When someone mentions that they are considering having breast augmentation surgery, it is quite common to automatically think of silicone implants; these are the more popular type of implants, whilst saline implants are also available. But you never really think too much about how it became possible in the first place.

As with many medical procedures both small and large, breast augmentation has gone through its own fair share of trials and errors. In fact, the first attempt occurred well over a hundred years ago.

There was no such thing as silicone back then, and the substance of choice for these early and alarming attempts was paraffin wax. This was introduced via an injection, but the results were far from successful. From here, the attention of those trying to perfect this surgery turned to fat. It was considered that if fat could be taken away from areas which naturally gain excess weight such as the buttocks, that fat could be transplanted into the breasts to make them fuller. The idea was good in theory, but in fact it didn’t work.

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Breast reconstruction is for those women who have had a mastectomy because of breast cancer or any other disease. Many times, it is possible to have the reconstruction done immediately after the mastectomy and is considered to be more advantageous.

The reconstruction is only suited for those women who do not have to undergo any further treatment to eliminate their disease.

The procedure involves creating a breast mound with a nipple and areola; and the opposite breast can be matched to the reconstructed one by way of augmentation, reduction or lifting. Usually the procedure is covered by insurance so women do not have to worry about shelling out money from their own pockets. There is no age limit for the procedure and choice for reconstruction depends on the affected woman. But the woman should be physically capable of withstanding a major surgical procedure.

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