Breast Augmentation Surgery
What is breast augmentation?
Breast augmentation is a surgical procedure aimed at treating patients with small breasts due to developmental factors, hormonal changes over time (such as pregnancy), or weight loss. The gold standard method applied in this surgery is silicone breast implants. Depending on the patient's request and needs, in addition to breast implants, or as a standalone procedure, fat injection can be performed where fat taken from the patient's own body is processed through various procedures and injected into the breast area.
Are you suitable for the surgery?
To be eligible for this surgery, you must be at least 18 years old. There should be no lesions in the breast that pose a risk or need to be monitored or treated. At least 6 months should have passed since the end of the breastfeeding period. The patient should not be in an active weight loss or weight gain process.
Surgery technique
This surgery, performed under general anesthesia, takes approximately 1 hour. Incisions for creating the pocket where the implant will be placed can be planned in 3 areas: around the nipple, the inframammary fold, and the armpit. Studies have shown that the inframammary fold incision provides the best long-term results. The implant pocket can be created under or over the breast muscle. The choice of pocket is often determined based on the thickness of the patient's breast tissue.
Breast implants are classified according to their shape, surface features, and contents. According to surface features, they are smooth, micro-textured, and macro-textured. According to shapes, they are round and teardrop-shaped. According to contents, they are silicone and saline (saltwater). In our country, the most commonly used implant type is textured round silicone implants.
Surgery permanence and recovery
The procedure is permanent. The results are immediate, but it will take 3-6 months for the shape to settle. There is no mandatory period for replacing or renewing breast implants. They can remain lifelong unless they cause discomfort, pain, or deformity.
Alternative methods
In addition to or as a standalone procedure, fat injection can be performed to the breast for breast augmentation. The enlargement achieved with fat injection is limited, and its sustainability is more restricted compared to implants.
Post-surgery
The recovery period varies depending on the individual, the technique applied, and the size of the implant. Generally, daily activities can be resumed after a 1-2 week period. Pain and the recovery process may be more significant for implants placed under the muscle compared to those placed over the muscle.
Dr. Ömer Polat's Philosophy
In breast augmentation surgery, there are four specific questions to be addressed with patients. The first question is to determine whether the patient requesting augmentation also needs a lift. For patients where only augmentation is sufficient, the questions to be answered are where the incision will be made, where the pocket will be created, and what shape and size of the implant will be used.
In my practice, the most commonly used incision is the inframammary fold incision. This incision is considered the gold standard globally because it is easily concealable, has the lowest infection risk, and allows easy access to every point of the created pocket. The choice of pocket, in my view, should involve minimal tissue damage and achieve the most natural result. Due to my philosophy of avoiding harm and achieving naturalness, the chest muscle should not be cut to place the implant under it unless necessary, as the breast tissue is normally located in front of the chest muscle, and we place implants to mimic this tissue. However, there are various reasons that necessitate going under the muscle. These reasons in my approach include very thin breast tissue and skin thickness, replacing an implant previously placed over the muscle, and performing breast reconstruction surgery. It should be known that there is no consensus on the hypothesis that placing the implant under the muscle protects against complications like capsular contracture.
Regarding the shape of the implant, my approach is to prefer round implants whenever possible. Round implants do not cause visible deformities in the breast if they rotate within their pocket. In patients with no breast tissue at all, anatomical (teardrop) implants are preferred for providing more natural results. My approach regarding the surface characteristics of implants is to use micro-textured (silk surface) implants as much as possible because they are less affected by serious long-term complications like ALCL. However, in revision cases, especially due to positional changes or rotation, I use polyurethane (macro texture) implants.