Breast Augmentation Melbourne

Why consider a Breast augmentation? | Breast augmentation surgery consultation | Breast augmentation surgery | Recovery period | Book Consultation

Why Consider Breast Augmentation

NorthEast Plastic Surgery offer bespoke breast augmentation (mammoplasty) procedures at our Melbourne Practice.

Breast augmentation is a technique used to increase size and optimise the shape of the breasts using either silicone breast implants, or where appropriate and possible, your own fat tissue. The surgery can restore proportion to patients who have under-developed breasts or who have lost breast volume following pregnancy, lactation, weight loss or hormonal fluctuations. Breast augmentation can also address asymmetry of breast volume in those who have developmental or post-mastectomy deformity.

Breast Augmentation Surgery Consultation

The decision to undergo breast augmentation surgery is significant and adjustment to change in appearance needs be considered in addition to the process of post-operative recovery.

Aims

At our Melbourne Practice, a consultation will be undertaken to determine your desired outcome. The surgeon will identify potential limitations to breast augmentation surgery which can include; skin quality, breast ptosis (sagginess), breast volume, and chest wall soft tissue cover.

During the consultation, the Surgeon will cover issues which need to be considered before undergoing surgery. These may include:

• Desired breast size – While this is a very individual decision, it is critical that the desired breast size is determined as accurately as possible pre-operatively as ‘under-sizing’ may result in disappointment and ‘over-sizing’ may lead to feelings of self-consciousness. During pre-operative consultations, crop top exercise bras and appropriate sized implants will be discussed and trialled to complement the desired aesthetic outcome and individual body morphology.
• Implant shape – Breast implants vary from round to tear drop in shape and their suitability depends on numerous factors including your desired aesthetic outcome following surgery. Your surgeon will discuss this with you and show you pre and post-operative images to illustrate the different cosmetic outcomes achievable with different implant shapes.
• Implant type – Currently, cohesive silicone gel implants are most frequently used in breast augmentation as saline implants may result in a worse aesthetic outcome over time. Evolving implant technology has led to the surface of the silicone gel implants being variable in nature. The significance of this will be discussed during the consultation with your Surgeon as it impacts directly on the implant selection you choose.
• Implant position – Breast implants can be positioned sub-glandular (behind the breast), sub-pectoral (behind the pectoralis major muscle), or dual plane (a combination of the two methods). Each method produces a different aesthetic outcome, especially in patients who have some breast ptosis (sagginess) of the breast. Some patients may also consider a breast lift procedure as part of their augmentation to achieve the desired outcome. This will be discussed at the consultation.
• Scar – An inframammary approach (inserted via incisions placed in the fold under the breast) is the most commonly used incision. Incisions can also be made at the junction of the areolar and breast skin (periareolar) or through the axilla (transaxillary).

Past Medical History

It is important that the Surgeon is made aware of previous surgery and history of scarring, along with significant medical history including breast cancers history, past or future planned pregnancies, breastfeeding history and breast imaging with mammography and ultrasound studies.

In addition, you should also disclose any tendencies for easy bruising and excessive bleeding, deep venous clots involving the legs, your history of all prescription and non-prescription medication, allergies to anaesthetic agents, antibiotics and dressings, history of smoking and psychological or psychiatric issues. These issues are important to raise with the surgeon, as they have the potential to affect the surgery, anaesthesia, and recovery.

Pre-operative Management

The goal of the pre-operative process is to minimise the risk of complications during the procedure and recovery process.

Further medical consultation may be required in preparation for surgery, including further blood tests and adjustment of certain medications (such as blood thinning agents). This will assist your surgeon to gain a complete picture of your physical health and further minimise any risks during surgery.

Your surgeon may also advise you to cease certain medication two weeks before and after your surgery, including:

• The oral contraceptive pill
• Aspirin
• Disprin
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication such as Nurofen
• Certain herbal medications, such as fish oil, garlic, and ginseng

All smokers will be advised to cease smoking six weeks prior to and after surgery to reduce the risk of surgical wound complications and anaesthesia. The use of products containing nicotine, such as patches and gum should also stop two weeks prior to and after surgery.

