Information on Breast Enlargement

I want breast enlargement surgery. Who do I trust?

In 2005, The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), the UK’s register for the most accredited and experienced plastic surgeons says its members carried out 22,041 surgical procedures in the UK last year - up by more than one third since 2004. The equivalent governing body, BAPRAS, formerly BAPS also saw a significant rise in operations carried out. This doesn’t include the operations carried out by the high street companies who’s surgeons are not members of BAAPS or BAPRAS.

With more and more people turning to the cosmetic surgeon’s knife to enlarge their breasts, it is little wonder that the UK has seen a surge in companies jumping on the wagon to offer their services. Many of them offer free consultations, enticing finance packages and trained sales people to persuade you to go with their organisation and to sign on the dotted line as quickly as possible.

Whilst a breast enlargement is becoming as common place as an appendectomy or a caesarean section, it is vitally important not to fall for the sales pitch of the high street company “patient advisor” just because they have a flashy website, a full page in the Yellow Pages and fancy advertisements in the back of glossy magazines. Even the companies that advertise on the TV need to be checked out fully before committing to surgery. Just because they have a big marketing budget does not mean that they have the best surgeons. As a rule, member surgeons of BAAPS and BAPRAS frown on the “hard sell” stance that these companies take with a patient considering a life changing operation and they tend not to associate themselves with them.

Whilst breast enlargement surgery is a relatively straight forward procedure when carried out properly by a fully accredited surgeon, you have to remember that it is still a reasonably major operation in elective surgery terms. By elective surgery, we mean that you are not going to die or become seriously ill if you DON’T have it done. Breast enlargement surgery still carries with it the risks associated with any surgical operation. These include the possible problems associated with general anaesthetic, the risk of a haematoma or blood clot, the possibility of infection either internally or to the sutured scar as well as the ongoing risk that the body will reject the implants. Although modern silicone cohesive implants are much better than their counterparts of 15 years ago, the body will still recognise them as a foreign structure and will try to protect you from them. This involves your body producing a membrane that it tries to build around the implants like a cocoon. Whilst this is not WRONG it is undesirable and can lead to something called capsular contracture, or hardening of the implants. All these potential problems are what you must consider when deciding whether breast enlargement surgery is for you. You may find that the high street companies that use salespeople will not want to focus too heavily on the potential downsides because if they frighten you off, they lose their sale and therefore their commission. They also get their sales manager on their back asking why they have not “sold” as many breast enlargements as they should have done that month.

So, we have established that the decision to have a breast enlargement is not like the decision to buy a new pair of shoes. Ask yourself a serious question. “Do I want to have the best surgeon that I can find, or will I settle for one that’s not a fully accredited member of the higher governing bodies just because they are a bit cheaper and they have a flashy website?” And for your initial meeting to discuss all the implications and possible problems as well as the recovery times and your expectations of the final result…. Ask yourself “Do I want to go for the “free consultation” and listen to a non medically trained sales person who has a monthly commission riding on whether I sign for the operation or not, or do I want to pay for the professional time of an experienced and fully accredited BAAPS or BAPRAS surgeon who will also perform my operation if I go ahead? Do I want to be rushed into making a decision by a patient advisor here and now or would I rather be encouraged to leave after my consultation with my surgeon, go home and have some time to think about the information that has been given?” If you are still unsure as to which of these options sound better, then I wish you the best of luck.

It has been said time and time again, but the most important decision when considering breast enlargement surgery or any other type of cosmetic surgery is the choice of surgeon. We are fortunate in the UK that we have these two official governing bodies that are recognised by the Royal College of Surgeons. They exist to help you cut through the fancy marketing when choosing which surgeon to choose. They provide you with a list of surgeons who have met their exacting standards of experience and competence in plastic surgery and who have been, and are continually vetted to ensure that they are of the highest standards in both their surgical skill and their professional and ethical approach. These governing bodies exist to help and protect you. Don’t gamble with your health. Use them!

For details of your nearest BAAPS or BAPRAS member and for a fixed price for breast enlargement or any other cosmetic surgery procedure, contact us on 01254 832148.

Written by Marcus Landauer.