ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION The female breast has long been a dominant symbol of perceived femininity and sexual attractiveness in Western society, a role increasingly reinforced by the media and modern advertising. It is hardly surprising that women have desired changes to their breasts purely for cosmetic purposes. Feelings of inadequacy, doubts about essential femininity and desirability, low self-esteem, lack of confidence, and sexual inhibition have been well documented, as have the great psychological benefits of breast augmentation (1). Enhancing the appearance and shape of the female breast has been a goal sought by fashionable women, designers, and dressmakers down the centuries. The use of surgical techniques to enhance the female breast, however, has largely been limited to the past 100 years.
