosilicone, etc. – will offer lower prices.

Within the lineup of the same manufacturer the most expensive are implants with specific functionality. Textured implants are more expensive than smooth ones. Anatomic breast implants are more expensive than those of a round shape. Dual-chamber implants are more expensive than single-chamber ones. But even in this point it is not the price that should be the decisive factor. Most of esthetic goals are achieved with the use of regular round shaped prostheses. When choosing an implant you should take to heart the advice of your plastic surgeon. A doctor with wide experience of operations has also a wide experience of observation of various prostheses’ behavior. Moreover, a normal doctor shall be interested in placing the best of any implants available in the market to avoid all possible unpleasant consequences.

Inside the breast the implant is positioned either behind the mammary gland or deeper – that is under the muscle.

The second position is believed to make the breast look more natural because the muscle covers the prosthesis creating a kind of a buffer and smoothing the silhouette. When placed behind the gland the implant can sometimes be felt, especially if the breast’s glandular and fatty tissue is not developed enough to hide the implant.
Breast augmentation surgery, unlike rhinoplasty, for example, is quite afflictive. After awakening from narcosis the patient will need to take strong painkillers several days, especially if the implant was placed under the muscle – the more traumatic operation.
An everlasting subject for discussions in mammaplasty is skin scarring that is left after the surgery. Of course all patients would like to keep the operation secret, but surgeons do not always succeed in making the scars invisible.
Most surgeons in the world make the incision at the crease of the breast.

That is the easiest and the best predictable way to place the implant inside the breast. It provides full visual control of the operated area and allows for minimal traumatic effects on the tissue. Such an incision leaves a seeable scar that ideally shall look like an unnoticeable line under the breast, 3-4 cm long.
Areola incisions are rarer.

In several years the scar left after such an incision will merge with the pigmented area and become invisible. Far from all surgeons are able to place the implant through the incision that goes around the lower part of the areola. Having made the areola incision the doctor has to go through delicate tissues of mammary gland without breaking their integration. That demands special skill and professionalism.
Transaxillary access is one of the difficult and infrequent ones too. Only cordon bleus can lead the implant through the incision in the armpit – most surgeons do not use that technique.

Visibility of the scarring is only one from a whole range of questions that a patient faces when making a decision about mammaplasty. More difficult task is to come out with beautiful and natural looking breasts of expected size. The important points here are observation of symmetry, positioning of nipples, the distance between the breasts, fullness of the upper part of the breast and a number of other nuances. So, the choice of a plastic surgeon for breast augmentation is a responsive step that allows for no compromise.