Breast augmentation is one of the most common procedures in plastic surgery today. A woman may feel the need for larger breasts for many reasons, but the common thread is the desire to look and feel good about herself. Breast augmentation may be performed at any age after the breasts have developed fully and is often desired by older and younger women alike.

Conditions that may cause a woman to seek breast enlargement include congenitally small breasts, breasts that have lost volume due to weight loss, pregnancy or aging, and marked breast asymmetry. There is also a whole host of personal reasons for seeking this procedure.

In Canada today there are three types of implant that can be obtained for the purpose of breast enlargement. The standard saline implant is the most common because of its undoubted safety: the saline it contains is simply salt water that is totally compatible with the body.

The highly cohesive silicone gel Inamed 410 implants have been our preferred choice for over six years. We also use other types of silicone and saline implants according to our clients’ preferences.

At the McLean Clinic breast augmentation is a painless outpatient procedure with the patient asleep under a mild general anaesthetic supervised by a certified anaesthetist. You are usually awake and able to admire your new breasts an hour or so after you go to sleep. You will have arranged for someone to pick you up and stay with you that night. Recovery is a matter of individual response. Usually you are doing most things within a week with implants placed under the breast and somewhat longer for those under the muscle behind the breast. Painkillers are prescribed for any discomfort you might feel after the anaesthetic wears off.

A breast augmentation consultation is designed to assess the type of procedure and implant that is most suitable for your particular case. It is best if you have not formed a completely preconceived idea of what you want. For example, a submuscular implant placed through the armpit may be appropriate in some women, but if you have moderately sagging breasts due to pregnancy you may be better off with a highly cohesive gel implant placed beneath the breast through an incision in the breast crease. Sometimes sagging breasts may need to be lifted as well as augmented. Your consultation is your chance to discuss your aims with Dr. McLean, to hear what he recommends and to discuss what alternatives are available for you.

Dr. McLean believes that there is no one operation for everyone. He performs breast augmentation by whatever method is best for your individual case and according to the preferences you have following the consultation. He uses any appropriate incision placed either in the crease below the breast, at the edge of the areola around the nipple, in the underarm area or even in the navel. He uses all three types of implant either under or over the muscle depending on the needs and wishes of his patients. The patient determines the size of the implant with Dr. McLean’s help. Everything is designed to try to assure the outcome you desire.

What are the downsides of breast augmentation? You may lose some feeling particularly in the nipple area, and that is sometimes permanent. Implants may hide some of the breast from being seen by a mammogram (X ray), and that could delay detection of a breast cancer. A "capsule" of scar tissue forms around all implants, and sometimes it shrinks down around the implant causing it to feel firm or look distorted. Saline implants can (and probably will) eventually deflate, causing you to want them replaced. As with any surgery infection, bleeding, healing problems and scarring can occur.

Let us dispel some of the myths of breast augmentation:

• Implants do not cause cancer.
• Implants do not have to be replaced every ten years: further surgery is only done if and when indicated.
• Implants have not been shown to cause "connective tissue" disease or diseases such as arthritis, fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue.
• You can breast feed after augmentation, and the implant will not harm the baby.
• You can scuba dive and fly in airplanes without harming your implants.