Everything You Need to Know About Breast Enlargement Surgery

What You Need to Know About Breast Enlargement Surgery

If you're thinking about breast enlargement surgery, you need to know what to expect. Here's our guide on how to take care of your body best.
Are you considering breast enlargement surgery, but don't know if the procedure is right for you?
This surgery could drastically change your life and your relationship with your body, but the general surgery may seem a little scary.
We put together a guide to understanding breast enlargement surgery and what you can expect:

What You Need To Know About Breast Enlargement Surgery

We're simplifying breast enlargement surgery to help you make the best decision for your body.

There Are Two Types Of Implants

For breast enlargement surgery, you will have implants put into your breasts. There are currently two types of implants used for breast augmentation:
 

• Saline implants filled with sterile saline
   

• Silicone implants filled with silicone gel (also known as "gel implants")
   

Obviously, if you have an allergy to one of these implant materials, you should choose the other.

Costs

Of course, your breast enlargement surgery cost depends on where you live, who your doctor is, and what kind of implant is used.
Typically, breast enlargement surgery falls somewhere between $5,000 to $10,000. Unfortunately, because it is cosmetic surgery, your health insurance provider probably won't cover it.

What Happens During Breast Enlargement Surgery

While breast enlargement surgery is a very precise procedure, it's fairly straight forward to do. It goes like this:
 

1. You'll meet with Dr. Handal for an evaluation.
    

2. Surgery can happen as an outpatient surgery, or you may stay in a hospital for the night.
    

3. The surgery will take only 1-2 hours to complete, and you will be given general anesthesia.
    

4. Dr. Handal will make a cut under your breasts, arms, or nipples, depending on the implant being used.
    

5. The implant will be put into a pocket above or under your chest muscle.
    

6. After the implant is in the correct spot, the cuts will be closed with surgical tape or sutures.
    

The recovery time will vary from patient to patient, but can be anywhere from two weeks to a month.

Choose The Best Practice

Breast enlargement surgery may be expensive, but you simply cannot settle for a poor practice.
Choose a reputable plastic surgeon and be sure to check out testimonials and reviews from their previous patrons.
Just as important, be sure to look into any photo galleries (NSFW) a particular plastic surgeon or practice has. This way you can see the actualresults of a particular surgeon you might go with.

Be Prepared To Go Bigger Or Smaller

Breast enlargement surgery isn't a simple procedure to perform. There are a lot of factors in a person's body that could affect what a plastic surgeon can actually do.
If you are an A cup and want to be a B cup, be prepared to be told your skin has too much elasticity and you'll need to go up to a C cup. If you want to go much bigger, there may be a limit to how big you can go due to skin elasticity as well.
Your surgeon may make additional recommendations, such as a breast lift, so be ready to make some additional decisions outside of your surgery.

Mind The Replacement Period

Unfortunately, breast implants do have a shelf life, and there's no real way to determine how long they will last.
Some breast implants will last ten years; others may last for a lifetime. If your implants begin to fail, you will have to get a reoperation.
If you really want breast implants, the chance of having to reoperate shouldn't scare you away. Talk to Dr. Handal about the chances of implant failure, reoperation, and what options for surgery can be considered to improve the chances of a lifelong augmentation.

Prep Before The Surgery

Surgery of any kind requires some kind of healing period. Recovery time varies among people and types of breast enlargement surgeries. You'll definitely want to prep your home before the surgery.
A few things you should do pre-op are:
 

• Buy new bras in your new breast

• If you're going back to work or school fairly early in your recovery (and your surgeon approved that choice),then buy some tops that are a larger size to wear outside home.

• Clean up your house.

• Wash your clothes and have new sheets and blankets ready for your bed.

• Live by yourself? Keep food and all of the medications ready and prepped so you don't have to move around too much for the first few days.
   

Prepping beforehand is important, and will make your life post-op much easier.

You Can Give Yourself Massages To Alleviate The Pain

Your breasts will feel weird and you will experience a bit of soreness, but it is safe to touch them.
Gentle massages can help with reducing pain. Just be sure to be gentle.

Don't Fear The Drugs

Usually, your surgeon will prescribe just ibuprofen for the pain. However, some women experience anxiety after their surgery.
Think of it this way— your body has drastically changed in a very short amount of time. It's totally normal to experience nervousness, anxiety, dysphoria, or fear for a few days after your surgery.
Don't be afraid to ask your doctor for a small, low-dose prescription of Vicodin or Xanax if you think this is something that could happen to you.
You also have plenty of options if you want to go completely drug-free. There are many herbal or holistic pain reduction remedies you can try after your surgery.

Work Out Before And After The Surgery

You're going to have some extra weight on your chest now. Doing back exercises is recommended to build up your core strength to support your new breasts.
You can also go for brief walks a day or two after your surgery. Be sure to go slowly and for no longer than thirty minutes. The movement helps reduce swelling and within two weeks you should feel as good as new.

Good Luck!

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