This article will be about Breast Augmentation Silicone Before And After.

Breast augmentation is a cosmetic surgery that can change the size, shape and firmness of breasts. The most common type of breast implants is saline, which are filled with salt water (saline). Silicone implants are newer and have a more natural feel to them.

A breast augmentation procedure can be done in different ways, depending on your needs and preferences. It may be performed using different types of implants, including saline or silicone. There are various types of incisions that can be used during breast augmentation surgery. Your surgeon will help you choose the option that best suits you based on the results you desire, your anatomy and other factors.

Some advantages of breast augmentation include:

-Having more confidence in your appearance because you feel more attractive

-Having more self-esteem because you feel more confident in yourself

Breast Augmentation Silicone Before And After

Women can get breast implants to make their breasts bigger and fuller. That can be done for reconstructive purposes, such as after mastectomy for breast cancer, or for cosmetic reasons.

This article covers cosmetic breast augmentation only. It discusses the types of breast implants available, the procedures used, and possible complications.

Saline and Silicone Breast Implants

There are two basic types of breast implants: saline and silicone gel.

Saline-filled implants are silicone shells filled with sterile salt water (saline). Some are pre-filled and others are filled during the implant operation. 

Silicone gel-filled implants are silicone shells filled with a plastic gel (silicone). Although many women say that silicone gel implants feel more like real breasts than saline, they pose more of a risk if they leak. 

Both saline and silicone come in different sizes and have either smooth or textured shells. Each has its own pros and cons, so it is a matter of preference. 

Costs

How much breast implants cost depends on the location, doctor, and type of implant used.

Typically, the surgery ranges from $5,000 to $10,000. Because it is a cosmetic procedure, health insurance usually doesn’t cover breast augmentation.

Finding the Right Surgeon

Before any cosmetic surgery, it’s most important to find a trained, experienced plastic surgeon. Many doctors advertise themselves as plastic surgeons — and any doctor who graduated medical school can make that claim.

Start your breast implant research by getting a list of surgeons’ names. Talk to friends who have had breast implant surgery. Talk to your general physician or gynecologist. Once you have a list of potential surgeons, schedule a free consultation with each doctor.

Questions to Ask About Breast Implant Surgery

Asking questions will help you get the best results — with no surprises.

Take two copies of this list when you meet with each cosmetic surgeon: one for you and one for the surgeon. Don’t be afraid to ask tough questions. Getting everything out in the open will raise your comfort level, and you’ll go into the surgery relaxed and confident that you have made the best choice.

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Qualifications and experience

1. Are you certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery? If not, why not?

2. How long have you been performing breast implant surgery?

3. How many breast implant surgeries do you perform a month?

4. How many revisions of your own work, on average, do you perform?

5.Have you been involved in any medical malpractice suits?

6. Do you have hospital privileges at an accredited surgical facility? Which hospitals?

The surgeon’s past work

7. Can I see some before-and-after photos?

8. Can I speak with some of your past breast implant patients?

9. Is there someone on your staff who has been a patient, and can I speak to them?

10. If I don’t like the results of my surgery, what can I do?

Breast implants

11. Are silicone breast implants or saline implants better for me, and why?

12. What breast size do you suggest for my body frame?

13. Will I lose any sensation in my nipples or breasts?

14. Will I be able to breastfeed after having implants?

15. Will the implants make mammograms less accurate in detecting breast cancer?

16. Do you have a video I can watch about breast implant surgery?

17. What is the warranty for this breast implant, and what fees do I have to pay if it ruptures?

Breast implant complications and risks

18. What are the possible risks of breast implant surgery?

19. Is it possible to prevent breast implants from rupturing, rippling, or wrinkling?

20. Are there possible breast implant complications that I should be aware of?

21. If I have any breast implant complications, what is your policy? Do you cover expenses? Do you recommend a cosmetic surgery complication insurance policy?

