Breast augmentation or breast enhancement is a surgical procedure to accentuate the size and shape of a woman's breasts.  Breast augmentation will of course make the breasts larger and fuller, but can also improve cleavage and provide a small lift as well.  Breast augmentation is tremendous help to patients who desire  fuller profile, who have lost breast volume due to pregnancy or nursing, or who have undergone breast reconstruction and want to gain a more natural look again.  Although breast augmentation alone can sometimes provide a minor lift, patients who have more advanced breast sagging, or ptosis, usually require an additional breast lift, or mastopexy.

Reasons for Considering Breast Augmentation:

• Enhance body shape if breasts are too small.
• Restore breast volume after pregnancy and nursing.
• Equalize a difference in breast size (cup size) to restore breast symmetry.
• Reconstruct breasts following a mastectomy or injury.
• Correct errors in breast development, such as Poland's Syndrome.

General Procedure

Breast augmentation usually takes 60 to 90 minutes and involves making a small 3 cm incision in the breast to insert an implant under the breast tissue, to enlarge the patient's natural breast and enhance projection.  The surgery is performed on an outpatient basis at a hospital or certified surgical center.  The patient is asleep under general anesthesia for the entire procedure.  There are several options for location of the small incision through which the breast implant is inserted.  The most frequent techniques used are making an incision underneath the breast, around the areola (the darker skin surrounding the nipple) and in the armpit.  Dr. Gupta will discuss all of these options with you during your consultation and will help you choose the best option to meet your individual goals and desires.

The other choice Dr. Gupta will discuss with you is whether you want the implant placed over the muscle (subglandular position) or underneath the muscle (subpectoral position).  During surgery, the breast tissue is raised to create a pocket beneath the breast tissue and either over or underneath the muscle.  There are advantages and disadvantages to both of these options.  Again, Dr. Gupta will discuss these with you in detail and will help you choose the right procedure to meet your individual goals and desires.

Finally, you will have the option of placing either a saline or a silicone gel implant.  Again, there are advantages and disadvantages of each and Dr. Gupta will discuss all of these with you in detail so you can make the best choice for you.  To help you make the right choice, Dr. Gupta has several different shapes and sizes of implants in his office that you can try on during your consultation to pick the perfect implant for you.

Recovery Process

Generally, post-operative instructions call for plenty of rest and limited movement in order to speed up the healing process and minimize postoperative discomfort.  Bandages are applied right after surgery to aid the healing process and to minimize movement of the breasts, which minimizes swelling and bruising. Once the bandages are removed, a specialized surgical bra will need to be worn for several weeks until the breasts are completely healed.  It is normal to experience some pain for a few days following breast augmentation surgery.  Dr. Gupta will give you a prescription for pain killers to treat this pain.  While complications are rare, patients can minimize potential problems by carefully following Dr. Gupta's postoperative directions and instructions.