Breast augmentation

A beautiful, full bosom is a sign of fertility, health and female attractiveness in most cultures. For many women, not having the bust they want can lead to a loss of self-confidence. Few procedures improve female self-esteem as much as breast augmentation.

If you are bothered by your breasts being too small or if the volume of your breasts has decreased due to pregnancy, breastfeeding or weight loss, breast augmentation (or augmentative mammoplasty) may be a solution. Women in whom one or both breasts are incompletely developed or have an abnormal shape (e.g. tubular breasts) are also eligible for breast augmentation.

Breast augmentation is performed when breast development is complete (usually from 18 years of age)

Breast augmentation is done under general anaesthesia and takes an average of 75-90 minutes. Antibiotics are administered intravenously to avoid infection. Through a small incision in the breast fold, areola or armpit, the volume of the breast (behind the mammary gland or behind the pectoral muscle) is increased. The incision is carefully closed with absorbable sutures. A few hours after surgery, you can return home (day hospital admission).

You need to arrange transport to return home from the hospital. A supportive sports bra should be worn for 6-8 weeks after the surgery. Showering is allowed immediately after surgery. High fever and chest redness may indicate an infection and should be reported to your attending surgeon immediately. Pain after the procedure (mainly the first week after surgery) is normal, especially if the breast augmentation was performed behind the pectoral muscle. Post-operative pain is best controlled with painkillers prescribed by your physician. After one week, light (domestic and administrative) work is possible. A ten-day holiday after undergoing breast augmentation is no luxury. Intensive sports should be avoided for six weeks.

A 3D simulation of the intended result is possible, but this is not done by default.

The possible (but rare) complications of breast augmentation include:

• Post-operative bleeding: fortunately this only occurs rarely. The drainage tubes remove the excess blood via the armpit. Very rarely, a haematoma (post-operative bleeding) may need to be removed surgically. It is recommended that you do not take aspirin derivatives after surgery to avoid post-operative bleeding.
• Infection: very rare, except in smokers and diabetics. Stopping smoking a few weeks before and after surgery is definitely recommended. Good glycaemic controls in diabetics are also indispensable. High fever and chest redness after the procedure may indicate an infection and should be reported to your attending surgeon immediately.
• Thromboembolisms: DVT or clot formation in the calves due to immobilisation during surgery and lung embolisms have become a rarity due to preventive measures (compression stockings for the calves and, in high-risk patients, the administration of a light blood thinner (heparin derivative) just before and immediately after the surgery.
• Late seroma: Breast swelling due to fluid accumulation. This is not really unusual immediately after surgery and disappears spontaneously. Very rarely, several months after surgery, swelling may occur without an obvious cause, which should be treated surgically.
• Capsular contracture. A small proportion of patients eventually develop a hardening of the scar tissue, also known as capsule formation. This capsule can contract and cause breast contracture. In some cases, additional operation must be performed to loosen this capsule. The exact cause of this phenomenon is not yet known. The risk of capsular formation is reduced with a breast augmentation behind the pectoral muscle and through the breast fold, the pre-operative administration of antibiotics, sterile surgical techniques and the use of drains to remove excess blood.

Depending on the technique used, your breasts may have a round or a teardrop-shaped appearance after breast augmentation. The anatomical ‘teardrop shape' gives the most natural result as it best approximates the natural shape of a breast.

Bilateral breast augmentation is an aesthetic procedure that is not reimbursed by health insurance.

Only in selected cases of breast asymmetry due to unilateral reduced breast development can part of the costs be reimbursed, provided that prior approval from the health insurance fund is obtained.

Latest publication date: 13/08/2024
Supervising author: Dr Vertriest Rudolf