Breast Augmentation and its Recovery

Breast Augmentation and its Recovery

Breast augmentation can be an empowering procedure that helps women feel more comfortable, confident, and desirable in their skin. Considering one’s overall physique and body frame as a whole, the breasts may be too small for one’s liking and thus physically and psychologically detract from an otherwise very youthful and attractive appearance.

If this is the case for you, breast augmentation is likely something you have considered. But what can the procedure do for you, and how does your surgeon go about it exactly? And, importantly, what can you expect during recovery?

This article will answer those questions to help you determine whether the procedure is for you.

Personal consultation

Every elective cosmetic surgery begins with a personal consultation for the simple reason that the “canvas” upon which your surgeon will have the honor of operating will, of course, be your own body. Thus the consultation is for you. It’s your first of many opportunities to share with your surgeon what your current concerns are and what goals you have for the procedure.

Your surgeon will contribute her extensive knowledge and experience to help you understand what is or isn’t possible with each of your options. For instance, depending on the look, shape, size, and contours you are hoping to achieve, there may be one or more ways of reaching your goals, and there will undoubtedly be many choices to be made about the profile, projection, and material of your breast implants.

Breast augmentation gives you options

If you decide that you would like to enhance (or augment) the size of your breasts, your first option is to do so through a fat transfer. The most common option for most women is to choose breast implants; however, that may not be so in your case. 

A fat transfer breast augmentation has the advantage of being a more natural procedure. It uses your own body’s healthy fat that has been harvested from another area of your body where the fat is available. But the fat transfer breast augmentation also has limitations: not all of the fat transferred to your breasts will last forever, and increasing the size of the breasts by an appreciable amount isn’t possible through fat transfer alone.

Women seeking an appreciable increase in the size of their breasts will need to have breast implants placed. As there are many variables involved and options to choose from, your surgeon will walk through this process with you. You’ll have the opportunity to decide on such things as:

• The size of your implants—how much volume do they have.
• The profile of your implants—how far do they project off of the chest wall.
• The placement of your implants—above or below the chest muscles.
• The type of your implants—saline, silicone, or implants of unique manufacture (such as IDEAL implants)

Scheduling surgery

When each of the decisions involved in your surgery has been made, you are happy with the projected outcome of your procedure. Your surgery will be scheduled, usually for several weeks to a few months out, giving you the time you need to prepare a nice recovery nook in your home.

Surgery

On the day of your breast augmentation, you will arrive at our surgical center and be prepared for your surgery by experienced nurses who have done this many, many times. Of course, your surgery is unique in that it will likely be your very first elective surgery, and our team is aware of the importance of this day.

The surgery itself is done under general anesthesia, so you won’t have to witness much (or any) of the behind-the-scenes surgical work involved. You will simply wake up from anesthesia and discover that the exact outline of your goals and ideals has been followed, and your breasts are one step closer to having the breasts you want. Then recovery begins.

Recovery

Recovery from breast augmentation is a journey. Having just had an operation, you will feel sore and uncomfortable at times. We will provide you with a detailed postoperative guide that will help you overcome the most common difficulties you might encounter—things like how to sleep, how to reduce pain and discomfort, and when you will be able to return to your routine activities.

Throughout the entire recovery process, you will also have a direct means of contacting our office, and we will be in tight communication with you. For most patients, the bulk of the recovery phase lasts ten days, and each new day is less and less discomforting.

The next step on your journey

Breast augmentation is a journey that starts with exactly what you are doing now: Understanding your options and what the surgery and its recovery entails. If you are interested in taking the next step on that journey, we would love to be of service to you. Please contact our office for more information or a personal consultation.