Breast augmentation is the surgery designed to enlarge the breasts, frequently sought by women who are unhappy with their breast size or shape. The procedure can achieve several results including the following:
- Enlargement of the breasts, thereby making them more proportionate to the rest of the body.
- Enlargement and reshaping of breasts which have lost their fullness or shape, commonly a result of age, weight loss, pregnancy, or breast feeding.
- Evening or balancing of breasts which differ in shape or size.
Breast augmentation may also be used to reconstruct the breast(s) following mastectomy, or on patients with severe congenital deformities of the breast(s).
The best candidate for breast augmentation surgery is a women over the age of 18 looking to improve upon her appearance by altering the size, shape, or proportion of her breasts. Patients should be in good physical health and psychologically stable. They should not be pregnant or nursing. This surgery should not be performed on women with existing malignant or pre-malignant breast cancer for which they have not yet received adequate treatment, nor on women with any active infection in their body. It is very important that patients be well aware of all potential risks and complications, as well as the limitations associated with breast augmentation surgery, and that they have realistic expectations of the outcome.