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Breast Enlargement
During surgery to enlarge the
breasts 
, (augmentation mammoplasty), an implant is
placed under the breast tissue or under the chest muscle beneath the breast. An
implant is a soft silicone shell filled with silicone gel or a saline (saltwater) solution.
To position the implant, an incision is made in the bottom crease of the breast, the armpit, or along the lower edge of the areola (the colored area surrounding the nipple). The implant is inserted through the incision and may be placed under either the breast tissue or the chest muscle beneath the breast. Some doctors believe that putting the implant beneath the chest muscle lowers the risk for a condition called capsular contracture (hardening of tissue surrounding the implant) and interferes less with mammography than when the implant is under the breast tissue but in front of the muscle. After the implant has been carefully adjusted to the correct shape and position, the incision is closed with stitches.
A breast lift (mastopexy) may be done at the same time as the breast enlargement. A breast lift can raise sagging or drooping breasts and elevate the nipple and areola. To lift the breasts, excess skin from the bottom of the breast and the area around the areola is removed. The remaining skin is then brought together, which tightens and raises the breast. A breast lift requires larger incisions than a breast enlargement alone. Incisions may extend from the areola down to the crease where the bottom of the breast meets the chest.
Breast enlargements and lifts are usually done as outpatient procedures in a hospital or outpatient surgery center. An overnight stay in the hospital is not needed unless there are complications during surgery. The surgery takes 1 to 2 hours. General anesthesia is usually used, although local anesthesia or an epidural may be used in some cases.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: August 4, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Keith A. Denkler, MD - Plastic Surgery | |
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