Breast augmentation involves putting implants into your breasts to make them larger and fuller. You can get them either as a cosmetic procedure or to help with breast reconstruction following a mastectomy for cancer. Women can get them on the NHS if they have very uneven or flat breasts.

Your surgeon will talk to you about what you want and why you are having them done. You may be asked not to eat or drink for a few hours before the operation. You’ll have general anaesthesia, which means you will be asleep and pain-free. The surgery takes about 1 to 2 hours.

To start with, your surgeon will separate your breast tissue and chest muscle to create a pocket for the implant. They’ll then put the implant into this pocket, either underneath your breast tissue or behind your chest muscle. Some breasts are bigger than others, so your surgeon might put the implant in a different place for each one. You can choose between saline-filled or silicone gel-filled breast implants. You might have a tissue expander, which is a small balloon-like device, placed before the breast implant procedure to prepare your body for the implants.

The recovery from a breast augmentation can take 6 to 8 weeks. During this time, you’ll need to wear a bra that puts constant pressure on the area to reduce swelling and prevent the implants from moving. You might also feel soreness, bruising and tenderness in your nipple area. If you have any concerns after your surgery, contact the clinic where you had it. You can report problems with breast implants to the government’s Yellow Card Scheme. breast size