Have you ever considered it? Breast enlargement surgery is a very common practice to increase the size of the breasts. Depending on your surgical preferences, breast enlargement can be achieved by placing an implant either under the breast tissue or the chest muscles.
Although it’s one of the most common surgeries accomplished across the globe, it’s still an invasive surgery that requires a lot of thought. Many people decide to undergo cosmetic plastic surgery for a variety of different reasons. Oftentimes, two people may have two very different reasons why they choose breast enlargement surgery.
Whether you’re looking to feel more confident for personal reasons or to rebuild your breasts since overcoming certain conditions — there’s no one right answer to the question. Instead, it’s about you.
So, you may be asking yourself, “is plastic surgery right for me?” Let’s dive deeper into this question to give you more insight into breast enlargement surgery.
What is breast enlargement surgery?
Breast enlargement surgery, also known as breast augmentation surgery, is a cosmetic procedure involving breast implants and fat graft mammoplasty techniques to increase the size, modify the shape, and/or alter the texture of the breasts.
The initial step towards determining if plastic surgery is right for you is to compare the benefits to the risks. In doing so, you may quickly find out that breast augmentation surgery is perhaps the best option for you.
Benefits of plastic surgery
- Improve your confidence
- Restore breast shape and symmetry
- Maintain a natural appearance
- Reclaim your youth
Risks of plastic surgery
- Infection: Occurring in 1.1-2.5% of breast augmentation cases and 35% of post-mastectomy reconstruction surgeries
- Hematoma: Developing a blood-filled pocket under the skin occurs in 1% of breast augmentation surgeries
- Loss of blood: With any surgery, you risk losing blood. Although unlikely, it can result in a drop in blood pressure with the potential of death
- Nerve damage: Depending on the surgical approach, there is the potential to experience numbness and tingling near the area of the incision. This is more likely to be temporary; however, 15% of cases result in permanent changes in sensation
- Anesthesia complications: Although rare, the possible complications to anesthesia include lung infection, stroke, heart attack, and death
- Scarring: All cases of plastic surgeries have the potential of scarring without proper aftercare. It’s important to follow your surgeon’s instructions carefully
- General dissatisfaction: Undergoing breast augmentation surgery can be a considerable change to make. It’s important to maintain realistic expectations throughout this process
How to know if plastic surgery is right for you
Take the time to review the lists of benefits and risks of plastic surgery above as part of your decision-making process. Next, let’s look at what else will help you determine if plastic surgery is right for you, including doing plenty of research.
Do your research
To best prepare for surgery, a good candidate must do their research on the topics that surround breast augmentation surgery.
First, it’s important to find out more about the plastic surgery specifics. Many people are surprised to find out the many options that breast augmentation surgery has to offer. From the location of the incision to the type of implant used, you need to take your time to review all your possibilities to make a confident decision.
Next, you will need to research the many qualified doctors in your area. Find out about their background, qualifications, and most importantly, ensure they are board-certified physicians.
Lastly, once you’ve found a credible doctor, you can then research the facility itself. Clinic reviews are helpful to get more insight into patient satisfaction, clinic sanitation, and anything else that is important to know ahead of time.
Some people do not qualify for plastic surgery
The best way to find out if you’re a good candidate for plastic surgery is to review the reasons that some people are not good candidates. There are numerous reasons this could be the case, including:
Serious health problems
Having one or more serious health conditions can increase the risk of complications during and after the surgery. Some of the more common serious health problems include diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and bleeding disorders. Also, as this surgical practice requires general anesthesia, you should not have any sort of allergies or a history of adverse events to anesthesia.
Lifestyle choices
Certain lifestyle choices can exclude you from qualifying for plastic surgery. Most surgeons recommend that you don’t smoke or consume a significant amount of alcohol. It’s vital to maintain optimal health habits well before and even after surgery.
It’s also important to note that following your surgery, you’ll be prescribed pain medication. Never mix this sort of medication with alcohol.
Work commitments
In some cases, your work may be the determining factor in whether or not you qualify for plastic surgery. For instance, if you’re unable to take the appropriate amount of time off the job for recovery purposes, that may pose a risk to your healing outcomes.
The primary concern in your aftercare is achieving enough rest to allow for proper healing following surgery. Without this, you may risk breast implant rupture, infection, bleeding, and more.
Consider the costs
For the majority of people, most cosmetic surgeries are unlikely covered by your benefits. For this reason, having to pay fully or even partially out of pocket can be quite pricey.
It’s important to consider both the initial costs of surgery and any future costs. Although unlikely, there is still the potential for infections, implant ruptures, and other adverse events requiring follow-up surgeries. For this reason, take into account potential costs that may need covering later on.
Consult with your doctor
If you’re wondering if your current health status makes you a candidate, the best way to get the answer is to consult with your general practitioner. Book a physical examination to provide further insight into your eligibility for the surgery. The exam results will give you a better idea of whether or not you’re physically eligible to undergo breast augmentation.
The bottom line
At the end of the day, you have the right to choose your path in life, and if that means undergoing plastic surgery, then all the power to you. So long as you’re physically healthy, do not smoke or consume significant amounts of alcohol, have realistic expectations of your surgical outcomes, and fully understand the risks of surgery, then plastic surgery may be right for you.
Finally, understand that surgery can change your appearance but not your feelings about the way you look. Having low self-confidence won’t solve itself after the procedure.
If you have any more questions specific to the surgery, consult with your doctor or plastic surgeon for further information. For best results, follow your doctor’s instructions carefully and continue to educate yourself.