Breast Augmentation Overview - Frequently Asked Questions - Photos (Before & After)       Women choose to have breast augmentation for a variety of reasons. For some, they simply want to increase their breast size. Others desire to restore their breast size or shape that has been changed by pregnancy. Procedure Overview Breast augmentation is performed to enhance the size and shape of the breast. This is achieved by placement of a prosthetic implant beneatht the overlying breast tissue. The implant consists of a silastic shell filled with either saline (salt water) or silicone. Three incision choices are generally used; around the nipple, beneath the breast, or in the underarm. The incisions beneath the breast or around the nipple are preferred by Dr. Yates as perfect symmetry of the implant pockets is more consistently achieved. The implant can be placed either above or below the pectoral muscles, although most patients benefit from placement beneath the muscle. Advantages for placement beneath the muscle include improved implant coverage and a more natural appearing breast particularly for patients with modest breast volume. The major advantage for placement above the muscle includes decreased postoperative discomfort and easier recovery. The ultimate size of the breast is dependent upon the volume of the patients breast tissue in addition to the size of the implant used. It is important that the size of implant is carefully chosen to achieve this goal. We will use a variety of methods to arrive at this volume including reviewing patient photos, "trying on" implants of various sizes, and reviewing photos brought by the patient of "ideal" breast size or aesthetics. When the breasts have a significant amount of droop, a breast lift is often required to achieve optimal results.