Since its inception, breast augmentation has been a popular procedure for women who are not happy with the size and/or shape of their breasts. While augmentation can boost self confidence, traditional methods leave scars. Said scars can be a deterrent for some women, however, doctors have some new methods available to them that minimize or even bypass scarring: T.U.B.A. (trans-umbilical breast augmentation), and transaxillary breast augmentation.

 

T.U.B.A. is done by making a small incision in the navel rim, and the surgeon inserts an endoscope to make a path to the location the implant will be placed. Once this is done the implant is rolled up and slowly worked from the insertion point to the final location. Once it is there, a sterile saline solution is pumped to the implant until it is of the desired shape and size.

 

The pros of the T.U.B.A. method are that scarring is very minimal, and may not even be visible within the navel, scars that would be visible are not anywhere near the breast, the overall procedure is far less invasive, than traditional methods, the patient is not as likely to have loss of sensation in the nipple, and the procedure is much quicker with minimal blood loss.

The cons of the T.U.B.A. method are that it can be hard to find a well-qualified surgeon who is trained in the T.U.B.A. method, there is potential for scarring called tracking scars which appear on the abdomen and are from the tunneling, the implant can only be saline, and if there are complications of any kind, the only way to fix them are by inframammary or periareolar fold incision.

Transaxillary breast augmentation is similar to T.U.B.A., except that the incision is in the natural folds of armpit tissue. From the incision site a tunnel is made for an endoscope to be inserted (though an endoscope is not absolutely required for the procedure). The surgeon then inserts the implant into position behind the nipple.

The pros of transaxillary breast augmentation are that scarring is minimal, this procedure allows for the option of a silicone implant vs. a saline one, the operation is closer to the breast than with T.U.B.A., more surgeons have training for this method, and this method is far less invasive than traditional means of augmentation.

The cons of transaxillary breast augmentation are that two incisions are required, rather thn the single incision of the T.U.B.A. method, errors are only fixable via periareolar or inframammary fold incision, if placed without an endoscope, the implants may appear unequal or asymmetrical, and finally, the scars are much more visible than the navel scar of the T.U.B.A. method.

As can be said for any cosmetic surgical procedure, it is imperative you find a experienced and qualified surgeon for having an endoscopic augmentation procedure performed. During the initial consultation, you should discuss with your surgeon the risks and benefits of both types of procedure, so that you can make a fully informed decision about which procedure is best for you.