Before and After Breast Augmentation

Plastic surgery has become so popular probably because of all the attention it has received in the media. People hear about it on television and it has become a lot more acceptable than it used to be to have cosmetic surgery. Breast implants have been used at least since 1865 to augment the size of women's breasts. The earliest known implant occurred in Germany in which fat from a benign tumor was removed from a woman's back and implanted in her breast. In following years the medical community experimented with implants of various materials, most commonly paraffin. The first use of silicone as breast- implant material may have been by Japanese prostitutes in the period immediately following World War II, who would directly inject silicone into their breasts. Houston plastic surgeons Thomas Cronin and Frank Gerow developed the first silicone breast prosthesis with the Dow Corning Corporation in 1961 and the first woman was implanted in 1962. The implant was made of a silicone rubber envelope or sac filled with a thick, viscous silicone gel. Since then developments have focused on making the implants last longer, feel better and excite less fibrous tissue in the capsule around the device. Capsule tends to make the implant feel hard, look distorted and unnatural and may cause pain. The two main different types of implants for Augmentation Mammaplasty or the correction of small breasts are: Silicone implants These are made of silicone gel within a silicone cover and the surface of the implant can be smooth or texturized. Saline filled implants These have a silicone cover around them. They tend to be more rigid and frequently lose volume with time, becoming wrinkled and changing their shape. How to find a plastic surgeon and the implants to use! Referrals are a good place to start, and usually people giving referrals are able to show the results of what a surgeon has done. It would be a good thing if you found someone who is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and is board certified. Seeing results on someone else is so important to understand what to expect. However because everyone is different results can vary. Again, looking at the results is so important. Would you pick a doctor based on cost or do you think quality is the real issue. Of course it would be wise to get a second opinion, there is nothing wrong with doing that and it could safe a lot of heart ache. When you first see a plastic surgeon you will be discussing what type of implant, where it will be placed, and where it will be inserted. All these questions should have your careful consideration. Make sure the clinic or hospital where the surgery will be performed has technical and scientific resource necessary to attend to any type of complication that appears during or after the surgery. Another thing to be aware of is this... make sure you get some sort of certification on the implant, by completing a reference format which assures the implant's authenticity and quality. At the initial and subsequent interviews the surgery procedure will have been explained and discussed with you. The use of general anesthesia, where the incision is going to be and where the implant is going to be placed so the desired result can be obtained. After surgery and stitching the incision the breasts are "molded" on the exterior with paper tape. It is placed over the wound and around the breast to "mold" and fix the implant externally. Finally, the surgeon fits the patient with a special bra which will have to be worn for the next six weeks. The patient is transferred to the recovery room where she remains for 1 or 2 hours. If there are no complications or indications for hospitalization, she can then leave the hospital and go home. Swelling and pain can be considerable, and they are handled with pain or anti-inflammatory medications administered orally. The patient must keep moderate rest for 2 to 3 weeks. She must not drive motor vehicles nor exercise her arms for the same amount of time. Definitive breast shaped can be appraised after 2 to 3 months. The permanent use of a supporting bra is advisable, even at night, because the weight of the implant and breast can cause stretching of the skin and gradual breast descent with time.