The breast is one of the most important parts of the body for women since it is an organ that has an aesthetic, sexual and maternal component at the same time. When women are dissatisfied with the aesthetics of their breasts, it usually creates a lot of concern. One of the most frequent techniques to solve the aesthetic problems of volume or sagging, either due to the passage of time or weight loss, is mammoplasty.
Breast augmentation is the most requested cosmetic surgery and can be performed by implanting a prosthesis or using the patient’s own fat. However, either technique requires a correct evaluation by the specialist in plastic surgery to adapt the final result to the patient’s wishes.
Mammoplasty by means of prosthesis
The prosthetic mammoplasty is possibly the best known technique for this type of intervention. It consists in the implantation of a prosthesis under the mammary gland or under the pectoral muscle. It is implanted under the muscle so that the prosthesis has more coverage by the body’s own tissues if the patient is thin or has very little volume in the breasts.
On the other hand, there are different types of prostheses. They can be round or teardrop-shaped and can contain physiological serum or silicone gel of different densities. The choice of the prosthesis will depend on the result that the patient wants to obtain and the advice of the specialist.
There are three ways of inserting the prosthesis: the areola, the submammary fold and the armpit. In all cases the scars are small but the most common route is the areola, since it involves only a slight semicircular incision and the small scar is better camouflaged.
This is a very common surgery that is performed under general anesthesia and requires 24 hours of admission to the clinic. During the first day the breast is protected with a bandage and, subsequently, with a sports bra that is used during the first month. A few weeks after surgery it is advisable to perform external ultrasound sessions to reduce the risk of capsular contracture or hardening of the breast. The surgeon will indicate if it is also necessary to perform self-massages for the same purpose.
Contrary to what many people believe, breast implants do not prevent breastfeeding, so in the future the mother can breastfeed the baby even wearing a breast prosthesis. Women who have recently become mothers should wait between 4 and 6 months after the last day of breastfeeding before undergoing breast implant surgery.
Mammoplasty using the patient’s own fat.
It is also possible to increase breast volume by infiltrating the patient’s own fat. Fat is extracted from an area where the patient has excess volume and then injected into the breast.
Once the fat has been extracted, it is centrifuged to separate the fat that has not been traumatized from the fat that has been traumatized and infiltrate it into the breast. In this way it is guaranteed that the fat is of optimum quality, which ensures that the volume achieved is better maintained.
It is a completely painless procedure and there are no scars. In addition, among its advantages, it not only increases the volume of the breast, but also reduces the volume in the extraction area leaving a better silhouette. Nor can there be complications that sometimes cause prostheses such as capsular contracture, possible implant rupture or loss of sensitivity.
However, it should be noted that this procedure only increases a bra size and that it is necessary for the patient to have excess fat in some part of the body to be able to perform it.