Natural, Safe, and Minimally Painful Breast Augmentation
The most common worry I hear from my patients during a breast augmentation consultation is that they fear to look fake, unnatural, and as though they have two melons sitting on their chest instead of aesthetically pleasing, teardrop-shaped breasts. Every plastic surgeon is different in their techniques and ideas of what makes the perfect breast augmentation. For me, the ideal results come when the patient leaves the operation with the appropriately sized and shaped implant that enhances her natural cleavage and balances out her frame while remaining soft. In my opinion, a woman’s breast augmentation is meant to fall in perfect harmony with the rest of her figure so that no one who passes her on the street or in the office knows she has undergone any enhancement procedures.
How to Remain Natural?
One of the most critical aspects of a successful breast augmentation surgery is the preoperative consultation. Here, we will talk about what you desire from your augmentation and what techniques will best ensure that your results are natural and aesthetically beautiful. I will examine and measure your breasts and determine the implant size, breast shape, level of breast projection, and material of the implant. Both saline and silicone implants will result in natural-looking and feeling breasts, and as we now know, they are both equally safe and on par with their expected lifespans.
The Surgical Procedure
Once we have settled on the implant that is the right size, shape, and material, you only have to decide on one more thing: the location of the incision. I perform breast augmentation through one of two incisions. The inframammary incision is located under the breast along the crease where the breast meets the chest wall. The periareolar incision is made along the bottom of the areola (the dark area surrounding the nipple). With either option, only a one-inch incision is necessary to insert the implant. This short incision not only results in less scarring but also in less postoperative pain and discomfort. To keep results as natural as possible, I prefer to insert the implant underneath the chest muscle; however, if you want it placed above the chest muscle, that is an option you can choose.
To keep scarring at a minimum, I choose not to place any external stitches on the skin and instead rely on surgical glue to connect the skin’s edges. I find that this works just as well and results in less discomfort and scarring. Since the incision line is minimal, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to see and will fade with time. The techniques that I prefer require little downtime, and most of my patients return to work after four days.
Combining Your Breast Procedure
Often, the women I see that desire breast augmentation are those who have had children and have witnessed the change that pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding have on their breasts. During pregnancy, the breasts swell, and the tissues are stretched rapidly only to contract at an equally fast speed. This results in breasts that are elongated, stretched, and “less perky.” While breast augmentation can return fullness to the breasts, it cannot lift and reposition the breasts on the chest. That is why I find combining a breast lift with a breast augmentation to be a wonderful decision for many women. When performing a breast lift, I choose to emphasize a vertical lift procedure that separates the breast gland from the skin before the breast is rebuilt and the excess skin is removed. I believe this technique provides a more natural appearance.
The Importance of Choosing the Right Surgeon
As previously stated, every plastic surgeon approaches the surgery differently. This is why it is so important to find the right surgeon for you. A breast augmentation surgeon must be able to combine surgical technique and anatomical knowledge with artistic talent and attention to detail. Going beyond qualifications, training, and experience levels of a surgeon, it is vital that you find someone whose idea of quality results is on par with yours. I believe in a natural-looking aesthetic above all else and want to ensure that every woman who undergoes breast augmentation with me leaves my office feeling more confident, more feminine, and as though she was in exceptionally caring hands by both myself and my staff.
If you are interested in learning more, contact my Orange office to set up a consultation by calling (714) 997-5200.