Breast augmentation procedures in Worcester, MA.
Breast augmentation is a type of cosmetic surgery designed to increase the size or change the shape of your breasts.
Reasons for procedureback to top
- Cosmetic breast surgery can help increase breast size, make breasts symmetric or improve breast shape and/or contour
- Reconstructive breast surgery can increase the size of breasts that have been injured or after surgery (e.g., following mastectomy for breast cancer)
What to expectback to top
Prior to procedure. You may be asked to provide your doctor with a picture of a woman whose breasts you want yours to resemble. You may be asked to look through an album of breast sizes and shapes to help the doctor understand the outcome you desire.
Your doctor may do the following:
- Conduct a physical exam, including a careful breast exam
- Order blood tests and urinalysis
- Get an electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG) — a test that records the heart’s activity by measuring electrical currents through the heart muscle
- Do a mammogram
- Take a chest x-ray
- Take “before” pictures
Be sure to talk to your doctor about your medicines. You may be asked to stop taking some medicines or herbal supplements up to one week before the procedure, like:
- Aspirin or other anti-inflammatory drugs
- Blood thinners, such as clopidogrel (Plavix) or warfarin (Coumadin)
- Gingko biloba or other herbal supplements
Leading up to your procedure:
- The night before, eat a light meal. Do not eat or drink anything after midnight.
- You may be asked to shower the morning of your procedure. You may be given special antibacterial soap to use.
- Arrange for a ride to and from the procedure.
- Arrange for help at home after returning from the hospital.
Anesthesia. Local anesthesia may be used, which will numb the selected area. But general anesthesia is usually used. With general anesthesia, you will be asleep. With local anesthesia, the selected area will be numb.
Description of the procedure. A cut in the skin will be made either underneath your breast, alongside the areola (pigmented area around the nipple), in your underarm or in your belly button. A breast implant or prosthesis will be placed through the incision. The breast implant can contain silicone gel or can be filled with salt water (saline) after it is placed. It may be placed between the skin/breast tissue and the muscle, underneath the fascia (connective tissue of the muscle) or under the muscle itself. You may or may not have a drainage tube placed around the breast implant. The incision will be closed with stitches and bandaged. The same procedure may be repeated for the other breast.
How long will it take? About one to two hours.
How much will it hurt? Anesthesia prevents pain during surgery. You may have some bruis ing and tenderness of the breasts for several weeks after surgery. Talk to your doctor about medicine to help manage the pain.
Average hospital stay. This procedure may be done in the hospital or surgery center. It may be possible to leave the hospital or surgery center on the same day of the procedure, or you may be asked to stay overnight in the hospital. Speak to your doctor about your options.
Postprocedure care. You will wear a special bra or bandage to put pressure on the breasts. This will help to support your breasts and decrease the chance of bleeding.
- You may wish to apply ice packs to your breasts to decrease swelling and pain. Wrap ice in a towel; do not apply ice directly to your skin.
- You may be given a prescription for pain medicine or advised to take acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
- Your doctor will advise you regarding return to exercise.
- Your doctor may advise you about massaging or mov ing your implants.
- Be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions.
Call your doctorback to top
After you leave the hospital, contact your doctor if any of the following occur:
- Signs of infection, including fever and chills
- Persistent elevated temperature
- Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding or discharge at the incision site
- Fluid or blood collecting in either breast
- Nausea and/or vomiting that you cannot control with the medicines you were given after surgery or that persist for more than two days after discharge from the hospital
- Pain that you cannot control with the medicines you have been given
- Implants grow hard, or you believe that they are leaking
- Cough, shortness of breath or chest pain
- Pain and/or swelling in your feet, calves or legs
- Joint pain, fatigue, stiffness, rash or other new symptoms
In case of an emergency, call 911.
Resourcesback to top
American Society of Plastic Surgeons
http://www.plasticsurgery.org/
Breastimplantinfo.org
http://www.breastimplantinfo.org/
Referencesback to top
Breast augmentation. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery website. Available at: http://www.surgery.org/consumers/procedures/breast/breast-augmentation. Accessed October 14, 2005.
Sabiston DC Jr. Textbook of Surgery. 17th ed. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders Co.; 2004.
Sabiston DC Jr. Textbook of Surgery. 15th ed. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders Co.; 1997.
Spear SL. Surgery of the breast. Principles and art. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2005.
Last reviewed: November 2009 by Mervin Low, MD, PC
Last updated: 11/24/2009
Our surgeons
UMass Memorial cosmetic surgeons evaluate patients with a holistic approach. Their focus is on making improvements in our patients’ natural beauty through state-of-the-art procedures that aim to help patients look and feel their best. more»
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Visit the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) site for more information on breast augmentation.
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