Breasts (augmentation, reduction, lift)

Q. Is breast augmentation surgery painful?

A. No. After the operation, a slight soreness may occur in the breast region, but it can easily be kept under control by analgesics.

Q. Will breasts look natural after a breast surgery?

A. The effects produced by breast augmentation are similar to natural breasts, provided that the shape and the size of the implant used are adequate for the patient’s body, that they are placed under the pectoral muscle and that no complications occur during implant procedure.

Q. Are breasts that have been operated on recognizable by touch?

A. If the implants are positioned correctly and if there are no reactions by the body (such as implant contraction), surgically enhanced breasts will be very natural to the touch.

Q. After breast augmentation surgery, will I be able to breast-feed?

A. Many women with breast implants breast-feed their children safely. However, breast implants can interfere with the women’s ability to breast-feed if the mammary incision is around the areola.

Q. What happens to breasts that have been operated on during pregnancy?

A. During pregnancy, breasts that have been operated on will behave like normal breasts and, so they will grow and they will be subject to all the usual pregnancy-related changes. The degree of growth will vary with each woman but, obviously, it will be also influenced by the size of the implants.

Q. When will I be able to travel by plane or dive?

A. There are no problems associated with flying or diving with silicon gel implants. Sometimes, if the prosthesis is filled with saline solution (water) it may leak and, thus, deflate if subjected to excessive hydrostatic pressure.

Q. After breast augmentation surgery, will I lose sensitivity in my nipple area?

A. Nipple sensitivity might be reduced or increased after breast augmentation surgery. Very often, this is a temporary situation that seldom becomes permanent.

Q. After surgery, is the use of a bra obligatory or advisable?

A. After surgery, the use of a special bra is advisable for about a month, after which the patient will be free to decide whether to wear a bra or not.

Q. Can I tan after breast surgery?

A. Yes, but you should wait at least two months after the surgical operation and at least after one year if exposing the scar areas caused by the introduction of the implants.

Q. After surgery, when will I be able to do sport again?

A. Normally, after breast augmentation you should wait about a month before resuming any kind of activity, especially sports activity. It is advisable to limit physical activities and exposure to the sun until the incision has completely healed, in order to avoid sweat getting close to the incision during the healing process.

Q. Are silicone implants safe?

A. Yes. Scientific studies have shown that there’s no evidence linking silicone implants to serious illnesses. Women are constantly exposed to silicone every day. In fact, silicone is present in many objects that are normally found at home, such as polishing and tanning substances, hand creams, soap, food and linings.

Q. How do breast implants influence mammograms?

A. Breast implants can complicate mammogram readings only if they are placed above the pectoral muscle (subglandular prosthesis). If, on the contrary, breast implants are placed under the pectoral muscle, the radiologist will have no difficulties in performing the test.

Q. Is it possible to remove implants and if so, how long after the first operation?

A. Yes. Implant removal is an easy surgical operation that can be performed at any stage.

Q. Can silicone implants cause breast cancer?

A. No. Studies have never proved that the presence of silicone implants can cause or increase the likelihood of breast cancer.

Q. Could the introduction of an implant cause stretch marks on the breasts?

A. Only in the event that the implants used are too large on a patient whose skin is not very elastic.

Q. How many kinds of prosthesis are there on the market and what influences their choice?

A. The prosthesis used in breast augmentation are made up of an external silicone cover and by an internal part that can be made of silicone gel or saline solution.

Other substances used in the past, such as soya oil have gradually gone out of use.

Depending on the breast shape that the surgeon wants to create, it is possible to use round, anatomical or drop-shaped implants.

The external surface of mammary prosthesis may be smooth or rough (textured prosthesis). The prosthesis with smooth surface have a slightly softer cover and are less likely to be noticed by the touch. Textured prosthesis are instead a bit firmer and, today, used more than the smooth ones because their “rejection” rate is lower once they are introduced into the mammary region.

Q. How long do breast implants last?

A. The most important implant manufacturers (Mc Ghan, Mentor, Silimed) guarantee breast implants for about ten years, after which they recommend that they are replaced in order to prevent any deformities or deflation of the implants. However if there are no particular problems, implants can be maintained indefinitely with no worries.

Q. I’m 15 and I have already very large breasts. What kind of problems may I have in the future?

A. Mammary hypertrophy, that is the excessive increase of breast volume and weight, can cause troubles such as backache, especially in the cervical and in the lumbar regions, chest pain, sometimes breathing difficulties, ulcerations in the submammary fold and at the level of the bra-straps, as well as psychological and social problems.

Breast reduction surgery can help but we would recommend that you wait until you are fully developped before under-going any surgical procedure.

