Augmentation Mammoplasty | Breast Augmentation | Augmentation Mammoplasty | Breast Augmentation|
Augmentation Mammoplasty | Breast Augmentation | Augmentation Mammoplasty | Breast Augmentation|
Augmentation Mammoplasty | Breast Augmentation | Augmentation Mammoplasty | Breast Augmentation|
QUICK FACTS
Anaesthesia
General Anaesthesia
In/Outpatient
Outpatient day case surgery
Length of surgery
90 minutes
Recovery
Most patients are back to light activities in 2 weeks. Avoid strenuous activity for 4 weeks and chest based exercises for 12 weeks.
Results
Noticeable soon after the procedure. The changes in the breast tissue and chest wall due to age, pregnancy, breast feeding, weight loss and weight gain can influence the duration of the results.
What Can An Augmentation Mammoplasty (Breast Augmentation) Do For You?
Breast implants can be performed over the age of 18, as long as the natural breast development has completed. Augmentation mammoplasty (breast augmentation) surgery is an option for any number of reasons, such as:
- Breasts have less volume
- Breast size may not be proportional to the rest of the body
- The size and the shape of the breasts are not equal and balanced
Are You An Ideal Candidate?
You may be a candidate for a breast implant surgery if you answer “yes” to any of the following questions:
- Do you wish to adjust your breast size?
- Do you want more cleavage and upper pole fullness?
- Do you wish to improve your breast and torso proportions?
- Do you feel your breasts are different in size or shape?
There are certain factors that should also be considered when determining if you are a good candidate for augmentation mammoplasty (breast augmentation) surgery.
Generally speaking, candidates should:
- Be in generally good health, with no medical conditions that impair healing or increase surgical risk
- Be at a stable weight
- Be a non-smoker
- Be positive and have realistic expectations about what a breast implant can achieve
Your Breast Implant Surgery: The Incision
- Inframammary: Incision in the fold of the breast. This is the most common incision used. It is well hidden in a clean natural crease and is considered the incision with the least contamination and is usually recommended.
- Periareolar: Incision around the nipple
- Transaxillary: Incision is underneath the arm
The incision placement may be influenced by your clothing preferences, the shape of the implant, and the size and placement of the implant. Fear of visible scarring results in many patients being concerned about the placement of the incision.
Our goal is to achieve the optimal final breast size and breast shape and this may determine the incision placement. Dr Lim and Dr Somia will talk with you about the options for incision placement and answer all of your queries during your augmentation mammoplasty (breast augmentation) consultation.
About Breast Implants
There are two main types of breast implants. They are either silicone or saline (filled with salt water). Dr Lim and Dr Somia use both types – cohesive silicone gel and saline breast implants. Most breast implants used here in Australia are silicone gel as the silicone filled implants are known to achieve a more natural result. The shell or membrane of these implants are made of silicone and have either a smooth or rough surface. The current belief is that rough surfaced implants minimise the scar tissue that forms around them. The scarring may cause hardening or “capsular contracture”.
While breast implants may be either silicone or saline to give the implant volume, they all have an outer shell made of silicone. This outer shell is classified as either smooth or textured (rough). Textured implants are further classified according to the surface roughness and the surface area. Over the last 5-10 years, some types of textured breast implants have been associated with the development of a very rare form of lymphoma called BIA-ALCL – Breast Implant Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma. It is important to highlight that this is very rare – with about 600 patients reported worldwide in 2019 from an estimated 40 million women with breast implants.
While the research in understanding this relatively new condition is early, there are some factors that seem to be relevant. Firstly, the surface of a breast implant has an impact on the development of this rare cancer. It is associated with rough, highly texturised breast implants (macro-texturised) such as salt loss reduction and polyurethane surfaces. Smooth or very low texturized (nano-texturised) implants have not been formally linked and micro-texturised implants rarely associated. Dr Lim and Dr Somia now use either nano-textured (Motiva) or micro-textured (Mentor) breast implants with low surface roughness as these have been shown to be the safest implants available on the market worldwide. These implants have TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) approval.
The latest information including advice for patients can be found here on the TGA website.
Breast implant shapes vary from round to anatomical (also known as tear-drop shape). Round breast implants are available in low and high profile, while the tear-drop shaped breast implants are available in various widths, heights, projections and sizes. Generally, round implants are more suited to patients that are happy with the breast shape and are looking only to increase in the size of their breasts. Round implants give more upper-pole fullness to the woman’s breast. On the other hand, tear-drop implants give much more natural shape to the breast. The more projected lower half of the breast may lift the nipple and may suit those patients with slightly ptotic breasts (droopy breasts), such as post-pregnancy, breastfeeding or with weight loss.
Different factors affect the selection of the breast implant shape and size. In general, women prefer to have their breast size in proportion with their body which can be proportionally large, medium or small. Dr Lim and Dr Somia are very experienced in the use of both implant shapes and will assist you in the decision making process. They will discuss this in great detail during your breast augmentation consultation. Choosing the size of your implants is a very important personal decision. Dr Lim and Dr Somia will help you select the optimal implant depending on your chest size and your breast base measurements.
Breast implant placement depends on the amount of breast tissue available to hide the implant to ensure it cannot be seen or felt. Generally, those with minimal breast tissue benefit from submuscular (sitting under the muscle) placement to provide more cover above the actual implant thereby preventing visible rippling of the implant. Submuscular placement also can reduce the risk of capsular contracture. In some cases, a dual plane position of the implant (partly above and partly behind the muscle) is recommended for slightly ptotic breasts. We will advise which is best at your consultation.
What To Expect On The Day Of Surgery
Post surgery, you may awaken with a large bandage around your chest. Your surgeon will review your progress a little later on that day. You will be fitted into a post-operative bra and an implant stabiliser before you are discharged.
Upon release from hospital, you will receive a prescription for antibiotics and analgesia. Dr Lim and Dr Somia’s friendly staff will keep in contact after the procedure in order to monitor your progress. They will also attend to any queries or needs that you have. Dr Lim/ Dr Somia will review you again one week after you go home. Further reviews will be required at 1, 3 and 6 months. Appointments for these post consults will be made for you after each visit. An ultrasound is recommended yearly to monitor your breasts and implants.
Our objective is to ensure that your experience is as support as possible. Dr Lim, Dr Somia and their Nurse Consultants will give you as much time as you require in order to answer any queries that you may have.
Dr Lim and Dr Somia perform surgery only in fully accredited hospitals:
- Lakeview Private Hospital in Bella Vista
- Bondi Junction
- Westmead Private Hospital
Augmentation mammoplasty (breast augmentation) surgery is usually performed as a day-surgery procedure, although, if you choose, you may wish to stay in the hospital overnight for further recovery. Augmentation mammoplasty (breast augmentation) surgery is performed under general anaesthetic.
Risks Associated With Augmentation Mammoplasty (Breast Augmentation) Surgery
As with any surgery, it is important that you are fully informed of the potential risks associated with augmentation mammoplasty (breast augmentation) surgery. While all care is taken to minimise these complications, they may and do occur despite the best medical care.
It is important that you carefully read and understand the potential risks and they will be discussed in further detail when you have your consultation with your surgeon.
- Postoperative infection
- Bleeding or haematoma
- Poor scarring including keloid scars
- Loss of sensation to the nipple
- Revision surgery to correct or improve the outcome
- Inability to breastfeed
- Interference with breast imaging
- Capsular contraction
- Breast implant malposition
- Breast implant rotation
- Visible rippling within the cleavage
- Breast implant palpability
- Animation deformities
- Breast implant rupture
- Breast asymmetry
- Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL)