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By Mayo Clinic staffInitially, you'll consult with a plastic surgeon about your preferences for size, feel and overall appearance of your breasts. Your surgeon will describe the surgical techniques and provide you with educational materials about the breast implant you select and the surgical procedure. Review these documents carefully and keep copies of all pertinent information for your records.
Your surgeon may also send you for lab tests or for a baseline mammogram before your surgery. If you're a smoker, you'll be instructed to stop smoking four to six weeks before your surgery. You may also be told to avoid aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs or other medications that may increase your bleeding risk during surgery.
Before you decide to have surgery, consider some important factors about breast augmentation:
- Breast implants aren't lifelong devices. Your breast implants will likely need to be removed and replaced at some point.
- You might need more surgery after breast implant removal. If you have your breast implants removed for any reason, you may experience unacceptable cosmetic changes — such as wrinkling, dimpling or droopy excess skin — which might require replacing the implants. Or you may need a breast lift (mastopexy) to remove excess skin and reposition your nipple.
- Breast implants won't prevent your breasts from sagging after pregnancy. Some women actually need to consider a breast lift in addition to breast augmentation to correct sagging breasts. Also, depending on how it's done, breast augmentation surgery may make breast-feeding more challenging.
- Mammograms may be more complicated. Additional, specialized views are necessary when obtaining images of your breasts. The quality of the mammogram will depend on the experience and expertise of your technician and the facility you select.
- Insurance probably won't pay for the procedure. If it isn't medically necessary, many insurance companies won't cover breast augmentation. Be prepared to handle any financial obligations that accompany breast augmentation surgery and any related operations or imaging tests, such as MRI, you might need in the future.
- Top five surgical cosmetic procedures in 2007. American Society of Plastic Surgeons. http://www.plasticsurgery.org/media/statistics/index.cfm. Accessed Dec. 2, 2008.
- Breast augmentation. American Society of Plastic Surgeons. http://www.plasticsurgery.org/patients_consumers/procedures/AugmentationMammoplasty.cfm. Accessed Dec.2, 2008.
- Breast augmentation. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. http://www.surgery.org/public/procedures/breast_augmentation. Accessed Dec. 2, 2008.
- FDA breast implant consumer handbook - 2004. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Devices and Radiological Health. http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/breastimplants/indexbip.html. Accessed Dec. 2, 2008.
- Breast implant questions and answers (2006). U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Devices and Radiological Health. http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/breastimplants/qa2006.html. Accessed Dec. 2, 2008.
- Breast augmentation: Your surgical experience. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. http://www.surgery.org/public/procedure/breast_augmentation/3. Accessed Dec. 2, 2008.
- Breast augmentation: What should I expect during the recovery process? The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. http://www.surgery.org/public/procedure/breast_augmentation/6. Accessed Dec. 2, 2008.
