Patrick Hudson MD, FACS

Indications: This operation is done to enhance or enlarge the breast. Many materials have been used to enlarge the breast. Most have fallen into disuse and implants remain the method of choice.

There are two types of patient who need this operation. First, those who have never developed breast tissue and second, those who had breast tissue before pregnancy and lost it after they had children.

This operation does not tighten the breast or raise the nipple, it is to make the breast larger. If you have loose skin or the nipple is low you may need a mastopexy or breast tightening.

Method: There are many ways to perform breast enlargement. The method must be tailored to the individual patient needs. The principal is to create a pocket under the breast tissue and place an implant into that pocket.

In some patients the surgeon places the implant under the pectoral muscle and in others under the gland of the breast. The operation is done under either local anesthetic (you are awake) or general anesthetic (you are asleep). Most of the time this is an outpatient operation, and a stay in the hospital is not needed.

Problems: All operations have some risk. The risks of surgery are divided into two groups.

First those that are seen in all operations and second those that are unique or special for this operation. In the first group, the main risks are swelling, bruising, bleeding, infection, a scar and numbness or change in feeling. There is no good evidence that implants may hurt any future child.

The main problems which are special for this operation are hardening of the capsule around the breast, leakage of the implant and changes in mammography.

Postoperative care: The recovery takes one to two weeks. Most people are back to work within a week or two.

There are many different ways to do this operation and your best advice comes from your own plastic surgeon.

Alternative names for this operation: augmentation mammoplasty, augmentation mammaplasty, breast enhancement, breast enlargement, breast augmentation, BAM.