From lip filler to facelifts to BBLs and beyond, advancements in plastic surgery have secured these treatments a place in our everyday lives. Whether you get regular cosmetic treatments or are looking to plunge into aesthetic surgery, you can rest assured that today’s options are not your grandma’s plastic surgery procedures. One such plastic surgery procedure that has remained consistently popular for years is breast augmentation. It helps to know a little breast augmentation history to understand and appreciate today’s cutting-edge technology.
Whether it’s for gender-affirming purposes or a general confidence boost, there are hundreds of reasons to undergo a breast augmentation. The surgery has undergone its fair share of advancements since its first use. Ahead, plastic surgery experts walk us through fascinating breast augmentation history.
Featured Experts
- Mark Jewell, MD is a plastic surgeon in Eugene, OR
- Mokhtar Asaadi, MD is a plastic surgeon in West Orange, NJ
The Start of Breast Augmentation
While we may associate breast augmentation with the Hollywood stars and influencers of the 2000s and 2020s, breast augmentation surgeries have been around for over six decades. “Breast augmentation with silicone gel implants started in the early 1960s with Thomas Cronin and Frank Gerow in Houston,” says Dr. Jewell. We know breast implants today come in an array of different forms. But as Dr. Asaadi notes, “60 years ago, breast implants were all silicone, and patients used to have ‘hard and unnatural looking breasts’ because of capsular contractions.”
The Evolution of Breast Augmentation: How We Got Here
“Much has been learned over the last 60 years with regards to making breast augmentation a better, safer operation with a high degree of patient satisfaction,” says Dr. Jewell. “Now, the risk of capsular contracture depending on technique is low. Women with breast implants can successfully breast-feed their babies and do not have lactation-related issues greater than women who do not have breast implants, which was not always the case.”
One of the biggest changes in breast augmentation history is the surgery technique itself. Namely, adding pockets for implants has made the procedure significantly safer, Dr. Asaadi explains. “Today, breast augmentation is done with direct visualization of the pocket for implant placement. The most common complication after breast augmentation is capsular contractions, but by gently creating pockets for implant placement, there should be no drop of blood loss, therefore avoiding the use of sponges in the pocket. That, in addition to practices like not using powdered gloves and not touching the implants to the skin at the time insertion of the implants, the incidence of capsular contracture is almost zero, at least in my practice.”
Breast Augmentation Today: Safe and Effective
As with any plastic surgery procedure or cosmetic treatment, consulting and working with a trusted, board-certified plastic surgeon is key to ensuring your breast augmentation is successful, satisfactory and safe. According to Dr. Jewell, many practical and procedural innovations over the last 60 years have led us to the surgery we know today.
“Retromammary subfascial implant placement through the inframammary fold incision is one of the biggest developments in the history of breast augmentations,” Dr. Jewell says. “The use of betadine implant pocket irrigation to reduce the risk of capsular contracture and infection, the ‘no touch’ technique for insertion using the Keller funnel, the use of nipple shields, stabilizing surgical techniques to prevent implant dropout in the inframammary fold, diagnostic ultrasound screenings post-op and the use of intravenous tranexamic acid during surgery are all major advancements that have shaped the breast augmentation world over the last several decades.”