Breast Implant
The breast implant is the primary means by which breast augmentation surgery is accomplished. Having breast implants put in is the most common form of surgery in the US and has advanced in terms of the technology used a great deal during the 20th century. The procedure is generally very safe, the implants are durable and few complications are typically experienced. These devices are filled with different substances with differing results.
The majority of implants used in the US are filled with saline. These implants are durable, give good results but are more prone to being visible than other types of breast implants. The second most popular type of breast implant is filled with a silicon gel. These implants were the subject of controversy in the early 1990's, principally due to a popular television talk show that featured women who claimed to have suffered medical issues due to silicone breast implants. In the following years, no link has been established between silicone breast implants and the problems that were so widely claimed. They are still in use today, though not as popular as saline implants.
A breast implant is usually placed under the flesh of the breast, either on top of or below the muscle tissue of the chest. Those surgeries where the implant is below the muscle tissue tend to entail longer recovery times than surgeries where the implant lies on the surface of the muscle. The different techniques are chosen based upon the individual woman's body and the desired results.
After a breast implant surgery is completed, most women can look forward to a relatively rapid recovery. The pain is generally gone within a couple of weeks and scars heal rapidly. There may be additional concerns particular to an individual woman based on her specific surgery but, in general, breast augmentation is a safe and low-impact procedure.
A breast implant can add both size and lift to natural breasts. While this procedure is strongly associated with modern society, it has actually been in practice since the late 1800's. The first breast implants used tissue taken from other parts of the body, much as a skin graft works today, and later breast implants used various materials, many of them extremely dangerous by modern standards. Over 100 years of providing this service has resulted in significant advances in cosmetic surgery and in providing services that can vastly improve the body image of patients.