Cosmetic and plastic surgery are fields of medicine that have recently become popular with the number of people undergoing these procedures increasing exponentially. There are multiple psychological and physical reasons as to why men and women choose to undergo cosmetic procedures. The technical reason, however, is that developments in the field of science have significantly increased the success and efficacy of the procedures. While complications do sometimes occur, these scientific advancements have reduced fear among patients. Men and women now have the option to undergo multiple cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures simultaneously.
Breast Augmentation mammoplasty is one of the most come Plastic Surgeries in the world today. So, it comes as no surprise that people have a lot of questions regarding this procedure. But what questions should you ask your chosen plastic surgeon before undergoing this procedure? Read on to find out!
What is a Breast Augmentation Mammoplasty Procedure?
A breast augmentation mammoplasty is a surgical procedure that aims to enhance the size of the breasts in order to alter their appearance.
For this procedure, your surgeon will place breast implants, (the type of which differs based on your preferences), in your breast cavity. This enhances the shape and size of your breasts, without compromising their structure.
The breast augmentation mammoplasty procedure enhances the natural contours of your breasts with the help of saline or silicone breast implants. There are a few types of breast implants, and almost all implants are filled with saline liquid or silicone gel.
You can discuss the right type of implants for you during your consultation period.
Your Breast Augmentation Mammoplasty Journey
Choosing to undergo a breast augmentation mammoplasty procedure is not an easy task. There are physical, mental, and aesthetic changes that need to be thought through beforehand.
You can make your decision-making process easier by simply talking to a specialist plastic surgeon. The consultation not only helps you decide if you want to undergo the procedure but also sets the tone for the rest of your breast augmentation mammoplasty journey, including both the procedure and the recovery period.
Consultation
This is the first step of your whole journey, and arguably, the most important one. During this meeting with your surgeon, you should honestly answer all the questions your surgeon may have regarding your health and potential eligibility to undergo the procedure. At the same time, you should ask your surgeon questions to ensure you have the required information.
During the consult, you will also talk about the recovery period. There is a lot that can potentially impede your recovery period (such as smoking and certain medications) and you should avoid these from this point on. All in all, being candid and thoroughly discussing everything with your surgeon is necessary for the transition between each phase of your journey and the success of the procedure.
Procedure
This phase refers to the actual surgical procedure that is to take place, such as a breast augmentation mammoplasty procedure.
The procedure is an outpatient procedure. Your surgeon will use either general anaesthesia or intravenous sedation with local anaesthesia.
Then, the surgeon will make incisions around your breasts. Your surgeon strategically places the incisions in the natural contours of the breast.
After the incisions are made, the implant of your choice and your doctor’s recommendation will be placed in the breast cavity. Your surgeon will decide whether to place it under or over the breast muscles. You and your surgeon will discuss implant placement during your consultation. Once the implants are in place sutures will hold the incision together as it heals.
Recovery
This is an important phase as well. However, the success of this phase mostly depends on you. You will spend most of the recovery period at home, resting. Eventually, you will be able to return to your regular daily life. As you are not under full medical care, you need to strictly adhere to your surgeon’s recovery guidelines.
There are a few things you can do to help your recovery. Most of these should be done during the consultation phase.
10 Questions You Must Ask Your Surgeon Before a Breast Augmentation Mammoplasty
The consultation part of your breast augmentation mammoplasty procedure journey is one of the most important and critical phases as it determines the entire future of your procedure. It even decides whether or not you should be undergoing a breast augmentation mammoplasty procedure.
Below are questions that you should ask your surgeon during the consultation period.
1. What are your qualifications to perform Breast Augmentation mammoplasty?
- This is an important question because if you are not happy with the answer to this question, you do not have to go ahead with the procedure.
- This question allows you to know if your surgeon has specialised knowledge and is a skilled, well-trained plastic surgeon.
- A good surgeon for the breast augmentation mammoplasty procedure is a surgeon who is board-certified.
- Someone who not only specialises in performing plastic surgeries but is sub-specialized in the field of breast augmentation mammoplasty procedures.
- Moreover, the surgeon must have the necessary skills and up-to-date training to ensure that they are using modern and industry-standard techniques on you.
2. Do you have experience performing breast augmentation mammoplasty procedures?
- Qualifications are important in determining whether you will be choosing an actual surgeon as your surgeon.
- It is also important to see if they have experience or not.
- The answer to this question determines whether or not your surgeon is up to date with their skills.
- It is not ideal if your surgeon has only performed breast augmentation mammoplasty procedures in the past but has no current experience.
- Moreover, this ensures that they are a specialist plastic surgeon who is experienced and skilled, not merely a board-certified plastic surgeon who does not actively perform the surgery.