Risks

The breast augmentation procedure carries some specific risks, including but not limited to:

• implant failure/rupture
• asymmetry
• changes in nipple sensation
• capsular contracture (internal scar tissue constricting the breast implant)
• implant visibility or palpability

Risks common to all surgical operations include:

Problem scarring such as;

• keloid scarring (overgrowth of scar tissue)
• hypertrophic scars (raised scars)

Wound complications such as;

• infection
• wound breakdown
• haematoma formation (bleeding)
• seroma formation (tissue fluid collection)

Further medical treatment (including further surgery) may be required to address complications.

Informed Consent

Consent to breast augmentation surgery should only be given at the end of the consultation process, when you have had the opportunity to raise any questions or concerns with your surgeon. At this stage, you will also be able to discuss the cost of your procedure.

Cost

In line with the Guidelines for advertising of regulated health services by the Australian Medical Board, we do not include a cost per procedure on our website.

Part of your consultation will be to discuss the cost of breast augmentation. We can provide approximate costs for out of pocket costs before your initial consultation including any applicable Medicare rebate. We are happy to provide these by phone on 03 9088 5000 or via enquiry through our website.

Consultation Cost

There is a cost for an initial consultation at our Melbourne clinic, with the potential to receive a portion of this back via Medicare where eligible for rebate, provided you have a referral from your GP.

Breast Augmentation Surgery

The procedure is performed through an inframammary incision under general anaesthetic administered by Specialist Anaesthetists in an accredited hospital. The surgeon will discuss the nature of the incisions and subsequent scars required during your consultation.

NorthEast Plastic Surgery does not administer twilight sedation, which has been associated with adverse clinical outcomes.

The wounds are repaired with internal dissolving stitches which do not require removal. Drainage tubes may be required to drain tissue fluid and blood.

At the completion of surgery a waterproof dressing is applied which is suited to showering and a tubigrip (boob tube) or post-surgical brassiere is applied to minimise soft tissue swelling.

Recovery Period

It is important that access to medical attention is available by telephone once you have been discharged. Issues about which your surgeon needs to be made aware urgently include pain uncontrolled by medication, bleeding to the extent that the dressings soak through with blood, temperatures exceeding 38 degrees Celsius, redness of the skin or any concerns related to the surgery.

Patients are usually discharged on the same day to the care of an adult. Before you go home, you’ll be given appropriate pain medication and antibiotics to reduce the risk of infection and minimise your discomfort.

The surgeon needs to be made urgently aware of post-operative issues including:

• Pain not controlled by the medication
• Redness of the breast skin
• Temperatures exceeding 38 degrees Celsius
• Bleeding to the extent that the dressings soak through with blood, or
• Any other concerns related to the surgery.

Swelling and bruising usually increase three to five days post-surgery and then improves between five to ten days. In some instances, soft tissue swelling may take several months to subside completely. As such, the aesthetic result of breast augmentation surgery may not be appreciated for many months.

Normal sensation of the breast and nipples usually returns over a few months, although permanent loss of nipple sensation can occur in approximately one to two percent of patients.

If required, dressings will be changed during post-operative visits. Wounds will take approximately two weeks to heal.

During this time, you should move with care to assist the wound healing process. Resumptions of physical activity such as walking for exercise can commence three weeks after surgery, progressing to normal exercise including running and swimming at six weeks. It is important to avoid breast trauma from being knocked or hit accidentally for six weeks after surgery. Return to work can be anticipated after two weeks.

During your post-operative consultations, you’ll also be given instructions on swelling and scar management strategies to help you achieve an optimal result in an efficient and safe manner. While your surgeon will make every attempt to minimize the extent of your scarring, scar formation is an individual phenomenon and will vary according to the patient and the extent of the procedure.

Second Opinion

Mr Patrick Tansley MD FRCS (Plast) and Dr Sugitha Seneviratne FRACS (Plast) provide second opinion to patients seeking to address previous cosmetic plastic surgery problems and revisions for already ‘botched’ surgery. If you would like a second opinion on previously undertaken surgery, book a consultation to discuss this with one or both of our surgeons.