Breast augmentation is one of the most sought after plastic surgery procedures. Women of all ages, sizes and walks of life get breast augmentation. For some women the choice is a matter of looking better, for others it may be a way to aid recovery after breast cancer. Whatever the reason, it is still surgery. Surgery should always be taken seriously and before undergoing this surgical procedure a women should know as much as they can about it.

Breast augmentation is surgery to enhance or change the size or shape of the breast. Women seeking this procedure are cautioned to understand that it will not solve problems they may be having in their life. Unrealistic expectations regarding breast augmentation can lead a woman to regretting her decision. What breast augmentation can do is help the way you see and feel about yourself.

There was once a lot of media attention directed towards breast implants. Silicone implants were found to be susceptible to leakage which could cause health problems. Today the only approved implants are saline implants. Saline is a natural product already found in the body and leakage, if any, is not threatening. Other concerns, however, are still present with saline as with silicone.

There are always risks with surgery. General risks can range from infection to anesthesia problems. Complications that are specific to breast augmentation include, loss of sensation, problems being able to breastfeed in the future, and hardening of the implant. The most common complications are breast pain and numbness. The most serious complications that can occur are toxic shock syndrome, implants breaking the skin and skin dying.

The long term look at breast augmentation shows that many patients will have a need for at least one additional surgery within 10 years. There have not been studies to indicate how long an implant will last, but it is proven that they can break.

Breast augmentation is an expensive procedure. Most insurance companies do not cover this surgery. It is very important to understand why you want the surgery, what results can be achieved and what long term effects can occur. Reversing the surgery means extra pain and money.