Q. What causes the excessive increase in breast volume and how can it be reduced? Is a diet enough?

A. For women who are not overweight, excessive breast volume is congenital. In a woman in her 20s, about 50% of breast volume is represented by glandular tissue and about 50% by adipose tissue (fat). As women age, the percentage of glandular tissue diminishes to be replaced by adipose tissue.

To reduce the size of breasts that are considered too large, dieting and physical exercise are not sufficient because they don’t act on the volume of glandular tissue, which can be reduced only through a breast reduction operation.

Q. After breast reduction surgery, will I be allowed to breast-feed normally?

A. The women who have undergone breast reduction surgery may have difficulties in breast-feeding, especially if the reduction has been considerable.

Q. How and where are the incisions made in breast reduction surgery?

A. Depending on the extent of the reduction (small, medium, large), the incisions can be made only around the areola or may extend vertically down to the sub-mammary sulcus and along the lower fold of the breast (the so-called anchor-shaped or inverted T incision). Permanent scars will mostly be hidden by a bra or swimsuit.

Q. Is breast reduction surgery painful?

A. No. After the operation, a slight soreness may occur in the mammary region, but it can easily be kept under control by analgesics.

Q. I’m 38 and after two pregnancies my breasts have become smaller and sagging. What can I do to regain my previous shape?

A. The best operation for you would be a breast-lift, technically called mastopexy. The women who come for this operation are mainly those whose breasts have lost their original shape and volume due to pregnancy, breast-feeding, the forces of gravity and the ageing process.

The mastopexy operation is particularly appropriate for women with small and sagging breasts because, in the case of very large breasts, the cosmetic result achieved may be thwarted afterwards by the effects of gravity. If the patient wishes to lift her sagging breasts and recover lost volume, it is advisable to integrate mastopexy with the introduction of a small breast implant.

Q. I would like to lift my breasts without having implants. Is there an operation providing such a result with no scars?

A. No. The mastopexy operation will necessarily leave scars. To perform the operation, an incision has to be made either around the areola (in small round-block mastopexy), vertically down to the submammary sulcus (vertical scar mastopexy) or along the lower fold of the breast (the so-called inverted T incision or anchor-shaped mastopexy).

Q. Are the scars caused by breast-lift and breast reduction surgery very obvious?

A. Both operations will leave scars whose quality will depend not only on the surgeon’s ability but also and mostly on the patient’s own healing ability.

Breasts (augmentation, reduction, lift)

Q. Is breast augmentation surgery painful?

A. No. After the operation, a slight soreness may occur in the breast region, but it can easily be kept under control by analgesics.

Q. Will breasts look natural after a breast surgery?

A. The effects produced by breast augmentation are similar to natural breasts, provided that the shape and the size of the implant used are adequate for the patient’s body, that they are placed under the pectoral muscle and that no complications occur during implant procedure.

Q. Are breasts that have been operated on recognizable by touch?

A. If the implants are positioned correctly and if there are no reactions by the body (such as implant contraction), the breasts surgically enhanced breasts will be very natural to the touch.

Q. After breast augmentation surgery, will I be able to breast-feed?

A. Many women with breast implants breast-feed their children safely. However, breast implants can interfere with the women’s ability to breast-feeding if the mammary incision is around the areola.

Q. What happens to breasts that have been operated on during pregnancy?

A. During pregnancy, breasts that have been operated on will behave like normal breasts and, so they will grow and they will be subject to all the usual pregnancy-related changes. The degree of growth will vary with each woman but, obviously, it will be also influenced by the size of the implants.

Q. When will I be able to travel by plane or to dive?

A. There are no problems associated with flying or diving with silicon gel implants. Sometimes, if the prosthesis is filled with saline solution (water) it may leak and, thus, deflate if subjected to excessive hydrostatic pressure.

Q. After breast augmentation surgery, will I lose sensitivity in my nipple area?

A. Nipple sensitivity might be reduced or increased after breast augmentation surgery. Very often, this is a temporary situation that seldom becomes permanent.

Q. After surgery, is the use of a bra obligatory or advisable?

A. After surgery, the use of a special bra is advisable for about a month, after which the patient will be free to decide whether to wear a bra or not.

Q. Can I tan after breast surgery?

A. Yes, but you should wait at least two months after the surgical operation and at least after one year if exposing the scar areas caused by the introduction of the implants.

Q. After surgery, when will I be able to do sport again?

A. Normally, after breast augmentation you should wait about a month before resuming any kind of activity, especially sports activity. It is advisable to limit physical activities and exposure to the sun until the incision has completely healed, in order to avoid sweat getting close to the incision during the healing process.

