Breast Implant Basics

There are a number of options to consider when women decide to have breast augmentation. At my practice in Los Angeles, breast implant discussions, such as silicone versus saline, typically are the focus of breast augmentation consultations. Here are some of the basics to help you know more about this topic:

• Silicone implants are filled with a cohesive elastic gel that many say feels more like natural breast tissue.
• Women can typically choose from three incision locations for inserting the implants: under the breast along the natural crease (inframammary incision), under the armpit (transaxillary incision), and around the areola (periarolar incision).
• Breast implants can be placed under the pectoral muscle, or between the pectoral muscle and breast tissue. This decision is best made with a qualified surgeon, and is often based on a number of factors, including implant type and cosmetic goals.

By understanding the available options and talking with an experienced surgeon, you can achieve your goals more successfully.

Tags: los angeles breast implant
Posted in Breast augmentation,Breast Implant

Breast Augmentation Recovery Basics

Some of the most common questions I encounter during a Los Angeles breast augmentation consultation revolve around the general recovery time. Depending on the extent of a person’s surgery, breast augmentation recovery is best understood in a series of stages:

Stage 1: The first 48 hours finds most women resting with little to no physical activity except walking around to maintain circulation in the legs. This helps women get used to their augmentation, and begin the healing process.

Stage 2: The first week following surgery typically includes minimized physical activity. Women should experience a significant improvement in their overall energy levels, and swelling will begin to subside.

Stage 3: After the first week of recovery, most women can begin to take on more of their usual activities, while making sure not to strain themselves. Soreness and swelling should begin to dissipate, and women will see the effects of their surgery.

Stage 4: Exercise and normal activity is highly dependent on the doctor’s direction, but many women find that they can return to their daily activities after 3 weeks of taking it easy.

Stage 5: After fully recovering, women can return to their normal schedules, including exercise, work and family life. Most women maintain total nipple sensation and are able to breastfeed after surgery.

Tags: los angeles breast augmentation
Posted in Breast augmentation,Breast

5 Benefits of Breast Augmentation

Techniques for breast augmentation in Los Angeles vary from surgeon to surgeon, but there are some benefits that are fairly universal when breast augmentation is performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon. These include:

• With advances in technology and techniques, people have a greater number of options. From the type and size of implant a woman chooses to the location of the incisions, there are many options available for people to personalize their breast augmentation procedures.
• Breast augmentation can not only transform a woman’s physical appearance, but women often also experience a surge in confidence. This sense of self-assurance will carry over into the workplace and home for many women.
• Women over 18 who are physically and emotionally healthy can choose breast augmentation. This means that women can choose the procedure when it’s right for them, whether that means earlier in life, or after the changes that occur with pregnancy and aging.
• Breast augmentation is a great procedure to combine with complementary plastic surgery treatments. This allows women to have more comprehensive results, and cut down on the overall cost and recovery time.
• Choosing breast augmentation should not affect a woman’s ability to breastfeed after surgery. Women that choose qualified surgeons should be able to breastfeed and retain nipple sensation after surgery.

Tags: breast augmentation los angeles
Posted in Breast augmentation

Why Breast Enhancement Remains Popular

Breast enhancement procedures have long been some of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures. Breast enhancement typically includes breast lift surgery, breast reduction surgery, and breast augmentation. Los Angeles women are among many in the United States who turn to breast implants to help improve their body contours by increasing the size of their breasts.

According to a recent report published by the ASPS (American Society of Plastic Surgeons), plastic surgery has increased in popularity, up 2 percent from 2009 to 2010. Breast augmentation took the number 1 spot for the most popular cosmetic procedure in 2010, with 296,000 procedures performed. It is no surprise that breast augmentation is the top procedure of 2010, as more women are enjoying the benefits of a rebounding economy and are taking steps to improve their appearance and self-esteem.

Here are a few of my thoughts as to why breast augmentation continues to remain such a common cosmetic procedure:

• The procedure is generally straightforward and quick.
• Recovery time from a breast augmentation is significantly less than other procedures such as a tummy tuck.
• Women have several options for the procedure, including incision location, type of implant, shape of implant, and more.
• Breast augmentation is a relatively affordable cosmetic procedure.

I’d like to hear your opinions and thoughts on breast augmentation. Why do you believe it is so popular?

