Home / Procedures / Breast Plastic Surgery Procedures / Breast Augmentation

Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation surgery, also called a “mammoplasty” is one of the most popular aesthetic surgeries of all time. Many women undergo breast augmentation surgery to increase the size of their breasts, but many also seek to correct asymmetry between their breasts, or to restore breast volume after pregnancy or significant weight loss.

The team of surgeons at East Coast Advanced Plastic Surgery specializes in breast surgeries, and we pride ourselves on delivering natural-looking results. We invite you to schedule a one-on-one consultation in one of our New Jersey ECAPS offices to learn more about the process of breast augmentation surgery and how may help you achieve your goals.

What happens during breast augmentation surgery?

Before breast augmentation surgery, the patient chooses between saline and silicone implants. Saline implants are filled with sterile salt water at the time of surgery, while silicone implants are filled with a soft, elastic gel well in advance of surgery. Before your procedure, you will also discuss the location of the incisions for the implants with your plastic surgeon. Your doctor will determine the best course of action for you based on your body shape, breast tissue, and your personal goals.

Am I a good candidate for breast augmentation surgery?

• Your breasts are fully developed and you are in good physical condition to undergo major surgery
• You are unhappy with the shape or volume of your breasts due to aging, extreme weight loss or pregnancy
• Clothing that fits well around the hips and waist are often too large at the bust
• You feel self-conscious wearing revealing clothing, swimwear or form-fitting tops
• You are bothered by the feeling that your breasts are too small
• One of your breasts is noticeably smaller than the other, or one or both breasts failed to develop normally.

Images Contain Nudity – Discretion Advised

Breast Augmentation Before & After

View More

During your one-on-one consultation with a surgeon at one of our ECAPS offices in New Jersey, you will go over these considerations in order to ensure that your surgery is a success. Open, honest discussion of your desired breast size and expected outcome will determine whether your desires can be realistically achieved. You should be prepared to discuss your full medical history during your consultation, including any medical conditions, previous surgeries or treatments, drug allergies, current medications, and use of alcohol, tobacco, or illegal substances.

Breast Augmentation Options

Patients have several high profile options when it comes to their breast augmentation surgery. First and foremost, patients will need to select the type of implant that they intend to use. Patients will also have options when it comes to the location of the incision and the placement of the implant. One of the highly qualified surgeons at East Coast Advanced Plastic Surgery will discuss these options with you and determine the best course of action for you based on your body shape, breast tissue, and your personal goals.

Breast Implant Type

As mentioned above, patients will have the option of selecting a breast implant type. In general, there are three common types of breast implants in use today:

• Silicone Implants: These implants are the most common type of breast implant on the market today. Silicone breast implants are filled with a soft, elastic gel that is both incredibly safe and incredibly effective. In fact, many patients comment on how natural the final results look and feel when silicone implants are used. That may be part of the reason that silicone breast implants are by far the most popular implant choice among both surgeons and patients.
• Saline Implants: Most popular during the 1990’s, saline implants have since become a less common option for many patients. Saline implants are essentially filled with a salt-water solution that is incredibly safe for your body. Saline implants have the added benefit that they can be surgically inserted will “flat” and then “pumped up” to a desired volume later. This means that surgeons can use a much smaller incision size and the procedure is, overall, less invasive.
• Fat Graft Implants: Among the recent trends in aesthetic plastic surgery is the fat graft procedure, and fat graft breast augmentation is also gaining popularity. This procedure, essentially, takes fat from where an area on the body where it is not desired and moves it somewhere where it is wanted (such as the breasts, in this case). To learn more about this type of breast implant procedure, visit our fat graft breast implant page.

The surgical team at East Coast Advanced Plastic Surgery has some of the premiere breast augmentation surgeons in New Jersey, and they will work with you to determine which breast implant type is best able to achieve your desires.

Incision Type

Breast augmentation procedures are not always performed in precisely the same way. Depending on your desired final results and your own physiology, you may have some options when it comes to the incision type used for your breast augmentation. Those incision types include the following:

• Periareolar Incision: When using a periareolar technique, surgeons will make an incision along the lower edge of the areola on each nipple. This makes the procedure itself minimally invasive and the dark skin of the areola is usually successful at hiding any scar tissue that may develop. This technique is not advised for women who may be considering nursing later in life. However, it does provide excellent results with a minimal amount of recovery.
• Transaxillary Incision: When we think about breast augmentation, it usually follows that the incision site would be on the breast. That’s not true for transaxillary incisions, which are located in the armpit. With this technique, surgeons create a small incision in the armpit and then guide the implant into its final place. Transaxillary incisions are great at hiding any scar tissue that may develop, but aren’t incredibly popular for a number of reasons—among them, the fact that the size of the implant is quite limited with this technique.
• Inframammary Incision: Perhaps the most common breast augmentation incision type, inframammary incisions are usually made along the lower fold of the breast (making the incision quite easy to hide). Once the incision is made, the breast implant is inserted into place. This technique is quite popular because it gives surgeons a great deal of flexibility in terms of the implant size, how the implant is place, and the overall final results.

