How Breast Augmentation Surgery Works

Breast augmentation has become a popular elective surgery for young women and a required surgery after a mastectomy. Understanding how the breast augmentation surgery works may cause some patients to reconsider the procedure. The recovery time takes several weeks and can involve high amounts of pain.  

• Prior to breast augmentation
  surgery a patient will have a consultation with a plastic surgeon to
  discuss the surgery and risks of the procedure.


• The patient will require a
  physical exam and blood tests a day or two before the surgery to
  ensure there are no health issues that will affect the surgery or
  recovery.


• The patient cannot eat or drink
  after midnight the night before the surgery. This is important
  because the patient is placed under anesthesia and food and drinks
  can cause the patient to become sick.


• The patient will arrive at the
  surgical facility in the early morning and complete some final
  paperwork for the procedure.


• An anesthesiologist will ask
  several questions from the patient the morning of the surgery to
  determine the proper anesthesia to use for the procedure.


• The surgeon will speak with the
  patient right before the surgery and ask if the patient has any
  questions.


• The patient is wheeled into the
  operating room and a mild sedation is given. Once in the room the
  anesthesiologist will give additional medication to put the patient
  to sleep.


• The patient will have a tube
  placed down their throat to breathe during the surgery.


• The surgeon will make the incision
  on the patient according to the method discussed in the consult.


• The implant is placed in the
  breast area and secured with required stitching.


• The surgeon will close the
  incision and wrap the patient's chest with an ace bandage.


• The patient is moved into the
  recovery area and the medication is stopped so the patient will wake
  up.


• The surgeon will wake the patient
  and advise about the procedure.


• The patient is in the recovery
  room for about two hours and then released to go home for further
  recovery. The patient will require someone to drive them home after
  the procedure.


• Recovery will take a few weeks but
  the patient can return to most activities after a few days.