- You should always choose a surgeon who is qualified and experienced.
3. Do you have patient testimonials and before and after pictures that I can see?
- Not only is it important for you to ask for testimonials and before and after pictures but it’s also important you do your own research.
- Patient testimonials andbefore-and-after pictures of a surgeon’s work give an insight into the surgeon’s professionalism, skills, and manners.
- However, you cannot just trust testimonials and pictures on your surgeon’s website either. This is because if they are on the surgeon’s own website they may be filtered to show only positive reviews and feedback.
- You should always search on independent review sites to look for reviews and testimonials, as well.
- Furthermore, you can ask your family and friends for suggestions for good, trusted plastic surgeons for your breast augmentation mammoplasty procedure. This provides you with patient testimonials that you can trust to be honest.
4. Am I a good candidate for the procedure?
- It is always important to discuss this point during the consultation period for any cosmetic or medical or plastic surgery procedure.
- Knowing the answer to this question can help you avoid unnecessary complications and side effects.
- Generally, to be a good candidate for a breast augmentation mammoplasty procedure, you should be a physically and mentally healthy person undergoing the procedure for yourself and yourself only.
- Do not undergo this procdure to make someone else happy or to fit into a fast fashion trend or a hype.
- You should also be a non-smoker or willing to quit smoking at least 6 weeks to 8 weeks prior to the surgery. If you find it difficult to quit just mention it to your surgeon so they can get you the help you need.
5. What will happen on the day of the surgery?
- The day of the surgery may differ from patient to patient.
- You should discuss the timeline for the day of the surgery beforehand with your doctor, so as to prevent any confusion or stress on the day of the procedure.
- Generally, you will come in the night before and will be prepped for the surgery in the morning.
- You will undergo the procedure and then you will either be able to go home or kept overnight for monitoring (although the latter is a rare occurrence).
- You should also;
- Organise a ride to and from the hospital before the surgery day.
- And, have someone stay with you at home for the first few days post-op to help you.
6. How long is the recovery period?
- The recovery period for most cosmetic procedures ranges from 4 weeks to 6 weeks. The time frame depends on the specificities of your case.
- You should discuss your case with your surgeon beforehand to have an estimate of the length of your recovery period. Although this number may change later on, it gives you an idea of what to look forward to and how to prepare for it.
7. Are there any risks related to the procedure?
- This is one of the most important questions to ask your surgeon. The answer may result in you choosing not to undergo the procedure.
- Like every surgical and invasive procedure, there are a few risks and complications associated with Breast Augmentation Mammoplasty.
- However, you may be prone to a few specific side effects depending on your case.
- Discussing these beforehand lets you know what could potentially happen, how to prevent it and, if necessary how to treat it.
- Some of the common side effects of the breast augmentation mammoplasty procedure include:
- Bleeding
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Stretching of the skin
- Thinning of the skin
- Fluid accumulation
- And infection.
8. What kind of implants do you recommend for me?
- There are four to five main types of implants, with many subtypes.
- You should do your research and see what kind of implants you would like to have.
- However, you should also ask your surgeon for advice and recommendations on the type and size of implants.
- Your surgeon will recommend implant types for you based on;
- Your health
- Body type
- The results you desire
- And, other specifications of your case.
- Its important to know that you don’t have to necessarily take their advice. However, it will help you make an informed decision about the type and size of implant you want.
9. How do I guarantee good results from a breast augmentation mammoplasty procedure?
- There is no guarantee that patients will get good results; results will vary and are never completely predictable.
- However, you should discuss your expectations. This is yet another crucial point of discussion because it allows the surgeon and you to have an in-depth conversation about the recovery period and what you should do during it.
- In many cases, poor results are caused by unskilled surgeons or lack of proper rest during the recovery period.
- As you are guaranteeing that your surgeon is qualified and skilled enough to do your procedure, you should also discuss what you should and shouldn’t do during the recovery period.
- In general, you should rest completely for at least the first couple of days post-op. Light walking is encouraged.
- You can perform very light exercises from week 2 onwards.
- You should also;
- Eat healthily
- Refrain from smoking and drinking
- Get plenty of sleep
- And, hydrate
10. When can I see the results?
- Cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery procedures do not show results immediately, as there is a recovery period.
- Before undergoing any procedure, including a breast augmentation mammoplasty procedure, you should ask your doctor about;
- How long the recovery period is going to be
- And, how long before you will see the actual results of the procedure.
- More often than not, your results will be hidden behind swelling and bruising. In the case of a breast augmentation mammoplasty procedure, this can take weeks to a month before completely disappearing and making your results visible.
