Plastic Surgery Blog

Women considering breast augmentation have a number of options with regard to implant size and type as well as the incision site. However, a number of factors, including natural shape, symmetry and even areola placement, play a significant role in determining a woman’s most beneficial options.

Patients who wish to increase the fullness in the lower portion of their breasts—between the areola and the inframammary fold—now have a new option. An innovative procedure that involves lowering the fold and then augmenting the breasts with implants can greatly enhance the overall appearance.

According to San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Tom J. Pousti, the procedure can also be used for patients with tubular or “constricted� breasts to help achieve a fuller, rounder look.

To learn more about the procedure or to see before and after pictures, please visit Dr. Pousti’s website.

Technorati Tags: dr. pousti, breast augmentation san diego, san diego plastic surgeon

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Ever wish you could take the excess fat from your belly, hips and thighs and move it to your breasts? Perhaps a more appropriate question might be what woman hasn’t? The fact is that it’s actually possible. The procedure is called fat grafting, but, despite its almost universal appeal, the jury’s still out as to whether or not the procedure is safe or even effective.

Here’s what you should know about fat grafting for breast augmentation:

• Fat grafting involves the transfer of fat cells from one body part to another. Surgeons remove fat cells using liposuction and then transfer them to the breasts via multiple small injections.
• The procedure has been used for augmenting breasts since the 1980’s. At that time, however, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) cautioned against the procedure because the side effects—tissue scarring, oil cysts, and calcification—made identifying breast cancer through mammography more difficult.
• Not much evidence exists suggesting that fat grafting is safer or more effective than traditional augmentation techniques using saline or silicone breast implants.
• Risks associated with fat grafting include the formation of oil cysts, calcification, tissue scarring, absorption and/or non-survival of the harvested fat cells. Cysts, scarring of tissue, and calcifications, despite advances in mammography technology, can still mimic or conceal breast cancer.
• Fat grafting usually requires multiple sessions and often requires lengthier recovery times than needed with implants.
• The procedure can be used to enhance breast appearance after reconstruction surgery or to soften the appearance of implants in thin women who have experienced rippling.
• Currently, neither the ASAPS nor the ASPS recommend fat grafting for breast augmentation since there is little evidence documenting its safety or efficacy.

Technorati Tags: fat grafting, breast augmentation

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If you’ve ever seen Dr. 90210 on E!, then you know about Dr. Robert Rey – the eccentric, hugely successful plastic surgeon extraordinaire. Even if you haven’t, he’s made numerous other television appearances, including, ironically, a commercial for the fast food chain Carl’s Jr. My point here is that Dr. Rey has become a celebrity in his own right — his popularity has transcended that of the show that made him famous and his influence as a kind of popular culture icon has become undeniable.

I haven’t watched Dr. 90210 in a while, but if I remember anything about Dr. Rey (besides his flashy suits and oblivious narcissism), it’s that when it comes to breast augmentation surgery, he seems to adhere to the maxim “bigger is better.� But is it?

The answer is really a matter of personal preference, but are those preferences influenced by popular culture? I think so, at least partially. Take, for instance, the image of Pamela Anderson. She has achieved pop culture status as today’s most well known sex symbol. But, when you think of Pamela Anderson, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For me, it’s her breasts, and I think this is probably true for most people. In fact, I have a rather vivid memory of an old friend who taped images of the blonde bombshell all over her desk as incentive to save money for breast implants.

Images comparable to Pamela Anderson’s bombard the media. And so do opinions like Dr. Rey’s. And this is not altogether a bad thing. Plastic surgery is more widely accepted than ever before. Consider the reigning Miss USA, Tara Connor, who enhanced her appearance with breast implants. This would never have been accepted if cosmetic surgery were still as stigmatized as it once was.

Still, not all women look better with huge breast implants. Kate Beckinsale recently had hers removed. Even Pamela Anderson had hers removed at one point. And perhaps I stand in the minority when I say that I preferred her look during her short-lived stint without the implants, but I’m willing to take that risk. Small-framed women often have a difficult time pulling off the oversized implant look (Victoria Beckham, aka Posh Spice, comes to mind). As far as beauty goes, proportion is key.

So, no, bigger is not always better, and I don’t think it’s blasphemous to say so.

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Not ready for breast augmentation surgery? Not to worry. You can still achieve a beautiful, boast-worthy bust without cosmetic enhancement. If you’re looking for a quick way to boost your bust, consider the following tips and tricks:

Get professionally fitted for your bra. Size varies according to style and manufacturer. A properly fitted bra will accentuate your natural shape and size. This is perhaps the most important thing you can do to enhance your bust without surgery!

Buy a push-up bra that has a foam insert or graduated pad for lift. Make sure to buy your bra a full cup-size larger to prevent unsightly lines and bumps, which are created when the breasts spill out of the cup.

Add a gel insert for extra boost. Inserts made of water or foam also work well.

Use a contour padded push-up bra to create kissing cleavage. When shopping for a contour padded push-up, look for one that has padding that extends to the side of the cup. This padding will help to push your breasts closer together — into a “kissingâ€? position.

Try any or all of these to achieve a more aesthetically pleasing bust. You never know. You may decide to make the boost permanent. If you do decide to make the leap from push-up to permanent, make sure to contact us – your trusted plastic surgery resource!

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A new breast surgery technique, which focuses on the shape of the breasts, provides enhanced long-term results and minimal scarring. Dermal suspension breast surgery, an innovative procedure developed by a Houston plastic surgeon, involves using sutures in specific parts of the body wall to aid in keeping the breasts in place.

In addition, dermal suspension surgery involves designing an internal suspension bridge system from the patient’s own skin that would normally be discarded in traditional breast surgery. This suspension bridge provides extra support and enhanced strength to keep newly shaped breasts in place.

The method, designed by Dr. Eser Yuksel, an assistant professor of plastic and cosmetic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, is about improving the shape and projection of the breasts for women seeking breast reductions and/or breast lifts.

“There are a number of different techniques used for breast reductions, breast lifts,” Dr. Yuksel said. “The advantages of dermal suspension are better shaped breasts with better projection, and in some groups of patients we’re able to eliminate the vertical scar used in the standard procedure,” he said.

Risks and complications with dermal suspension breast surgery are similar to those of standard breast reduction and breast lift methods. Most patients are able to resume normal activities within a week, but a recovery time is dependent on each individual.

“I believe that this new technique with its improved shaping and reduced visible scars, provides an attractive alternative to the currently applied surgical approaches,” Yuksel said.

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