Dr. Burgess answers your questions about breast surgery to help you feel more comfortable before and after your procedure.
BEFORE YOUR PROCEDURE:
I can’t decide on saline or silicone for my breast implants. I want one that is both safe and natural, which one should I choose?
Both types of implants are considered to be safe. However, the difference is in determining when there is a leak in the implant. With saline, the implant will go flat and your body will absorb the saline water. With silicone gel implants, it is a little more difficult to tell if there is a leak. That is why the FDA has recommended that a breast MRI should be done occasionally to determine if there I a silent leak.
Is it possible to have a breast augmentation just a couple months after breast feeding?
It is best to allow time for your breasts to settle down to their natural size after nursing and before your breast augmentation. It will give you a better sense of what they will look like long term. Plus, if you need to have any incisions through the breast tissue, such as with a breast lift, then you would want to wait so that you don’t develop a milk leak.
Where are incisions for a breast lift typically made?
Breast lift incisions can be created in a lollipop fashion or in an anchor fashion. It really depends on how much skin needs to be removed, where the blood supply has been previously divided to the nipple, and the thickness of the tissue overlying the implants. Thin tissue can make the blood supply tenuous and sometimes the surgeries need to be staged. Implants that are over 20 years old are probably at risk for rupture and one may consider replacing both implants at the same time (usually through the same incisions).
AFTER YOUR PROCEDURE:
Is it normal for there to be some sloshing with saline implants after a breast augmentation?
It is normal to have sloshing around your implants after surgery. Frequently there is a little post-operative fluid and old blood around the implant, which sounds like sloshing. It will take your body several days to weeks to absorb this normal fluid, but it will eventually go away.
Can I still have a mammogram after having a breast augmentation?
Absolutely! It is incredibly important that you continue to go in for routine mammograms, even after receiving breast implants. It is important to see a mammogram technician who has plenty of experience with women who have breast implants because a couple more scans may be required to see the tissue behind the implant.
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