Tags: breast augmentation los angeles
Posted in Breast augmentation

Breast Augmentation Incision Options

When considering breast augmentation, how do you know which incision method is appropriate for you? There are four common incisions that are typically employed; however, not all surgeons perform all of these techniques. The four main methods are:

• Periareolar incision (around the nipple)
• Inframammary fold (under the breast)
• Transaxillary incision (through the underarm)
• Transumbilical incision (through the belly button)

I take the time to guide my Los Angeles plastic surgery patients considering breast implants about their incision options. Experienced breast augmentation surgeons are the most helpful resource for women who want to understand these options in depth. When making a recommendation, several factors will be taken into consideration, such as your anatomy, your goals, as well as the type and size of your breast implants.

There are, of course, benefits and drawbacks to each incision method offered. The inframammary fold is one of the most commonly used incisions. This allows the surgeon full access to and clear visibility of the implant pocket. The periareolar incision, created around the nipples where they meet the breast skin, is also a popular choice due to the fact that resultant scarring can blend in to the texture and color of the areola. Also, the implant can be placed precisely in the pocket with this method. The transaxillary and transumbilical incisions are advantageous because they leave no scar on the breast, but many surgeons do not offer these incision options because access to the implant pocket is indirect.

How do you choose? Discuss your goals openly and honestly with your surgeon to find the appropriate incision method for you.

Tags: los angeles plastic surgery
Posted in Breast augmentation,General Plastic Surgery

The Do’s and Dont’s of Recovery for Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures performed today. With multiple techniques for this procedure, as well as a variety of options for implant placement, size, shape, and texture, recovery can vary considerably. Discussing your recovery with your Los Angeles plastic surgeon is helpful when considering the procedure. There are, however, general rules of thumb that I tell all of my breast implant patients, including the do’s and don’ts of recovery.

Do’s:

• Follow all of your doctor’s aftercare instructions.
• Allow ample time for your body to recover – don’t overdo it.
• Sleep on your back.
• Move around. Being mobile will help reduce your chances of blood clots.

Don’ts:

• Do not smoke before or after your surgery. Smoking will significantly increase the amount of time it will take to recover (and negatively impact your overall health).
• Don’t resume strenuous activity until your doctor allows you to.
• Do not lift anything above your head or do any stretches that will open or pull your sutures.
• Don’t submerge your sutures in a bathtub until they have completely closed.

These are some general tips that I tell all of my breast augmentation patients. However, it is important to talk to your surgeon and get specific details on your post-operative instructions.

Tags: los angeles plastic surgeon
Posted in Breast augmentation

Breast Implants and ALCL

In the last few days I have received questions from several patients who heard about the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s recent guidance regarding a possible connection between breast implants and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). Both for women who have implants and those who are considering a breast augmentation procedure, I would like to provide more information about this guidance and suggest some next steps.

What the FDA Is Doing

An initial review by the FDA has identified 34 unique cases of ALCL in women with breast implants throughout the world. To put this in perspective, it is estimated that 5 to 10 million women worldwide have breast implants. The FDA believes that women with breast implants may have a very small but increased risk of developing this disease, and is asking health care professionals to report confirmed cases of ALCL in women with breast implants to the FDA.

What the FDA Is Not Doing

The FDA is not taking back its approval of saline and silicone gel breast implants. To quote the organization: “The FDA believes that the totality of evidence continues to support a reasonable assurance that FDA-approved breast implants are safe and effective when used as labeled.”

What You Need to Know

If you have had breast augmentation, I advise you to continue to follow your doctor’s regular implant care instructions. Because ALCL is not a breast cancer, there is no benefit to performing additional self exams, but it is worth talking with your surgeon in more detail if you are particularly concerned, if only for added peace of mind.

For women who are thinking about breast augmentation, it is important to get the latest facts. Additional fact finding on this issue will be ongoing and informed surgeons will be able to give you the most current information while providing additional context for the scientific findings so far.

Tags: breast implants, Breast Augmentation, alcl
Posted in Plastic Surgeon,Breast augmentation,Breast Implant,Breast,General Plastic Surgery

Is Post-Op Breast Asymmetry a Sign of a Bad Surgeon?

