Breast Augmentation At A Glance

Breast augmentation is the surgical enhancement of breast size using a silicone bag implanted in the breast. This silicone bag is filled with saline and it expands the breast to give fullness, better contour, and more cleavage. In 2004, over 300,000 breast augmentation surgeries were performed in the United States alone. While breast augmentation might have been once considered an act of the vain, it is now a common procedure and can help women to improve their image.

If you are considering breast augmentation surgery, the first thing you should do is find a surgeon that comes highly recommended to you. You can do this by checking with friends or anyone you know who has surgery, as well as asking your regular physician. Before making a decision on which surgeon will perform your breast augmentation, interview several and make sure you are comfortable with them doing the procedure. It is also recommended that you ask for their credentials and call the state medical board to find out if there have been any complaints or disciplinary action taken against the surgeon.

Once you have found the surgeon you wish to have perform your breast augmentation, your surgeon will sit down and explain what the procedure involves. One of the first things they will discuss with you is your implant size. This is a personal decision and the more you can describe the size you would like to be, the better your surgeon will be able to help you. A great way to get an accurate preferred measurement is to take a plastic bag and fill with water that you have measured. Place these in your preferred bra size. This will give your surgeon a better idea of your ideal size. You and your surgeon will also discuss the shape of your implant, whether round for a rounded appearance or a more contoured shape to enhance the slope of your breast.

You will also have choices in what type of implants you wish to have. There are smooth surface and textured implants and there are options of where you wish to have them placed. The smooth implant has less chance of rippling or wrinkling, however, it must be placed in a larger pocket. This has more chance, however, of the implant becoming hard or firm. The textured implant has less chance of hardening but it has a greater chance of rippling.
When it comes to placement, the best possible position for the implants is under the chest muscle. This placement has a less occurrence for both ripple and hardening, but it is a more difficult surgery. The easiest placement is under the breast tissue, but there is more of a chance of hardening and rippling. Your surgeon will provide you with all the necessary information regarding these options to help assist you in your decision making.

While the surgery itself has been deemed as safe and relatively easy to perform, as with any surgery, it has its risks. The main risk is possible infection and while this is rare, it is possible that the implant would need to be removed to allow healing. Other risks are possible bleeding of the implant pocket, hardening of the breast, the slipping of an implant causing distortion of the breast, and leakage of the implant bag.
As for new developments in breast augmentation, it has come a long way since the first procedure was performed in 1962. Silicone breast implants were used in the beginning, however, due to the suspicion that the silicone was causing health issues, there was a moratorium placed on their use. After much research, the general consensus is that silicone breast implants had nothing to do with the health issues of women who reported silicone leakage. However, silicone breast implants are now under limited distribution by physicians who are part of an INAMED/INAMED Medical Clinical Study. All other implants are filled with saline.

Women who have had breast augmentation highly recommend it to others. They state they feel better about themselves and there is a vast improvement in their self-confidence. They also state that it should be done for yourself and not because someone wants you to have it done. Not only can it change the way you look, breast augmentation can change the way you feel.

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Finding an Indianapolis Plastic Surgeon - Four Good Questions and Two Wrong Answers

There are about 780,000 residents of Indianapolis, the state's capitol. You can fit about one third of them into the seats at the Indianapolis 500. So if you're a resident, you're going to want to look your best on race day, because chances are that sooner or later you'll end up there. It's kind of like the Kentucky Derby, except the women wear baseball caps instead of those large, floppy, floral creations.

The University of Indiana has its medical school in Indianapolis, which has a plastic surgery division within its surgery department. Indianapolis is turning out its own plastic surgeons; the city hosts many doctors who have migrated there as well. The city has managed to diversify nicely from its rustbelt stature into a comfortable Midwest city with a mix of new industries and a healthy hospitality industry with a new convention center.

Its medical facilities are also diverse and multifaceted, as you would expect from the Midwest's third largest city. If you're looking for a reliable plastic surgeon in the city that you'll be comfortable with, here are some talking points for your interviews along with a couple of answers that should send you out the door to continue your search elsewhere.

The first question is whether or not the doctor is a board certified plastic surgeon - board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Will the anesthesiologist (if one is required) also be a licensed and certified professional?

Ask to see some examples of the doctor's work. If you are seeking a breast augmentation procedure, ask for some "before-and-after" pictures for each kind of breast implant.

Ask about long-term effects: for liposuction, for brow or forehead lifts, for eye tucks - whatever the procedure, it's not going to be permanent in every facet. You should get an honest and thorough explanation of the limitations on each procedure you're interested in. "Nothing lasts forever."

Here are a couple of answers you don't want to hear:

Ask the doctor if s/he specializes in any particular cosmetic surgical procedures. If the answer doesn't include the treatment you are seeking, that should be a warning bell. There are too many procedures today for an aesthetic plastic surgeon to keep up with all of them. Find someone who is focused on the treatment you're seeking.

Ask if the facility is accredited as an ambulatory surgery facility. There are two accrediting organizations that emulate the inspection and accreditation procedures that every hospital must undergo for outpatient clinics. Well over half of all cosmetic plastic surgery procedures now occur in clinics and outpatient facilities. If they haven't bothered with accreditation, you shouldn't bother using them.

Mary Hart is a freelance writer specializing in Cosmetic & Beauty topics. Find information about all types of plastic surgery procedures including breast implants, breast augmentation, face lifts, and liposuction. A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Resource.com is the place to locate a Indianapolis Plastic Surgeon