Terms to Know Before Your Breast Augmentation

Mar 30, 2016 | Breast Augmentation, Uncategorized

A breast augmentation consultation is the time for you and your physician to sit down, get comfortable, and discuss your procedure. During a consultation, Dr. Brantner will explain the procedure, discuss the best way to achieve your goals, and answer any questions you may have about surgery or recovery. Dr. Brantner does his best to make each patient feel comfortable and knowledgeable during her consultation. You can make the surgical process even easier by learning these common breast augmentation terms.

Terms to Know: Breast Augmentation Edition

• Areola: The pigmented ring of skin around the nipple.
• Breast augmentation: Also known as augmentation mammaplasty or breast implant surgery, breast augmentation is a surgical procedure to enlarge the breasts. You may hear Dr. Brantner refer to this procedure as a “breast auggie” or simply “auggie.”
• Breast implants: Medical devices placed in the chest wall to enlarge or reconstruct the breasts. Made of silicone or saline.
• Saline implants: Implants filled with saltwater.
• Silicone implants: Implants filled with elastic gel.
• Submammary/subglandular placement: Breast implants placed behind the breast tissue and over the pectoral muscle.
• Submuscular/subpectoral placement: Breast implants placed beneath the pectoral muscle.
• General anesthesia: Drugs or gasses typically used during surgery to sedate a patient, relieve pain, or stimulate unconsciousness.
• Local anesthesia: Drugs injected around the site of the operation to relieve pain.
• Intravenous sedation: Sedatives injected into a vein through an IV to help patients relax.
• Hematoma: Blood pooling beneath the skin.
• Inframammary incision: An incision made beneath the fold of the breast.
• Periareolar incision: An incision made around the nipple, just at the edge of the areola.
• Transaxillary incision: An incision made in the armpit.
• Sutures: Stitches used to hold together skin and tissue while the body repairs itself.

Call Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery to schedule a consultation, request information about a procedure, or schedule your surgery.

Breast Anatomy