Breast augmentation is a procedure to change the size or shape of the breasts.

See also:

• Breast reconstruction - natural tissue
• Breast reconstruction - implants
• Breast lift

Cosmetic breast surgery may be done at an outpatient surgery clinic or in a hospital.

• Most women receive general anesthesia for this surgery. You will be asleep and pain-free.
• You may also have medicine to relax you and ocal anesthesia. You will be awake and will receive medicine to numb your breast area to block pain.

There are many different ways to place breast implants:

• In the most common technique, the surgeon will make an incision (cut) on the underside of your breast, in the natural skin fold. Your surgeon will place the implant through this incision. Your scar may be a little more visible if you are younger, thin, and have not yet had children.
• Another technique is to place the implant through an incision under your arm. Your surgeon may use an endoscope (a tool with a camera and surgical instruments at the end that is inserted through a vein) to do the surgery. There will be no scar around your breast, but you may have a visible scar on the underside of your arm.
• In another technique, the surgeon makes a cut around the edge of your areola, the darkened area around your nipple. You may have more problems with breastfeeding and loss of sensation around your nipple with this method.
• A newer technique involves placing the implant through an incision near your belly button. The surgeon tunnels an endoscope up to the breast area. A saline implant is placed and filled.

Breast implants may be placed either directly behind the breast tissue (subglandular) or behind the outer layer of chest wall muscles (submuscular). Placement of the implants and the kind of implants will affect:

• How much pain you have after the procedure
• The appearance of your breast
• The risk of the implant breaking or leaking in the future
• Your future mammograms

Your surgeon can help you decide which procedure is best for you.

Breast augmentation is done to increase the size of your breasts.

A breast lift, or mastopexy, is usually done to lift sagging, loose breasts. The size of the areola, the dark pink skin surrounding the nipple, can also be reduced.

Talk with a plastic surgeon if you are considering cosmetic breast surgery. Discuss how you expect to look and feel better. Keep in mind the desired result is improvement, not perfection. Emotional stability is an important factor. Breast surgery can renew your self-confidence and improve your appearance, but the rest is up to you.