Breast Augmentation Repair

Delayed wound healing is not very common after breast enlargement surgery. Because the incisions are relatively small, and with proper technique the breast tissue is not devascularized the problem is rarely seen in healthy patients. Nicotine use, poorly controlled diabetes, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, vascular disease, immunosuppressive therapy or disease, use of corticosteroids may all lead to delayed wound healing.

Breast augmentation surgery should not affect breast feeding. Because breasts gain more projection and substance after enlargement, they are typically easier to hold. Because they protrude more, and are easier to hold, breast feeding becomes much easier. Paradoxically breast feeding is actually less difficult for some women, after breast augmentation surgery. Given all of this, however, there are studies showing that women with breast implants report an inability to feed in up to 2/3’s of the implanted population, compared to 7 in 100 for women without breast implants. It is doubtful, however, that matching for size and age such results would ever hold up.

Breast implants have fold flaws. Because of the consistency of silicone gel, and predetermined, and optimal filling, the flaws may be less pronounced in such breast implants. Saline breast implants may produce scalloping and folding that is made more pronounced by overfilling, or under-filling breast implants. The visibility or palpability of breast implant rippling is accentuated by lack of breast tissue, fat tissue, or muscle tissue between the breast implants, and their overlying skin. The solutions to the problem include replacement with the latest generation cohesive gel implants or augmentation of the soft tissue covering the breast implants with flaps.

There are multiple different types of implants available for use in breast enlargement. In addition multiple permutations of the various prosthesis types yield a fairly wide array of choices in terms of material, shape, coating, size. In addition, each of the two currently approved breast prosthesis manufacturers in the United States (Inamed™ and Mentor™) makes their own version of each implant with the varying characteristics.

The availabilities are as follows. Each implant is encased in a silicone elastomer shell. The shell may be smooth, or textured. The shell may be shaped like a tear-drop, also referred to as anatomical, or the shell may be perfectly round. Each configuration of the round implant may have a different degree of projection even if the amount of volume contained within is the same. As an example, one style of implant may have a volume of 500cc and a projection of 3.6cm, while another, may have a volume of 500cc but a projection of 4.7cm as a result of a narrower base. The filling material of a breast implant may be silicone, or saline, or both in the case of some implants used for breast reconstruction. The size of an implant may vary to over 1000cc, though volumes of that size are not currently approved in the U.S. and must be procured through companies in Europe or South America.

Please refer to questions related to each specific type of implant for its advantages and disadvantages. The type of implant to be used in breast augmentation revision surgery will correspond to a precise aspect of dissatisfaction with the previous operation, and may vary according to surgeon preference.

Revision breast augmentation or enlargement surgery is an operation in which the previosuly operated breasts are improved in appearance by correcting asymmetry, unfavorable scarring, or making changes to the shape or size of the previoslu placed breast implants. It really is a breast augmentation repair. The implants may be saline or silicone. The implant is also known as a mammary prosthesis. It typically takes from one half hour to one and a half hours to place the breast device, depending on such things as pocket location, incision, and the type of implant used.

The periareolar incision goes around the nipple. It is less noticeable, smaller than the inframammary incision, and if a lift is required later in time, it may be utilized again. Its disadvantages in breast enlargement surgery are a higher infection rate (because the cut goes through breast tissue), possible difficulty in breastfeeding, and the risk of decreased sensation in breast skin and nipple sensation.