What is the name of the cosmetic procedure to enlarge the breasts?

The cosmetic procedure to enlarge the breasts is breast augmentation. Also called augmentation mammoplasty, it increases breast volume using implants or, in some cases, fat transferred from another part of the patient’s body.

Implants may be filled with saline solution or silicone gel. Surgeons choose the implant type, size, incision location, and pocket position according to the patient’s anatomy and goals. Fat-graft augmentation uses processed autologous fat and generally produces a more modest increase because some of the transferred fat is naturally reabsorbed.

Breast augmentation can be performed for aesthetic enhancement, but it also has reconstructive and corrective uses. It may help restore breast shape after cancer surgery or trauma, revise complications from an earlier operation, or address congenital differences such as tuberous breast deformity or Poland syndrome.

The procedure is often confused with mastopexy, or a breast lift. A lift raises and reshapes existing tissue but does not primarily enlarge the breast. Breast reduction has the opposite goal: removing tissue to decrease volume. Augmentation can sometimes be combined with a lift when both size and sagging are concerns.