Undergoing breast augmentation with saline or silicone implants can be a life-changing experience. Many of Dr. John R. Griffin’s patients experience improved self-esteem, greater confidence, and better overall sense of self. Yet there are other concerns that breast augmentation patients should keep in mind.
While not a comprehensive list, our San Mateo, CA plastic surgery center would like to look at a few things that breast augmentation patients can expect after they’ve undergone surgery.
Post-Surgical Scarring and When It Will Fade
Scarring is a reality after any type of surgery, and it’s a big concern for women getting breast implants. If you have saline breast implants, it’s possible for the incisions to be made in the armpit or the belly button, which keeps scars completely hidden. Yet for most patients, incisions for breast augmentation will be located along the underside of the breasts or around the areolas.
Scarring will be most noticeable in the weeks after your breast augmentation surgery. As you heal over the course of a few months, the scarring will fade and become less visible. Scarring continues to fade over the next few years.
Finding a Good Bra After Breast Implants
Getting breast implants inevitably translates into getting new bras. Your best option is to find a bra that provides support but that does not squeeze or compress your breasts too much. Avoid underwire bras as well given how they can dig into the undersides of the breasts and cause irritation. Comfort is just as important as support as you’re picking out new bras undergarments.
You may want to consider getting professionally fitted for a bra after breast augmentation surgery. There are many lingerie shops and speciality stores in the Bay Area that offer professional bra fitting services. This ensures the bra you get fits snugly, and that the cups, bands, straps, and bridge are ideal for your body.
Implant Ruptures and What to Do About Them
Physical trauma to the breasts can result in implant ruptures and deflation. This might occur while playing sports, as a result of a fall, or if you’re involved in a vehicle accident. A rupture will be much easier to notice with saline implants.
Be aware of the following breast implant leakage symptoms:
- Loss of implant volume
- Change in implant size or shape
- Pain around the implant
- Lumps around the implant
- Hardening of the implant
Speak with your cosmetic surgeon about the issue as soon as possible so the damaged implant(s) can be removed and replaced.
Getting Mammograms with Breast Implants
Mammograms are essential to detect breast cancer, and annual mammograms should start around age 40. During the breast augmentation consultation, patients will be made aware that silicone and saline implants can make mammograms more difficult. As advanced as contemporary radiography has become, the imaging technology cannot see through the implants themselves.
With this in mind, an experienced radiologist should be able to work around the implants during the mammogram. Be sure to inform the radiologist that you have breast implants, and let them know if the implants were placed above or beneath your pectoral muscle.
What If I Run Into Other Issues?
These are just four practical matters when it comes to life after breast augmentation surgery. Life is unpredictable, and we’re sure patients will have other questions or concerns. That’s why we’re here to offer help to people throughout the Bay Area who’ve undergone breast augmentation or any other plastic surgery procedures. We want you to look great, feel great, and to be well for years down the road.
Learn More About Breast Augmentation
To learn more about breast implants and what patients can expect once they are in place, be sure to contact an experienced cosmetic plastic surgeon. Dr. John R. Griffin is here to help and to offer his insight.
