Breast Augmentation Plastic Surgery – Types, Cost, Recovery, & Risks

Breast augmentation cosmetic surgery procedure can help a woman achieve her aesthetic desire to have bigger and fuller breasts. Apart from aesthetic purposes, breast augmentation may also be performed as a reconstructive surgery following mastectomy or breast injury.

Board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Hisham Seify is a leading provider of breast augmentation and various other procedures of the breast, body, and face. Dr. Seify receives patients from Newport Beach, Orange County, CA, and surrounding communities.

Types of Breast Implants

Breast augmentation plastic surgery can be performed using saline or silicone gel based breast implants. Saline implants have an outer silicone shell, while the inner core is filled with a saline solution. In case of silicone implants, the inner core includes a plastic gel called silicone. Both types of implants have been approved by the FDA.

Saline implants do not pose any risk in the event of implant leakage because saline solution is completely biocompatible. However, silicone implants are more in demand today because of the more natural touch and feel they can provide. Advanced qualities in silicone implants use a highly cohesive silicone gel that will not leak out to other areas even if the implant shell is damaged or broken.

Surgery and Your Checking Account

As an experienced cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Seify will discuss all aspects of breast implant procedure with the patient, including its estimated costs. He provides breast augmentation to patients in Newport Beach, Orange County, CA, and nearby locations. The average cost of breast augmentation surgery can vary from $7,000 to $15,000, depending on various factors.

Patients may choose to finance the procedure through medical care financing companies or other sources. Insurance may cover full or partial costs in case where breast augmentation is a part of a breast reconstruction procedure.

Procedure

In many cases, breast augmentation can be performed as an outpatient surgery. The procedure is usually completed in less than two hours, and patient is likely given general anesthesia. The procedure will begin with the surgeon placing an incision in a pre-determined location below the breasts, around the nipples or under the arms.

An implant pocket will be created surgically through the incision. If the procedure involves saline implants, the incision can be relatively smaller because the implant can be inserted in a deflated state. The surgeon will fill the required amount of saline solution after the implant is placed. In case of a silicone implant placement, the size of the incision will be a little larger, but the surgeon can place it in a discreet location to minimize the scar visibility.

The implant will be placed into the breast pocket below or above the chest muscle. After the implants have been adjusted into a desirable position, the surgeon will close the incisions carefully with sutures or surgical adhesive.

Recovery

In the first week, the patient will experience mild pain, which can be managed with pain medications. Bruising and swelling will reduce significantly in the second week. Patients can usually return to work in about 10 to 14 days.