Breast implant surgery preparation

22. What diet and lifestyle changes will I need to make before breast implant surgery?

23. What do you recommend to treat swelling, bruising, and pain?

24. Will my regular pills — birth control pills, antidepressants, diet pills — affect the anesthesia?

25. How long should I take off from work?

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The breast implant procedure

26. Where will my breast implant surgery be performed, and is the surgery center accredited?

27. Is the center set up to handle a life-threatening emergency?

28. What hospital would I be taken to if there were a problem?

29. Will I have general anesthesia, and will a certified anesthesiologist administer it?

Recovery from breast implant surgery

30. If I have an emergency after going home, how can I reach you?

31. How long will healing take?

32. How soon can I get back to my regular exercise routine?

Breast implant financial issues

33. What is included in the surgical fee? What is not covered?

34. If I am not satisfied and need a revision surgery, is that included in the initial fee?

35. Is implant removal included in the initial fee?

36. If there are breast implant complications after surgery, is that included in the initial fee?

37. How much is the deposit required, and when is it due?

38. Do you offer financing, or do you expect full payment up front?

39. Do you take credit cards?

40. Will my deposit be refunded if I change my mind?

How the Breast Implant Procedure Is Done

Because breasts can continue to develop until women reach their late teens or early 20s, the FDA requires that women be at least 18 years old to get breast augmentation with saline-filled implants and at least 22 years old to receive silicone implants.

Before your breast implant procedure, you will meet with your surgeon for a medical evaluation. You can talk about what you want and get feedback from the doctor. Your surgeon may ask you to stop taking certain medications a few days or weeks before your surgery.

You can get breast augmentation done as an outpatient procedure, or you may stay overnight in the hospital.

The procedure takes 1 to 2 hours. You will likely be given general anesthesia, during which you will be “asleep” and pain-free.

The surgeon will make a cut under your breasts, under your arms, or around your nipples, depending on your body, the type of implant, and how much enlargement is being done.

The surgeon will put the breast implant into a pocket above or below your chest muscle. After the implant is in place, the surgeon will close the cuts with sutures or surgical tape.

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Recovery After Breast Implantation

Your breasts will be covered with gauze after the surgery. You may have drainage tubes, which will be removed in a few days. You may need to wear a surgical bra as you heal.

You’ll need to take it easy for a few days after your breast augmentation surgery. For instance, you shouldn’t do any heavy lifting for up to 6 weeks after getting your implants.

Over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen may help relieve discomfort. Your doctor may also prescribe pain medication for you.

You will probably have some swelling in the area where the surgery was done. Over time, the swelling should ease and the scars will fade.

Possible Complications

Although it is a cosmetic procedure, breast implant surgery can have risks, such as:

• Breast pain
• Changes in sensation in the nipple and breast
• Scar tissue forming and hardening in the area around the implant
• Scarring
• Bleeding
• Infection
• Problems with the size or shape of the implants (for example, the breasts may not be symmetrical)
• Associated Anaplastic Large-Cell Lymphoma or AALCL (rare, but may be linked to textured implants)

It is also possible for implants to rupture and leak. If saline implants rupture, the saline will be safely absorbed by the body. A silicone leak may stay inside the implant shell or leak outside of the shell. When a saline implant ruptures, it will deflate. But silicone breast implants may cause no obvious symptoms when they rupture. This is called silent rupture.

Maintenance

Breast implants are not designed to last a lifetime. You may need to have the implants replaced if you have complications or if the size and shape of your breasts change over time.

Women who have silicone gel-filled implants will need to get an MRI scan 3 years after the implant surgery and then MRI scans about every 2 years to check for silent rupture. If your implants rupture, you will need to have them removed or replaced.

Having breast implants can make it more difficult to get a mammogram, but special X-ray views can be done. There is a chance breast implants may make you more likely to get breast cancer. Breast implants also may make it harder for you to breastfeed.

Breast Augmentation: What You Should Know

Fast facts

About

• Breast augmentation is the enlargement of the breasts through the insertion of saline or silicone implants.
• Implants are inserted behind the breast tissue or the chest muscle.
• Candidates include people who want larger breasts, want to add symmetry to their body shape and proportions, or who have lost breast volume due to weight loss or pregnancy.

Safety

• Like all surgeries, breast augmentation carries risks. These include scarring, infection, implant rupture, wrinkling of the skin around the implant site, breast pain, and more.
• The procedure is usually performed under general anesthesia.
• Breast implants aren’t guaranteed to last forever, so choosing this procedure puts you at risk for follow-up surgical procedures to correct issues with your implants.

Convenience

• Breast augmentation is easily accessible.
• It’s important to find a board-certified plastic surgeon to perform your procedure for the best outcome possible.
• Initial recovery can last for up to one week. Long-term recovery can last several weeks or more.
• Follow-up appointments will be required to check your healing and assess your breasts for possible scarring and complications.

