What Is Breast Augmentation?
Heather Colman
Breast augmentation, also known as breast implant surgery is a
popular cosmetic surgery to enlarge the size of a woman's
breasts or to reconstruct the breast to correct genetic
deformities or after a mastectomy. This procedure is also
performed during male-to-female sex changes.
How popular is breast augmentation? According to the American
Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast augmentation is the third
most commonly performed cosmetic surgical procedure in the
United States. In 2005, 291,000 breast augmentation procedures
were performed.
There are four types of implants used in breast augmentation.
1. Saline implants, which have a silicone rubber shell filled
with sterile saline liquid. These implants are currently the
only type available outside of clinical trials in the United
States, but future regulation may make more filler types
available.
2. Silicone gel implants, which have a silicone shell filled
with a viscous silicone gel.
3. String Implants, which used proypropylene (PPP), were
eliminated years ago by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) due to the complications brought about by continuous
growth after implantation.
Despite the apparent danger and frequent complications, this
type of breast implant was popular among adult entertainers.
4. Tissue engineered implants are a new form currently in
development. Cells taken from tissue artificially grown from
human stem cells are combined with a scaffold material to
produce a Tissue Engineered Breast Implant.
The advantage of this breast augmentation method is that there
is no risk of leakage or rupture, and the size can remain
stable for the lifetime of the patient, a contrast from the
silicone or saline filled implants which typically reduce by
approximately 40%.
Regardless of the type of breast augmentation procedure chosen,
it is likely that women with implants will need to have one or
more additional surgeries (reoperations) over the course of
their lives. The most common reasons for reoperations include
cosmetic concerns, capsular contracture, and rupture.
Reoperation rates are less frequent in breast reconstruction
cases. The major implant manufacturers, Mentor and Inamed, both
reported that almost half their reconstruction patients
underwent additional surgeries within three years to fix
implant problems, whether their implants were silicone or
saline.
Disclaimer - The information presented here should not be
interpreted as medical advice. If you or someone you know is
considering breast augmentation surgery, please seek
professional medical advice for the risks and benefits of this
type of surgery.
Permission is granted to reprint this article as long as no
changes are made, and the entire resource box is included.
About The Author: This article is Copyright © 2006, Heather
Colman. Find more breast augmentation resources at:
http://www.breast-augmentation-report.info
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