The physical aspect

In every surgical procedure, there are inherent risks. Most people are intimidated by the thought of 'going under the knife', even when it's medically necessary.
Cosmetic surgery, however, is just that -- cosmetic. It's not necessary to sustain health or treat disease, and therefore, taking the leap is even harder to justify.

During breast augmentation, the patient is put to sleep using general anaesthesia. Measuring the proper dosage can be very difficult for anaesthesiologists, because each individual reacts differently to the sleep-inducing drugs used. About five anaesthetic treatments per 1,000,000 result in death, usually caused by organ failure and suffocation.
Aside from the risks of surgery itself, there are many complications linked to breast enhancement. Implants have been known to shift, swell and wrinkle. Common complications include infection, loss or change of nipple sensitivity, breast pain and interference with breast feeding.

Moreover, practically all women who opt for breast enhancement procedures require several operations in their lifetimes -- implants should ideally be replaced once every decade. In drastic cases, as many as seven or eight procedures are conducted on a single patient.

Common reasons for follow-up surgery include ruptured implants, the asymmetric or lop-sided appearance of one or both breasts, and pain -- in some instances, an individual's body rejects the implants, and is not able to establish compatibility with them.
Also, there is no way to avoid scarring under the breasts. Though some women heal quickly, for others it is a terrible problem. A survey conducted in the United States revealed that about 7 percent of patients were unhappy with their enhancement procedures because of scarring.
Finally, there is the issue of quality to consider.

In the United States and Europe, where cosmetic surgery has been popular for over 20 years, there are medical boards and committees that govern facilities and doctors undertaking to perform such procedures. In India, on the other hand, the lack of regulations allows any quack to try his hand at cosmetic surgery. Outside of Mumbai and Delhi, there are very few properly trained and licensed specialists in breast augmentation.