Revising Ideas About Breast Augmentation
by Barb Manson
Breast augmentation is one of the first procedures that comes to mind when most people think of plastic surgery, but is it all it’s cracked up to be? It seems more and more women are undergoing this cosmetic plastic surgery procedure in Ottawa and across North America, and for many patients, it’s not their first experience with breast enhancement surgery.
I remember the first time a friend of mine underwent breast augmentation, and I can’t help but think of how my attitude and that of my friends has changed from skeptical to casual. We’re not alone in this evolution of ideas about cosmetic enhancement. Plastic surgery is widely gaining acceptance and popularity, even among the most unconvinced of critics. Because breast augmentation is arguably the most recognizable plastic surgery procedure, I decided to look at how ideas about this procedure have shifted over the past decade.
My first experience with breast augmentation and cosmetic surgery in general was when a good friend received the procedure as her high school graduation gift about 10 years ago. I knew my friend was insecure about the appearance of her breasts, and I was happy she was doing something to improve her self-image, but I also wondered if she would regret the procedure at some point later in her life.
Fast-forward to present day, and my friend couldn’t be happier with her decision. In fact, she’s returning to the same plastic surgery practice she went to 10 years prior for breast augmentation revision. If she was so happy with her original results, why was she “revising” them and why was she turning to the same surgeon?
Well, turns out I had a lot to catch up on. Over the past decade, there have been significant developments in implant technology and procedural techniques. I started searching online for cosmetic plastic surgery practices in Ottawa with websites that could provide answers to my questions. Turns out, it wasn’t so difficult to find exactly what I was looking for.
Dr. Howard J. Silverman of Ottawa Plastic Surgeryprovides a breast augmentation FAQ page and before-and-after photos of his patients. I was shocked to see how natural the results looked.
I continued my search with online patient review sites, such as RealSelf, where I learned that many patients undergo breast augmentation revision not because they were unhappy with their original results, but because they simply want to upgrade their implants. My friend fit in this category, and she was open about her cosmetic goals that accompanied her second breast enhancement procedure.
She said undergoing breast augmentation gave her a new sense of confidence that translated to more open relationships with her family and friends. As happy as she was with her original results, she explained that new technology means that she will be able to correct small areas of concern that she previously couldn’t. She was replacing her saline implants with silicone cohesive gel implants that would give her a more natural appearance.
After looking into the topic of breast augmentation a little more carefully, I realized that cosmetic surgery underwent a major facelift over the past decade. Women and men are becoming more open about their use of cosmetic enhancement, and surgery is becoming safer and more accurate. I may not be ready for a nip or tuck yet, but I’m certainly not ruling out the potential to join the growing number of plastic surgery patients.
