Breast Inplants: Reconstruction And Augmentation
Breast implants are a prosthesis that alters the size and/or shape of the breast. It is also called breast enlargement, breast augmentation, or boob job. They are usually performed as a cosmetic surgery to enhance or enlarge the breast, but are also done as reconstruction after a mastectomy due to cancer, trauma, or other medical problem such as a breast abnormality. They are also used during sexual reassignment surgery.
There are two main kinds of breast inplants: silicone gel and saline filled implants. Saline filled implants were first made in 1964 and are shells filled with salt water saline after the implant is put into the body. Saline inplants have a smaller scar than silicone inplants, which are silicone filled before the surgery begins. For this reason, saline inplants are very common, although they are more likely to cause problems like wrinkling, rippling, and are often more noticeable to the touch.
Silicone implants are more appropriate for women with smaller breasts and women receiving post-mastectomy reconstruction, whereas women with larger breasts and more tissue will look the similar irregardless of the type of implant used.
As with any invasive procedure, a decent amount of time is needed for recovery after surgery. Patients are often able to return to their normal activities within about one week. Depending on how the surgery was performed, some women will take longer to recover and experience more muscle pain after surgery. Strenuous physical activity and exercise is advised against for up to six weeks. Scars will be apparent after surgery, but usually fade after several months.
Breast implants are relatively cheap for a surgery; they normally range between $3000 and $4000 with the national average sitting right at $3400. Silicone implants cost about $500 more than saline inplants. However, this cost is the surgeon fee; it does not include the medical facility fee, prescriptions, anesthesia, medical testing, or any pre- or post-op care. Therefore, the out of pocket cost could be much higher.
Many people see the cost of implants and wonder if their health insurance will pay for the surgery. If it is an elective procedure then insurance companies will no usually pay for the surgery or associated costs. Insurance will usually cover a surgery if it is a reconstruction procedure after a trauma or following a mastectomy.
The key to having cost effective and safe surgery is research. Interview and have consultations with cosmetic surgeons until you find one that you are comfortable with that offers surgery for a reasonable price and has clean and sterile facilities, as well as good recommendations. Ask questions about the anesthesia, the procedure, and the aftercare. Ask if you will be charged extra if there are complications, as well as whether or not the surgeon will assume liability if something happens after the inplants are in.
Statistics show that breast augmentation is the most popular form of cosmetic surgery and is performed more in the United States than any other cosmetic procedure. There are just over 300,000 performed annually. It is a safe procedure at an affordable cost, making it extremely popular all over the world.