According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), breast augmentation was the top procedure for 2006, with 329,000 women having it done. This is up from 291,350 women in 2005, when breast augmentation was the third most popular procedure. In 2004, 264,041 women had the procedure.
Those statistics include all ages. The ASPS also collects numbers for age groups, and in 2006, there were 9,104 teenagers aged 18 or 19 who had breast augmentation. That was a 12% rise over 2005. (Breast Augmentation is not done on minors.)
In November, 2006, the FDA approved silicone gel breast implants for all women aged 22 and over. They had previously been restricted for 14 years to reconstructive surgery only, pending further safety studies. The studies were done and produced no connections whatsoever between silicone gel implants and any systemic health conditions.
As the safety studies were being conducted, several manufacturers were working on implant improvements. Now we can choose between these approved and improved silicone gel implants and the saline implants which were the only choice for those 14 years. Most surgeons consider the silicone gel implants to look and feel more natural, and their popularity has been increasing since they became available.
Educate Yourself
If you are interested in having breast augmentation, you need to learn about the choices to be made. Dr. Placik will of course discuss them with you, but the more you know the better you’ll understand your procedure. Besides choosing between silicone gel or saline implants, there are these issues to consider:
- Placement – can be beneath the breast tissue and above the pectoral muscle, or beneath both
- Implant shape – can be round or teardrop-shaped
- Incision sites – can be in the armpits, beneath the breasts, or around the lower side of the areola
- Implant surface – can be smooth or textured
- Implant size – will be chosen to make up the difference between your current size and the size you’d like to be
- Anesthesia – can be general (putting you to sleep) or local with IV sedation
Recovery Period
You’ll need to avoid vigorous activity for about four to six weeks. For about one week, you’ll have dressings over the area and Dr. Placik will give you written self-care instructions. There will be several follow-up visits so he can monitor your progress. Bruising will fade in a few weeks and swelling may last a few months, to some degree.
You can look ahead and plan your recovery time for maximum comfort. Stock up on simple-to-prepare foods, good books, videos to watch, magazines etc. Arrange for someone to bring in your mail and newspapers. Clean and tidy up your home, or hire a cleaner, so that it will be pleasant for your recovery environment. Make sure you have plenty of pillows and blankets, and that someone will walk the dog.
Please call or email us to schedule your initial consultation. Our Arlington Heights and Chicago offices serve the entire Chicago area.
