Breast Augmentation
The surgery offers other benefits however, including improving the shape and contour of your breasts, restoring lost volume and a more youthful appearance and correcting asymmetrical breasts.
Breast Lift
A breast augmentation, also known as a boob job, is commonly considered as a means of increasing the size of one’s breasts. The surgery offers other benefits however, including improving the shape and contour of your breasts, restoring lost volume and a more youthful appearance and correcting asymmetrical breasts.
Boob Job NZ
In the same way that fashion and technology have evolved over the decades, so too have breast implants. Dr Collins uses implants that are specifically designed to adapt to your movements, so that you can achieve the most natural look and feel possible. The implants have a high safety profile, supported by reputable scientific data. They come in a range of sizes and shapes and can be placed under or over the muscle. During the consultation process, Dr Collins will discuss the most appropriate options for you, based on your body shape and on your desired result.
The surgery is performed under general anaesthetic. The standard incision is hidden along the natural curve of your breast. Initially, your new breasts may feel quite firm and it can take a number of weeks for them to settle into a more natural shape and position. A breast augmentation can be performed as a standalone procedure or it can combined with other procedures such as a breast lift (augmentation mastopexy) abdominoplasty (mommy makeover) and/or liposuction.
In the current era, breast implants can last for decades without causing any issues. Indeed, the technology has developed to such an extent that implant companies now offer a warranty against rupture for the lifetime of the device. It is more likely that changes in your breast size and shape as a result of pregnancy, breastfeeding and/or ageing will prompt you to seek revision surgery, rather than your implants becoming problematic.
FAQs
There are two types of breast implants available; silicone and saline. Both types have an outer silicone shell, but differ in the filler material and consistency. Saline implants contain sterile salt water, whereas silicone implants contain medical-grade silicone, a cohesive fluid which resembles the feel of human fat. Silicone implants are more popular, as they look and feel more like natural breast tissue.
Your breast size post-operatively will be determined following a thorough consultation process with Dr Collins. This includes a clinical examination and a trial of sizers appropriate for your body shape.
This is a personal choice. Round implants tend to create a fuller cleavage. Tear drop implants are smaller at the top and have more volume at the bottom, in order to emulate the breasts’ naturally sloping appearance.
Whether your implants are placed under (sub-muscular) or over (sub-glandular) the muscle depends on a number of factors including your body type, the implant characteristics and your individual goals and desires.
Patients with sub-glandular implants tend to experience less implant movement during physical activity, as well as less discomfort immediately after the surgery. The sub-glandular position is associated with a higher rate of capsular contracture, which occurs when the scar tissue or capsule that normally forms around the implant tightens and squeezes it.
Sub-muscular implants are placed partially under the pectoralis major chest muscle. This produces a more natural appearance and is associated with a lower rate of capsular contracture. The recovery time is longer however, and patients with sub-muscular implants tend to experience more discomfort in the early post-operative period.
Yes. Fat grafting involves harvesting fat from one part of your body via liposuction and transferring it to another. When transferred to the breasts, fat offers an alternative to implants to improve shape and contour, restore lost volume and correct any asymmetry that may be present.
You are more likely to experience discomfort and a heavy sensation on your chest rather than sharp pain following a breast augmentation. Dr Collins will ensure you have adequate pain relief to deal with this.
No. Dr Collins uses dissolvable sutures to close the wounds.
After your surgery you will be provided with a surgical bra. You will be asked to wear this day and night for the first three weeks, then during the day only for a further three weeks. It is important to keep the wounds clean and dry for a week post-operatively and tape the scars with surgical tape for six weeks. The latter ensures the best possible cosmetic result.
Your return to work will be determined by what type of job you do. In general, most patients require a week off post-operatively, though heavy lifting should be avoided for six weeks.
Dr Collins encourages her patients to resume walking early in the post-operative period. It is advisable to avoid the gym for the first week at least. After one week you can commence gym activities that focus on your legs, but avoid upper body work. Once six weeks have passed, you can resume your normal work-out routine. It is important that you ease back into it, however, to avoid injury as a result of deconditioning. By three months, you should be close to your pre-operative fitness levels.
Most women with breast implants are able to breastfeed. Breastfeeding won’t adversely affect your implants but the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy and breastfeeding can result in changes in the size and shape of your breasts. As a result you may wish to undergo revision surgery after your family is complete.
There is no association between breast implants and breast cancer. Breast Implant Associated-Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is a type of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that has been linked to both silicone and saline breast implants. It is more commonly associated with textured implants and the current estimated lifetime risk in patients with such implants is between1:2,207 and 1:86,029. It manifests on average 8 to 10 years after surgery. Common symptoms include breast enlargement, pain, asymmetry, lumps in the breast or armpit or a large fluid collection. Treatment generally involves removing the implant and surrounding capsule. When caught early, BIA-ALCL is curable in most patients.
Previously, silicone implants have been linked to diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. In 1992, this led to a temporary ban on the use of silicone implants for cosmetic reasons in the USA. Since then, years of extensive scientific research have confirmed that there is absolutely no association between autoimmune diseases and silicone breast implants.
Poly Implant Prothese or PIP implants were introduced by a French company in 1991. They were filled with substandard, industrial silicone and had a weak surrounding shell. As a result they were associated with high rates of rupture and leakage and have since been withdrawn from the market.
After your consultation, Dr Collins will provide you with a personal estimate which will include hospital and anaesthetic costs, in addition to her surgical fee. A breast augmentation costs between $10,000 to $12,000 plus the cost of the implants (approximately $3,500). Additional, simultaneous procedures will incur additional costs.