Breast Cancer Treatment

Breast augmentation, known as Augmentation Mammaplasty in the medical field, is generally believed to be the enlargement of the breasts with the use of implants. The procedure is, in actuality, used for many other reasons than the purely cosmetic enlargement. While many women do use the procedure just for enlargement, some have the surgery to correct volume loss by extreme weight loss or pregnancy. Other environmental factors can also cause a reduction in volume of breast tissue, such as mastectomy, trauma, or congenital chest wall deformities. In these cases it goes beyond a purely cosmetic procedure. The actual procedure has been in use since the 1800s, with many successes and failures along the way.

The first recorded breast augmentation procedure of this type was in 1895 by Vincenz Czerny, who used tissue from a benign tumor on the patient’s back as the implanted tissue. In 1889, an Austrian physician attempted the procedure using paraffin injections with disastrous results. In the early 1900s, many different substances were experimented with, including glass balls, ivory, animal cartilage, rubber, sponges, wool and polyethylene chips. In the 1950s, silicone injections began to be used, but complications of the hardening of the tissue eventually led to this treatment being discarded by physicians. The first saline implants were manufactured in the 1960s in France. They were the most popular implants in use until the late 1990s, as silicone was restricted in many areas.

Modern implants are either silicone or saline filled, and come in a variety of shapes and sizes, according to the result desired and the body type of the patient. Modern medicine has also given the option of several incision sites and placements of the implants. Women now have the choice of having the implants placed over the pectoral muscle (subglandular) or under the muscle (submuscular). Incision sites can be under the breast, around the nipple area, in the armpit, or through the navel. Many women who are having abdominoplasty, or a “tummy tuck”, at the same time opt for the implants to be placed from the abdomen.

Recovery time for breast augmentation varies according to the type of incision, placement of the implants, type of implant used, and general health of the patient. Many women find they can resume some normal activity within a week, although submuscular patients may find they need a bit longer. As with any other surgery, strenuous activity and exercise needs to be avoided for up to six weeks. Many patients find that moving their arms regularly helps lessen the discomfort of the surgery. While scarring cannot be completely avoided, the scars fade gradually over time and should be almost invisible within a few months.

A certified plastic surgeon can give more information on the process of breast augmentation and reconstruction, and can discuss the options, recovery time and what to expect as results. The patient’s general overall health, body type and muscular structure, as well as the options can all be determined with a comprehensive exam and consultation.