Cost

• Breast augmentation costs a minimum of $3,790.00.
• Costs don’t include the implants themselves, facility fees, anesthesia costs, or peripheral expenses, like garments, prescriptions, or lab work.
• The procedure is considered an elective cosmetic procedure, so insurance doesn’t cover it.
• Costs of complications associated with the procedure may also not be covered by insurance.

Efficacy

• Breast implants are meant to last a long time, but not forever.
• You may require other surgeries in the future to correct issues like implant rupture.
• If you experience poor healing or other issues related to your implants, you may opt to reverse the surgery.

What is a breast augmentation?

Breast augmentation is also known as augmentation mammoplasty, or a “boob job.” It’s an elective cosmetic surgical procedure designed to enlarge or bring symmetry to your breasts.

Breast augmentation can be performed either through the transfer of fat from an area of your body or, more commonly, through surgically inserting breast implants.

Candidates are people who simply want to increase the size of their breasts or those who have lost volume in their breasts due to a number of different reasons, which can include:

• weight loss (sometimes due to surgical weight loss procedures)
• pregnancy
• breastfeeding

Other candidates include people who want to even out the balance of their physical proportions. For example, someone who has smaller breasts and wider hips may want to enlarge their breasts.

People who have asymmetrical breasts may also wish to even out the size of their breasts through augmentation. Other candidates include people whose breasts didn’t develop as expected.

A person must have fully developed breasts before augmentation can be performed.

Pictures before and after a breast augmentation

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How much does a breast augmentation cost?

At a minimum, breast augmentations cost an average of around $3,718.00, notes the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Costs can vary, though. The quoted amount doesn’t cover things like fees for:

• the implants themselves
• anesthesia
• the surgical facility or hospital
• any tests or lab work that needs to be performed
• medications
• garments that must be worn during recovery

Health insurance doesn’t cover elective cosmetic procedures. Some insurance carriers also don’t cover conditions or complications that arise after or as a result of cosmetic surgery.

Also, consider the time costs involved in the procedure and recovery. While the initial recovery should only last from about one to five days, it could take a few weeks before the pain and swelling go away.

You’ll need to arrange vacation time away from work for the day of the procedure, as well as several days afterward while you recover from the initial pain.

Additionally, your doctor may prescribe strong pain medication that will make operating a vehicle dangerous. You’ll need a ride to and from your procedure. Someone will need to drive you while you’re taking any necessary pain prescriptions.

You can begin normal activities again once you have the all-clear from your plastic surgeon. They’ll let you know when it’s safe to begin activities like exercising again.

How does a breast augmentation work?

In breast augmentation, an implant or fat from your body is surgically inserted behind each of your breasts. The implants sit either behind the muscles in your chest or behind the tissue of your natural breasts. This can raise your breast size by a cup or more.

You can choose a contoured or round breast implant. The implant material works to boost the size of your breasts as well as provide shape in areas that may have previously felt “empty.”

Keep in mind breast augmentation isn’t the same procedure as a breast lift. A lift works to correct sagging breasts.

Implants are generally soft, flexible shells made of silicone that are filled with either saline or silicone. While there’s been some controversy surrounding the use of silicone implants, they’re still widely popular among people who choose breast augmentation surgery.

Procedure for a breast augmentation

If you elect to have breast augmentation surgery, you’re most likely to have it done in an outpatient surgical center or similar facility. Most of the time, people are able to go home the same day as the procedure.

The procedure will most likely be performed under general anesthesia so you don’t feel any pain. Follow your surgeon’s instructions to prepare in the 24 hours before your procedure.

Your surgeon will place your breast implants using one of three types of incisions:

• inframammary (beneath your breast)
• axillary (in the underarm)
• periareolar (in the tissue surrounding your nipples)

Your surgeon will then create a pocket by separating the tissue of your breast from your chest muscles and tissue. Your implants will be placed inside these pockets and centered inside your breasts.

If you’ve opted for saline implants, your surgeon will fill them with sterile saline solution once the shell has been placed successfully. If you choose silicone, they’ll already be filled.

After your surgeon has placed your implants successfully, they’ll close your incisions with stitches, and then bandage them securely with surgical tape and surgical glue. You’ll be monitored in recovery, and then released to go home once the anesthesia wears off enough.0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0% 

Are there any risks or side effects?

