Breast Implants

Surgery to make breasts larger is so popular and so common that people almost think of it in the same class as getting a facial, or getting Botox. In conversation people casually toss it off as just a boob job. While that is rather crude, it also underestimates the seriousness of the procedure.

Plastic surgeons that have plenty of experience in installing breast implants can do the procedure relatively quickly, without complications, and with good results. But that doesn’t mean that the surgery is minor.

While most women who have this surgery experience pain afterward that temporarily requires prescription pain medications, within a day or so, over the counter pain relievers will work well enough. Post operative instructions are very strict about the level of activity allowed, and the types of activity allowed, too. For instance, lifting of any significant weight is off limits for several weeks, until healing has reached a certain point.

A post operative visit to the plastic surgeon after two weeks or so will confirm that healing is proceeding properly, or will reveal problems before they progress. It can take several months before the “final” results are apparent. Most patients are very satisfied with the results of their breast enlargement surgery and feel more confident and enjoy wearing the kind of clothes that perhaps didn’t fit well before.

After a period of several years, the implants can shift. And occasionally they can rupture. If the implants are filled with sterile saline (salt water), the body can absorb the saline, and the main problem is aesthetic. If the implants are filled with silicone gel, however, the substance may have to be surgically removed.

The general consensus is currently that breast implant surgery will have to be repeated at some point years or even decades later. But how advanced cosmetic surgery technology will be at that point is open to speculation.