Breast Enlargement (Augmentation)
Some women are unhappy with the small size and shape of their breasts. It may be that they never developed a lot of breast tissue following puberty or that their breasts may have subsequently involuted (shrunk) following weight loss, pregnancy or breast feeding. This can lead to psychosocial symptoms arising from an unnatural disproportion between breast size and the rest of the body habitus leading to lack of confidence and low self esteem, embarrassment in relationships, and a feeling of unattractiveness.
Breast augmentation is the term used to describe the surgical technique of enlarging the breast by inserting implants behind the breast. The operation is performed under general anaesthesia and lasts 1 hour and requires 1 night in hospital. There are a number of different shapes, sizes and types of implant, all of which can give excellent results and which are ultimately chosen on an individual basis. The operation entails making a 5 cm incision on the underside of the breast and making a space for the implant either beneath the breast tissue or beneath the muscle on which the breast lies. The wound is then sutured with dissolving stitches and covered with simple dressings.
This is one of the most commonly performed cosmetic procedures and has high patient satisfaction and low complication rate.