A common risk with breast augmentation surgery is the need for follow-up surgical procedures to correct any complications that may arise. Some people also later desire a different size implant or a lift as their skin stretches over time.

Other risks and side effects include:

• bleeding and bruising
• pain in your breasts
• infection at the surgical site or surrounding the implant
• capsular contracture, or the formation of scar tissue inside the breast (this can cause your implants to become misshapen, displaced, painful or more visible)
• rupture or leaking of the implant
• alteration of the feeling in your breasts (often temporary following surgery)
• “rippling” of the skin over where the implant is placed, often beneath the breast
• incorrect placement or movement of the implant
• buildup of fluid around the implant
• difficulty healing at the incision site
• discharge from the breast or at the incision site
• severe scarring of the skin
• severe nighttime sweating

As with any surgical procedure, the use of general anesthesia also carries risks, including death during the procedure.

Call your surgeon immediately if you:

• begin running a fever
• see redness in or around your breast, especially red streaking on the skin
• feel a warm sensation around the incision site

These could all indicate an infection.

After you’ve healed, any pain in the breast or armpit or change in breast size or shape needs to be evaluated by your surgeon. These could indicate a ruptured implant. It isn’t always easy to identify rupture right away, as implants tend to leak slowly.

Other rare complications include chest pain and shortness of breath. These are medical emergencies that may require hospitalization.

There’s also the risk of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). It’s a newly recognized, rare form of blood cell cancer that’s been associated with long-term presence of breast implants, most commonly textured silicone implants.

At this time, there have been 414 reported cases worldwide that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is tracking. Based upon these reports, the estimated risk of getting ALCL associated with breast implants is between 1 in 3800 and 1 in 30,000 patientsTrusted Source. To date, there have been 17 patient deaths thought to be linked with breast implant-associated ALCL.

The majority of these patients were diagnosed after they developed swelling, or fluid, in the breast around the implant, within 7–8 years after the implants were placed. With ALCL, the cancer usually stays within the tissue around the breast implant, although in some of the patients it did spread throughout the body.

Patients with breast implants should observe their breasts and see their doctor for any changes or new enlargement, swelling, or pain.

What to expect after a breast augmentation

After your breast augmentation procedure, your surgeon will probably advise you to wear a bandage that compresses your breasts or a sports bra for the support you need during recovery. They may prescribe medication for pain, too.

Your surgeon will also make recommendations regarding when to return to regular work and recreational activities. Most people may go back to work in a few days, but you might need up to a week off for recovery. If your job is more physical, you might require longer time off work to heal.

When it comes to exercise and physical activity, you’ll need to avoid anything strenuous for two weeks at minimum. Following invasive surgery, you’ll want to avoid raising your blood pressure or pulse. Aside from that, too much movement will be very painful for your breasts.

It’s possible that you may need to have your stitches removed at a follow-up appointment with your surgeon. In some cases, surgeons may opt to put drainage tubes near the surgical sites. If you have those, they’ll need to be removed, too.

You’ll see results from your procedure immediately. Swelling and tenderness may make it difficult to assess final results until after you’ve had a chance to begin healing.

While results should be long-lasting, breast implants aren’t guaranteed to last forever. You may need follow-up surgeries to replace implants in the future. Some people also opt to reverse the surgery at a later time.

After surgery, maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you smoke cigarettes, quit. Smoking can delay healing.

Preparing for a breast augmentation

To prepare for your procedure, you’ll need to follow preoperative instructions from your surgeon. You’ll probably be advised not to eat or drink starting at midnight the night before your procedure.

In the weeks before breast augmentation, your surgeon will advise you to stop smoking. Smoking raises your risk of complications and restricts blood flow in the body. This can prolong recovery after surgery. It’s also possible that smoking lowers your immunity, which raises your risk of developing an infection.

How to find a provider

You can find a board-certified plastic surgeon through the American Society of Plastic Surgeons or American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Be sure to research the providers you consider. Read their patient reviews, and check out before and after photos of past patients.

Aside from reviews and qualifications, be sure you’re comfortable with your surgeon and confident in their abilities. Schedule a consultation to be sure you really want to work with a particular doctor. Breast augmentation is a delicate and private procedure. You’ll want to carefully choose a practitioner who’s right for you.