Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation is one of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures performed globally with a high patient satisfaction rate. The decision to get a breast augmentation is a deeply personal one and takes careful consideration to determine if the surgery is right for you. If you’ve considered going under the knife for larger, fuller breasts, read on for some criteria that makes someone a good candidate for surgery.

1. You should be in good physical health. During your consultation with your surgeon, you will discuss your medical history and any current conditions or concerns you have. If you have any active infections or serious illnesses, it’s important to discuss these. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding or even planning a future pregnancy, you will need to wait to have surgery so you don’t negate results. Also, most surgeons prefer that you do not smoke or consume significant amounts of alcohol.

2. You have realistic expectations and a healthy frame of mind. Breast augmentation permanently alters your appearance, so it’s important to have a positive attitude and understand that this surgery cannot fix body image issues. 

3. Your breasts have fully developed. Some women still go through changes in their breasts in young adulthood. To even be considered for surgery, the FDA requires that you are at least 18 years old to have saline implants, or 22 years old for silicone implants.

4. Your breasts are sagging and have lost shape and volume. Pregnancy, nursing, large fluctuations in weight and aging itself can contribute to this “deflated” look in the breasts.

5. You think your breasts are too small. Women who have abnormally small breasts find that implants help give them a more proportional shape to their figure.

6. Your breasts didn’t develop normally or have an elongated shape, or one of your breasts is larger than the other. A variety of things can cause breasts to be asymmetrical, including hormonal changes and puberty. A breast augmentation can give you a more balanced look.

If you’re interested in learning more about breast augmentation surgery, call (301) 251-2600 today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Dick.

When it comes to breast augmentation surgery, there are several decisions to be made regarding implant type and size, incision shape and implant placement. During your consultation with Dr. Dick, you will discuss these options and what would work best with your own breast tissue and anatomy to determine the best approach for desired results. One of the biggest decisions is what type of implant: saline or silicone gel. Here are some of the major differences between the implant types:

Silicone gel

About 75 percent of patients choose silicone gel implants. These are the most popular because they feel most like natural breast tissue. These implants consist of an outer silicone shell filled with a gelatin-like silicone gel. Silicone gel implants are pre-filled at a pre-determined size, which means your surgeon will need to make a larger incision to insert them.

One disadvantage to silicone gel implants is that if the implant ruptures, you may not know about it until your regular check-up with your surgeon. Technological advances have made silicone gel more cohesive so that should the implant rupture or leak, the gel is more likely to remain in the shell.

Saline

Saline implants begin as empty silicone shells and then filled with sterile sale water once in place in the breast tissue. This implant type gives the surgeon more flexibility with size and shape. If the implant should rupture, the body will naturally absorb and expel any fluid.

Implant incision types

No matter which implant type you choose, the incisions for insertion will be made in one of several ways. Inframammary involves a 1- to 2-inch incision in the crease underneath the breast, making the resulting scar easily concealed. A peri-areolar incision is made around the outer edge of the areola to make the resulting scar blend in with the natural transition in pigmentation between the areola and breast skin. A trans-axillary incision is made within the armpit, through which the surgeon will place the implant into the breast pocket, leaving no visible scar on the breast itself. A transumbilical incision is made just above the belly button, through which the implant is inserted and guided up into the breast pocket. This is another incision type where there is no scarring on the breast.

If you’re interested in learning more about your breast augmentation options, call (301) 251-2600 today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Dick.