About the Procedure
During breast augmentation, a breast implant is placed inside a pocket formed in the breast tissue. This can help to increase or balance the size of the breast, restore breast volume, or restore the shape of the breast after partial or total loss. Breast augmentation procedures typically take approximately one to two hours to complete.
Prior to the start of your procedure, the treatment area will be thoroughly cleansed. Depending on the nature of the procedure and your preferences, a local anesthetic in combination with intravenous sedation or general anesthesia will be used.
There are three different techniques that surgeons may use while performing a breast augmentation.
- Areola: In the areola technique, a single small incision is usually placed along the perimeter of the areola. This is one of the most common incisions used in breast augmentation.
- Axillary: The armpit (axillary) technique places the incision in the natural fold of the armpit, therefore there will be no scar on the breast.
- Inframammary: In the under the breast technique, the infra mammary incision is placed along the crease of the lower portion of the breast.
Once an incision has been made, an instrument known as a retractor is used in order to gain better access to the breast tissue below. The tissue is carefully separated with a minimally invasive cautery device and a scalpel, in order to reach the area of the breast in which the pocket will be formed. Using an instrument known as an elevator and fingers, a pocket created in which to place the breast implant.
Saline implants are inserted into the breast empty and are filled during surgery. A tube attached to a valve on the breast implant allows saline to fill the implant. Once the implant is inserted into the pocket, a syringe is used to fill the implant with a sterile saline solution. When the implants are filled, the breasts are visually inspected to ensure that they are symmetric. Additional saline solution may be added to one or both breast implants and the pocket and position of the implant adjusted to ensure that the desired look is achieved. Once satisfied, the fill the tube used to deliver the saline solution is removed which seals the implants.