Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Busting Out

(Page 3)

  • Anatomical: The most commonly used implant. It's shaped like a teardrop for a more natural contour.
  • Traditional: The classic implant, which looks like a half-grapefruit. It's likely to be used to create dramatic cleavage or when the patient has thin skin, as it is less likely to be visible through the skin.

Risks of Surgery
Getting a Baywatch-ready bikini body is not a day at the beach. The timeline below describes the recovery process for the typical patient. As with any surgery, there's a chance of complications from the anesthesia as well as blood clots and infections. Patients risk ending up with misaligned nipples, ruptured implants, incorrectly rotated implants, and other problems. Some women experience over-sensitivity in the nipples following surgery, while others report temporary or permanent numbness (getting larger implants increase the likelihood of nipple sensitivity).

The most common complication of breast augmentation is capsular contracture, or what most people call hardening. In this situation, the scar or tissue around the implant tightens, causing the breast to feel hard. Daniels estimates that between four and eight percent of patients will experience hardening. In all, he says that around one in 20 will require corrective follow-up surgery, whether for hardening, placement adjustment, or removal because of an infection or other problem. The timeline below describes the recovery process for the typical patient.

In surgery 1-2 hours
Feeling tired and sore 1-2 days
Burning feeling around bruises on nipples First few days
Initial swelling 3-5 days
Patient returns to work or school 3-10 days
Stitches are taken out 7-10 days
Breasts sensitive to direct touch 2 weeks
Soreness 3-4 weeks
Patient can stop wearing special support bra 6 weeks
Scars are hard and pink 6 weeks or more
Scars fade After several months.
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