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Plastic surgery has made it possible to transform just about every part of the body, from the nose to the thighs and almost everything in between. For women who would like larger breasts for cosmetic reasons, there is breast augmentation surgery, which places implants under the breast tissue or chest muscle to increase the breast size. Women who have small breasts, or whose breasts have lost their fullness after pregnancy or weight loss, may be candidates for breast implants.

Although breast implants can be used for reconstructive purposes (for example, after the breasts are removed because of cancer), this article covers cosmetic breast augmentation only. It discusses the types of breast implants available, the procedures used, and the complications that can occur.

Cosmetic Surgery: Before-and-After Pictures

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Types of Breast Implants

There are two types of breast implants: saline and silicone.

Saline-filled implants are silicone shells filled with sterile salt water (saline). Silicone-filled implants are silicone shells filled with a plastic gel (silicone). Although many women say that silicone implants feel more like real breasts than saline, they pose more of a risk if they leak.

In 1992, the FDA halted the sale of silicone implants because of safety concerns. But in 2006, after reviewing additional research, the FDA allowed two manufacturers -- Mentor and Allergan -- to sell silicone implants.

How much breast implants cost depends on the location, doctor, and type of implant used. Typically, the surgery will range from $5,000 to $10,000. Because it is considered a cosmetic procedure, breast augmentation is usually not covered by medical insurance.

How the Breast Implant Procedure Is Performed

Because the breasts can continue to develop until a woman reaches her late teens or early 20s, the FDA requires that women be at least 18 years old to get breast augmentation with saline-filled implants, and at least 22 years old to receive silicone implants.

Before your breast implant procedure, you will meet with your surgeon for a medical evaluation. You may be asked to stop taking certain medications a few days or weeks before your surgery. Breast augmentation can be performed as an outpatient procedure, or you may stay overnight in the hospital.

You will likely be given general anesthesia, in which you are asleep and pain-free. The incision may be made under the breast, under the arm, or around the nipple, depending on your body, the type of implant, and how much enlargement is being done.

The breast implant is inserted into a pocket either above or below the chest muscle. After the implant is in place, the surgeon closes the incisions with sutures or surgical tape. The entire procedure takes between one and two hours.

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