Breast augmentation is the most common plastic surgery procedure carried out aroudn the world after liposuction and is usually performed to increase the size, correct the shape or after a reconstruction due to previous cancer.
It is very important to mention that this surgery is more than aesthetics and is related to self-esteem of patients as the breasts involve a large part of the femininity and generally generates confidence and security for women. To think of a woman’s attractiveness based on any physical part of the body is so prehistoric, but it is reality that plastic surgeries could lead to feeling better and when they are performed by professionals, are definitely seen from other points of view.
What we pretend with this column is giving alternatives with professional care once a patient is thinking of doing something to improve their body and health. Merida has many professionals who could help with this procedure, taking a look first if the patient is a candidate for the surgery as sometimes the skin does not fit with the desirable size, and here is where the problems may start if a woman does not go with the right surgeon.
There are many kinds of surgeries related to breast augmentation, so once the patient has her first consultation and the doctor determined she is a candidate for the procedure, we should start thinking of the way the incision will be done. There are two types to consider: peri-areolar (around the areola) or infra-mammary (below the gland near the fold). The next step after the decision is made is the space where to place the implant. The two options recommended are: sub-glandular and sub-muscular. The sub-glandular is recommended when the patient wants a more striking and bulky neckline, and the sub-glandular when they look for a less pronounced neckline. The common question here would be… which one is better? The real answer is that no one is better because it depends on the result that the patients are looking for at the cleavage line.
Breast Augmentation Surgery (Photo: theplasticsurgerychannel.com)
In a breast-reconstruction procedure, within a multi-stage reconstruction-mammoplasty, a tissue expander (a temporary breast-implant device) is placed and used to prepare (shape and enlarge) the recipient site (implant-pocket) to receive and accommodate the breast implant prosthesis. There are other types of augmentation and the patients should be aware of that. That is the non-implant breast-augmentation procedure, where some fat-graft injection approaches feature tissue-engineering, which is the pre-operative, external expansion of the tissues of the recipient site to receive the grafts of adipocyte tissue drawn from the woman’s body. In most instances of fat-graft breast augmentation the increase is of medium volume – usually one brassière cup-size or less – which usually is the physiologic limit allowed by the metabolism of the woman’s body.
Breast Augmentation (Photo: JE Lixa)
There are surgeries that can be planned to be performed under an ambulatory system, which means that after the surgery and the complete recovery of the patient, she will be able to go home walking. Breast augmentations are usually performed under regional anesthesia, anesthetizing only the area, which leads to a faster recovering. However there are situations where the surgery must be performed under general anesthesia, especially for those patients with much anxiety and nervousness, which is totally understandable. To retreat the points we should wait for 15 days until the patient is able to show off her new breasts, but the reality is that the surgery can take 3-6 months until the final aesthetic result, so the recommendation is to avoid the change of wardrobe until that time.
This might be another reason why the first months of the year are chosen to perform the surgery, considering summer and winter are far away enough to obtain the expected results.
Breast Augmentation (Photo: JE Lixa)
The cosmetic surgery world is full of tricksters. On a medical tourism point of view we encourage you to be very careful to go to professional and certificated plastic surgeons. We have seen recently many wrong procedures around the world that lead to awful aesthetic results but more importantly to serious health diseases when using injections or illegal substances either for price or for external reasons. The two implants certified by FDA are the silicone gel implants and the saline solution. It is important to make sure what are the materials and the brands the doctor is using in order to make the right decision. Unfortunately, statistics show that 1 of 7 women are suffering breast cancer in the world. Deformities could be fixed not only on the breasts, but also in the armpit area, the edges and damaged tissue; here is the importance of plastic surgeons to determine other aesthetic results than the size of the breasts.
As this could be a large matter of discussion and considering this as an “optional surgery”, it is certain that insurances do not consider the surgery under their benefits. This is also another thing to think about when taking the step. Many places in the United States could perform the surgeries with prices between $7,000 to $10,000 US dollars. If you are on the track, you should definitely check out what we have with the same quality… and why not, adding some vacation to the list.
By José Enrique Lixa
Click here for a list of highly qualified specialists in Mérida, Yucatán
José Enrique Lixa has a marketing degree from Mérida’s Universidad Marista.
He is a member of the Parque Tecnia Anáhuac entrepreneurs network with 10 years of experience as consultant and promoter of international business in the State of Yucatan.
Exhibitor at more than 50 international events promoting Yucatan.
Manager and facilitator of Medical Tourism in the State of Yucatán
Collaborator and adviser to the Canadian Healthcare Council based in Ottawa.
Collaborator of the local company Yucatán Medical Services.
Active participant since 2013 in the events of the Medical Tourism Association, Destination Health Canada and other Medical Tourism Congresses in Mexico.
- Email: [email protected]
- Ph. +52 1 9991 75 00 53
