Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation is typically performed to enlarge small breasts, underdeveloped breasts or breasts that have decreased in size after a woman has had children. The procedure is accomplished by surgically inserting an implant behind each breast. Both the saline and silicone breast implants are available today for this purpose. These implants are silicone shells filled with saline, or salt water, or silicone gel, respectively.

Augmentation mammaplasty is often times oversimplified as a procedure. Rather, it entails a fair amount of planning which takes into consideration a multitude of factors including the person's height, weight, body habitus, chest wall measurements, their desired breast size and shape, and selected photographs of their desired breast size and shape.

The physician must weigh and convey other, additional, considerations which include implant location (behind the breast tissue or behind the muscle), implant type, incision placement (armpit, around the areola or beneath the breast). Each consideration should be individualized to each respective patient though most often this entails the use of a smooth surface, silicone gel placed beneath the muscle.