Q. Are silicone implants safe?

A. Yes. Scientific studies have shown that there’s no evidence linking silicone implants to serious illnesses. Women are constantly exposed to silicone every day. In fact, silicone is present in many objects that are normally found at home, such as polishing and tanning substances, hand creams, soap, food and linings.

Q. How do breast implants influence mammograms?

A. Breast implants can complicate mammogram readings only if they are placed above the pectoral muscle (subglandular prosthesis). If, on the contrary, breast implants are placed under the pectoral muscle, the radiologist will have no difficulties in performing the test.

Q. Is it possible to remove implants and if so, how long after the first operation?

A. Yes. Implant removal is an easy surgical operation that can be performed at any stage.

Q. Can silicone implants cause breast cancer?

A. No. Studies have never proved that the presence of silicone implants can cause or increase the likelihood of breast cancer.

Q. Could the introduction of an implant cause stretch marks on the breasts?

A. Only in the event that the implants used are too large on a patient whose skin is not very elastic.

Q. How many kinds of prosthesis are there on the market and what influences their choice?

A. The prosthesis used in breast augmentation are made up of an external silicone cover and by an internal part that can be made of silicone gel or saline solution.

Other substances used in the past, such as soya oil have gradually gone out of use.

Depending on the breast shape that the surgeon wants to create, it is possible to use round, anatomical or drop-shaped implants.

The external surface of mammary prosthesis may be smooth or rough (textured prosthesis). The prosthesis with smooth surface have a slightly softer cover and are less likely to be noticed by the touch. Textured prosthesis are instead a bit firmer and, today, used more than the smooth ones because their “rejection” rate is lower once they are introduced into the mammary region.

Q. How long do breast implants last?

A. The most important implant manufacturers (Mc Ghan, Mentor, Silimed) guarantee breast implants for about ten years, after which they recommend that they are replaced in order to prevent any deformities or deflation of the implants. However if there are no particular problems, implants can be maintained indefinitely with no worries.

Q. I’m 15 and I have already very large breasts. What kind of problems may I have in the future?

A. Mammary hypertrophy, that is the excessive increase of breast volume and weight, can cause troubles such as backache, especially in the cervical and in the lumbar regions, chest pain, sometimes breathing difficulties, ulcerations in the submammary fold and at the level of the bra-straps, as well as psychological and social problems.

Breast reduction surgery can help but we would recommend that you wait until you are fully developped before under-going any surgical procedure.

Q. What causes the excessive increase in breast volume and how can it be reduced? Is a diet enough?

A. For women who are not overweight, excessive breast volume is congenital. In a woman in her 20s, about 50% of breast volume is represented by glandular tissue and about 50% by adipose tissue (fat). As women age, the percentage of glandular tissue diminishes to be replaced by adipose tissue.

To reduce the size of breasts that are considered too large, dieting and physical exercise are not sufficient because they don’t act on the volume of glandular tissue, which can be reduced only through a breast reduction operation.

Q. After breast reduction surgery, will I be allowed to breast-feed normally?

A. The women who have undergone breast reduction surgery may have difficulties in breast-feeding, especially if the reduction has been considerable.

Q. How and where are the incisions made in breast reduction surgery?

A. Depending on the extent of the reduction (small, medium, large), the incisions can be made only around the areola or may extend vertically down to the sub-mammary sulcus and along the lower fold of the breast (the so-called anchor-shaped or inverted T incision). Permanent scars will mostly be hidden by a bra or swimsuit.

Q. Is breast reduction surgery painful?

A. No. After the operation, a slight soreness may occur in the mammary region, but it can easily be kept under control by analgesics.

Q. I’m 38 and after two pregnancies my breasts have become smaller and sagging. What can I do to regain my previous shape?

A. The best operation for you would be a breast-lift, technically called mastopexy. The women who come for this operation are mainly those whose breasts have lost their original shape and volume due to pregnancy, breast-feeding, the forces of gravity and the ageing process.

The mastopexy operation is particularly appropriate for women with small and sagging breasts because, in the case of very large breasts, the cosmetic result achieved may be thwarted afterwards by the effects of gravity. If the patient wishes to lift her sagging breasts and recover lost volume, it is advisable to integrate mastopexy with the introduction of a small breast implant.

Q. I would like to lift my breasts without having implants. Is there an operation providing such a result with no scars?

A. No. The mastopexy operation will necessarily leave scars. To perform the operation, an incision has to be made either around the areola (in small round-block mastopexy), vertically down to the submammary sulcus (vertical scar mastopexy) or along the lower fold of the breast (the so-called inverted T incision or anchor-shaped mastopexy).

Q. Are the scars caused by breast-lift and breast reduction surgery very obvious?

A. Both operations will leave scars whose quality will depend not only on the surgeon’s ability but also and mostly on the patient’s own healing ability.