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breast reduction - breast
augmentation - breast lift - breast implants - silicone implants
A breast implant is a prosthesis used to enlarge the size of a woman's breasts (known as breast augmentation, breast
enlargement, mammoplasty enlargement or augmentation mammoplasty) for cosmetic reasons; to reconstruct the breast (e.g. after a
mastectomy; or to correct genetic deformities), or as an aspect of male-to-female sex reassignment surgery. According to the
American Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast augmentation is the most commonly performed cosmetic surgical procedure in the
United States. In 329,000 breast augmentation procedures were performed in the U.S.
There are two primary types of breast implants: saline-filled
and silicone-gel-filled implants. Saline implants have a silicone elastomer shell filled with sterile
saline liquid. Silicone gel implants have a silicone shell filled with a viscous
silicone gel. There have been several alternative types of breast implants developed, such as
polypropylene string or soy oil, but these are uncommon.
Breast reduction, or reduction mammoplasty, is
a surgical procedure which involves the reduction in the size of breasts by excising fat, skin, and glandular
tissue; it may also involve a procedure to counteract drooping of the breasts. As with breast augmentation, this procedure is performed most often
on women, but may also be performed on men afflicted by gynecomastia.
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