Breast Augmentation Procedure Details Newport Beach

Details of Your Breast Enlargement Plastic Surgery Procedure

Breast augmentation usually takes one to one and a half hours to perform. After you have changed into a gown and had your intravenous line started, Dr. Agha will mark certain landmarks on your chest in the pre-operative area. This ensures proper implant placement and symmetry. He will also review the entire operative plan with you, including incision, location, implant type and size, and potential complications. You will then be given a dose of intravenous antibiotics as a precautionary measure.

What happens during breast augmentation surgery?

Step 1 – Anesthesia

Medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedure. The choices include intravenous sedation and general anesthesia. After initiation of anesthesia in the operating room, Dr. Agha will inject a solution of local anesthetics at the intended incision site and into the muscle under which the implants will be placed. This injection solution consists of a combination of lidocaine, marcaine, and epinephrine. The lidocaine and marcaine will numb the surgical site for several hours after the surgery and decrease your sensation of post-operative pain. The epinephrine causes constriction of the blood vessels at the surgical site, reducing the potential for bleeding and bruising.

Step 2 – The Incision

Next, Newport Beach plastic surgeon Dr. Agha will make the incisions necessary for placement of the implants in inconspicuous areas to minimize visible scarring. A pocket is then created by gently and meticulously dissecting the tissues beneath the breasts or (more commonly) beneath the muscle. The pocket for the implant is centered beneath the nipple-areola complex. The pocket is then washed with irrigation fluid containing three different types of antibiotics to minimize potential infection.

Step 3 – Implant Preparation

The implant will be soaked in irrigation fluid containing three different types of antibiotics to minimize potential infection. The implant will then be prepared under sterile conditions for insertion into its corresponding pocket. For saline implants, the implants are first checked for integrity. Then the air within the implant is removed completely and replaced with a small volume of sterile saline. The implant is then rolled and inserted into the pocket. Silicone gel implants come pre-filled and do not require filling in the operating room. Dr. Agha uses a “no touch” technique when placing the implants into the pocket. This includes using new sterile towels to drape around the breasts, changing his gloves, washing the outer surface of the new gloves and the breast with a solution containing antibiotics, and minimizing the implant contact with the adjacent breast skin around the incision. This minimizes the possibility of any foreign material coming into contact with the implant and potentially causing infection.

Step 4 – Implant Fill

During the filling process of saline implants, Dr. Agha uses a “closed-fill system” to inflate the implants with sterile saline. The saline flows from a sterile bag through sterile tubing directly into the implant. Orange County plastic surgeon Dr. Agha feels that this additional precaution prevents contamination of the saline by bacteria. For silicone implants, this step is not needed. After the implants have been filled, Dr. Agha will temporarily close your incision and will sit you up on the operating table to check symmetry of breast shape, form, and volume. Once the desired outcome is obtained, the incisions are permanently closed.

Step 5- Closing the Incisions

Incisions are carefully closed with absorbable sutures to minimize scarring. Over time the incision lines will fade. A sterile dressing is applied to the incisions, and a soft surgical bra is placed over your breasts.