| Dr. Michael S. Beckenstein is a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Here the Doctor has answered some of the common questions bizymoms visitors have about Breast Augmentation.
Q. What is breast augmentation?
A. This is a procedure to enlarge the breast using implants placed underneath the breast tissue or pectoralis muscle.
Q. How should one prepare for breast augmentation surgery?
A. Women need to visit a board certified plastic surgeon, one who is certified by the American Board of Plastic surgery and not any other society (I.E. American Board of Cosmetic Surgery). Make sure you verify the surgeons credentials, view several results of this procedure, and possibly speak with some actual patients. Reading about the procedure from responsible web sites will help as well. www.plasticsurgery.org is a great resource for this.
Q. How is a breast augmentation surgery performed?
A. Implants are placed through a small incision underneath breast tissue and/or pectoralis muscle. Incisions can be under the breast, areola, axilla(armpit), or umblicius (belly Button)
Q. Who is a good candidate for breast augmentation?
A. Healthy women who have small breasts and/or have lost volume after pregnancy can benefit from an augmentation. The skin tone must be adequate and there must not be significant "sagging". Otherwise a lift may be required to obtain a nice result. Patients must be of sound mental health, be well educated on all aspects of the procedure, and have appropriate expectations about their result.
Q. What are the risks associated with breast augmentation?
A. There are several complications that can arise from this surgery and anesthesia as well. It is important to be well educated on these as they can occur, fortunately they are uncommon. Bleeding, infection, implant malposition, implant failure ( rupture) are just a few. Blood clots in the leg veins and lungs are some of the more serious complications that can arise.
Q. What is the recovery time for breast augmentation?
A. Recovery varies from patient to patient, some can return to work in 48 - 72 hours. Full activity including exercise can be expected in 4- 6 weeks.
Q. How much does breast augmentation cost?
A. Augmentation fees vary with implants,anesthesia, and facilities used. They range, on average, from $3500 - 7,000. Fees vary regionally as well.
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