What To Expect from your breast augmentation procedure

Breast augmentation is a surgical procedure to enhance or enlarge natural breast size and shape through the use of a saline filled or silicone-gel filled implant. Most often, it is sought by women who, for personal reasons, feel that their breasts are too small. It can also improve the slight drooping that frequently comes as a result of pregnancy, fluctuations in weight, gravity and natural aging. For some women, breast augmentation is sought to correct a noticeable difference in size between the two breasts.

Once the breasts have stopped developing, breast augmentation can be performed at any time. The most satisfied breast enlargement patients are those who want the operation for themselves, as a means of achieving a realistic degree of improvement, not perfection, in body contour. The end result is an increased sense of femininity and greater self confidence.

The particular size and style of breast implant used depends upon the diameter of your chest, your body height and weight and personal preference. One advantage of the saline filled implant is that if the implant is ruptured, the saline (salt water) is absorbed into your body. The primary disadvantage to the saline filled implant is that it is more likely to show ripples through the breast tissue. This is especially true for very thin women and women seeking reconstruction, since they have very little breast tissue to cover the implant. After 14 years off the market for any use other than reconstruction breast surgery, silicone gel-filled implants were approved by the FDA in 2006 for patients over the age of 22. After years of study, it was ruled that they are not harmful. And, the good news is that they look and feel more natural than saline filled implants.