Breast Augmentation Procedure Considerations:

The following factors are also important to consider prior to undergoing breast augmentation surgery:

• Weight Loss: Discuss any plans for major weight loss with your plastic surgeon. He will likely suggest that you reach these goals before undergoing surgery to ensure that the results will not be sabotaged later down the road.
• Pregnancy: It is important to inform your New Jersey plastic surgeon if you are considering having children in the future. Pregnancy can cause unpredictable breast changes and could affect your breast augmentation. Breast implants are not known to affect pregnancy or breastfeeding.
• Breast Cancer: There is currently no scientific evidence to prove that breast augmentation increases your cancer risk. However, breast implants do make it more difficult to see cancer on a mammogram. This may be a special consideration for women who have a higher risk of breast cancer.

Surgery and Recovery

Mammoplasty is an outpatient surgery, usually performed with general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation. Typically you will be allowed to go home after just a few hours of recovery. It is likely that your breasts will be wrapped in gauze dressings and you will be encouraged to wear a surgical bra to reduce any major swelling.

You should be able to walk immediately following surgery. Your breasts will be stiff and tender to the touch for the first few days, and you must make sure not to lift, pull or push anything and not to engage in any strenuous activity for at least two weeks. Dressings will be removed within several days. Stitches are usually absorbable and disappear after the first few weeks.

The East Coast Plastic Surgery Center Team will be there to support you through every step of the breast augmentation process—from initial consultation through recovery.

Breast Augmentation FAQs

• What Can I Do to Prepare for My Surgery?

  During your initial consultation with one of our board-certified plastic surgeons, you will be given a thorough list of instructions that will provide you with all the information you need to be properly prepared for your breast augmentation.
  
  The instructions will include a list of medications that you will need to stop taking prior to your procedure, as well as other things that should be avoided, like nicotine products.
  
  It is also important that you try to be as rested and relaxed as possible. It is completely normal to have some anxiety prior to your procedure, but remaining relaxed and getting a good amount of rest will greatly benefit you prior to your procedure and during your recovery.

• How Do I Choose the Size and Type of Implant?

  One of our board-certified plastic surgeons will discuss the sizes and types of implants available to you during your consultation. Your chest will be measured and the proportions of your body will be examined so that your surgeon can make a recommendation for which size and type of implant will best complement your body.
  
  They will also ask about the results you are looking to achieve from your procedure. You may have a specific size and implant in mind based on your own aesthetic preferences and the research you have done prior to your consultation. Our plastic surgeon will discuss your best options with you so that a personalized procedure plan can be formulated that fully satisfies your aesthetic needs.

• What Are the Risks Associated with Breast Augmentation Surgery?

  Thanks to advancements in modern medicine and the techniques used to perform the procedure, there is a very low chance you will experience any complications during surgery. Infection and bleeding may occur, but we make sure to keep the implant, implant location, instruments, and operating room sterile to avoid these issues.
  
  Our plastic surgeons use extreme precision and care to ensure minimal bleeding. Detailed post-operative instructions will be provided to minimize any risks during your recovery. In general, maintaining a healthy lifestyle will also help to ensure your health during the procedure and will aid in the recovery process.

• Will I Still Have Sensation in My Nipples?

  There is a chance that you may lose nipple sensation after your procedure, but our surgeons make sure they perform the procedure with extreme precision to ensure that this not happen. In some cases, the nipple may have increased sensitivity after the procedure.
  
  Some women may experience a transient reduction in sensitivity during their recovery, but it will return after a few weeks once the nerve fibers in the area heal.

• Will I Still Be Able to Breastfeed?

  If the incision for the procedure is made around the areolae, there is a small chance that you may encounter difficulties while attempting to breastfeeding, but the risk is very low. You can further reduce your risk by having the incisions be made along the crease below the breasts instead.

• How Long Will the Recovery Period Be?

  It can take four to six weeks before you are able to do more physically demanding activities such as running and exercising. Most patients will need to take a few days off of work immediately following their procedure. If your job does not require physical labor, you should be able to return to work after those few days off.

• Can I Have Multiple Procedures Performed at the Same Time?

  Many women who choose to undergo breast augmentation also have a breast lift performed simultaneously. Combining the procedures provides comprehensive breast enhancement that improves the size and shape of the breasts. Liposuction and tummy tuck procedures are also frequently performed at the same time as this combination of procedures. After pregnancy, many women choose to receive a mommy makeover, a combination of procedures that can include a breast augmentation, tummy tuck, liposuction, and more.

• What Will I Experience Immediately Following My Procedure?

  Most patients will experience some temporary pain, discomfort, and a constricted or tight feeling around their breasts during the first few days after their procedure. The pain should subside after a few days, and pain medication prescriptions can be provided to help manage any discomfort during that time.

• Will I Need to Stay in the Hospital Overnight?

  Breast augmentation is an outpatient procedure, which means that you will be able to leave the hospital the same day as your procedure. You will not be able to drive yourself home, so it is important that you have a friend or family member who can transport you home.

• Do I Need to Have My Procedure Performed by a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon?

  Choosing a plastic surgeon who has been certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery ensures that your procedure will be performed by an expertly trained and educated professional, so this is highly recommended. Board-certified plastic surgeons undergo training for both plastic and reconstructive surgery, and they must pass a series of rigorous written and oral examinations. A board-certified plastic surgeon has a better understating of the technical and aesthetic aspects that are required to deliver natural-looking results.