What is my role?
What am I responsible for?
Plan for your surgical success with the Allergan Patient Planner.
Because every patient is different, it is important that you understand and communicate to your surgeon the goals that you have for your surgery. This is critical for getting the aesthetic result that is right for you. As an informed patient, you will work closely with your surgeon and be a partner in your surgical success.
To help in this process, Allergan has developed a Patient Planner for both breast augmentation and reconstruction patients. This important resource is available through certified surgeons that use Allergan Medical Silicone-Filled Breast Implants. In addition to providing valuable information about implants and surgery, the Allergan Patient Planner includes helpful tools, checklists and important information all in one place. It also helps you to understand your role in ensuring the best outcome possible and your responsibilities both pre- and post-surgery.
These responsibilities include:
Pre-Surgery
- Educate yourself about silicone and the benefits and risks of surgery
- Select an Allergan Silicone Certified Surgeon
- Determine your personal goals of surgery
- Ask questions of your surgeon and communicate clearly and completely
- Post-Surgery
- Follow your surgeon's instructions
- Attend all your follow-up appointments, including mammograms and your 3-year post-op MRI
- Keep your Patient ID implant card(s) and Patient Planner where you can access them easily
- Submit your optional ConfidencePlus™ Warranty Enrollment Form
- Complete and return your Device Tracking Form
Other important information you need to know:
Informing yourself about all aspects of silicone and surgery is the best way to get the result that is right for you. The following overviews just some of the information that you will need to know.
Dimension/Expectations/Limitations
Before your surgeon recommends an implant, he will take a series of preoperative planning steps to help guide his decision. These key principles are widely accepted within the surgical community and are the starting point to ensure an optimal outcome:
- Assess symmetry of breasts
- Take accurate measurements, the base width in particular
- Evaluate soft tissue coverage and envelope
- Select an implant based on measurements, volume and patient expectation
- Consider placement of implant
- Determine incision location
Careful preoperative planning is important because breast implants come in a variety of shapes, surface textures and sizes. Virtually all breast implants are made of a round or shaped silicone elastomer (rubber) shell, and are now filled with silicone or a saline solution. Depending on your desired result, you and your surgeon may choose a round or shaped breast implant shape, a low, medium or high projection and any of a broad range of sizes.
Your surgeon will also evaluate your existing tissue to determine if you have enough tissue to cover the breast implant. A breast implant that is too large for your tissue can result in excessive stretching of the skin and result in the need for future corrective surgeries. In addition, the implant edges may be apparent or visible post operatively.
Do your homework before saying "Yes" to surgery.
Before you agree to any surgical procedure, you need to fully understand the benefits and risks that are associated with the surgery.For those considering breast reconstruction, you also need to understand the potential health risks that may be associated with the long-term implantation of breast implants.