During consultations, I hear from some women that they are concerned about having asymmetry after breast surgery. Many of my breast augmentation patients felt anxious as they searched for a Los Angeles or Santa Monica plastic surgeon. They want to feel confident in their choice and, most of all, want to enjoy “perfect” results from their surgery.

A few years ago, a study of breast asymmetry found that after breast augmentation, 88% of patients had some degree of asymmetry and 65% of the women had more than one type of asymmetry. These numbers may seem very high, but before we start questioning the skills of plastic surgeons, we should consider the issue from every angle.

While a beautiful result is always the goal, some asymmetry is simply a result of each patient’s unique physiology. For instance, asymmetry following breast augmentation may be the result of slight pre-op asymmetry that has been magnified by the increase in breast size. However, skilled surgeons can minimize asymmetry by:

• Performing a thorough chest wall evaluation before surgery to determine your individual needs
• Carefully choosing your implant size, profile and placement based on your physiology
• Using an areolar (around the nipple) incision to ensure areolar symmetry (if necessary)
• Performing a breast lift in conjunction with augmentation
• Considering inframammary fold position before surgery to help prevent the implants settling in different positions.

Choosing a surgeon who is highly qualified can help prevent some of these issues, but keep in mind that asymmetry is a natural occurrence. Discussing your concerns with your surgeon is a great way to ease your anxiety and find out what he or she can do to help improve your symmetry after surgery.

Tags: breast augmentation in los angeles, santa monica plastic surgeon
Posted in Plastic Surgeon,Breast augmentation

Breast Enhancement – Before or After Weight Loss?

If you’re trying to lose weight, seeing those extra pounds start to melt away is exciting. But remember, you can’t always control where you’re losing the weight – it’s going to come off across your entire body, not just in one or two “target areas.” What this means for women is that, whether they like it or not, there’s a good chance their breasts will get smaller as the rest of their body gets slimmer. This is an important factor to consider if you’re planning a breast enhancement. Here’s why:
 

• Breast lift: Weight loss often causes breasts to droop or sag. Subsequent weight loss could undo the results of a previous breast lift. Women considering a breast lift should definitely wait until after they’ve reached their target weight.
• Breast augmentation: Results of breast augmentation will be impacted by weight loss in several ways. First, larger breasts may look out of balance with your new, slimmer physique. Second, weight loss may cause breasts to droop, creating the need for a second breast surgery.

I suggest that my patients wait to have their breast lift or breast augmentation in Los Angeles until they’ve lost the weight. By waiting, they are ensuring that they choose an implant size that fits with their new body contours and that they will have perky, youthful-looking cleavage.

And, just to note, I would also recommend waiting to perform other procedures until my patients have accomplished their weight loss goals in Los Angeles, such as face lift, tummy tuck, or liposuction.

Tags: breast augmentation in los angeles, los angeles face lift
Posted in Breast augmentation,Facelift

Natural Is In, “Fake” Is Out

I recently appeared on The Today Show to provide commentary for a segment on the trend toward natural-looking plastic surgery in Hollywood. It’s still very common for celebrities to turn to plastic surgery to enhance their look, but moderation is in and the emphasis is on surgical results that look natural and believable. Fake, overdone breasts and lips, for example, are on their way out.

I’ve seen a similar trend among my patients in Los Angeles. With breast augmentation, for example, the majority of my patients tell me that they want to increase their breast size, but they don’t want to be overly large. The stereotype about breast augmentation patients wanting huge breasts is definitely not the reality – most of my augmentation patients simply want to look proportionate, not unnatural. “Boob jobs” are out – breast enhancement is in.

Facial rejuvenation is another area where I’m seeing a lot of emphasis on natural-looking results. It can be very obvious when a person has had too much facial plastic surgery and one of the comments I hear consistently from my patients is that they don’t want to look like they’ve “had work done.” Men and women want to correct sagging skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles, but they don’t want their faces to look too tight or lose the ability to make natural facial expressions.

Plastic surgery is about enhancing your appearance so you look like the best version of yourself, not a completely different person. I work with each of my Los Angeles breast augmentation, facial rejuvenation, and body contouring patients to choose the procedure and technique that will deliver results that are dramatic, but still natural-looking. Hollywood is on the right track – natural is beautiful.

Tags: los angeles breast augmentation
Posted in Breast augmentation