Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation is a procedure in which the breasts are made larger or a different shape, using a variety of implants and techniques. It is one of the most common cosmetic surgery procedures and can benefit a wide range of women, no matter their age, weight or build.

When it comes to what your implants will be made of, there are two main options: silicone or saline.

‍Silicone implants
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Silicone gel implants are the closest in feel to a real breast: they have a similar weight and density to real tissue. This means that once implanted, they will also look and move more like a real breast, sitting naturally on your chest. In most women, they feel so natural that it’s hard to distinguish the implant from the natural breast tissue.Silicone gel breast implants are, by far, the most popular and widely used breast implants in the U.S. and worldwide. Most ongoing research and development is in silicone gel implants. They come in the widest variety of sizes and shapes.When silicone leaks the gel is thick and not absorbed and will not move around the body. However, the downside to this is that it can be hard to tell if they have leaked, which is why the FDA recommends that a woman with silicone implants have an MRI or an ultrasound every few years.Silicone gel implants are best if you want the optimum aesthetic results with the most natural look and feel. They are the first choice of almost all breast implant patients.

‍Saline implants
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Saline implants, when they leak, deflate over a few days. This is almost always obvious to see making it easy to tell when they need to be replaced. For some women, this is a plus because they do not have to get periodic tests to make sure their implants are intact. For others, the thought of two different sized breasts - even if temporary - is a no-go.Saline implants look and move less naturally than their silicone counterparts. Though they are soft, saline implants are less viscous than real breast tissue. This means you can usually feel them inside your breasts to some degree.Saline implants are best for women who want easy maintenance and simplicity down the road. By deflating, they literally tell you when they need to be replaced. And, though large scientific studies have proven the safety of silicone gel implants, some women do have qualms about silicone gel. Rather than worrying about the implants inside them, these women are often happier with saline.

‍IDEAL implants
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A third option is the IDEAL implant: a type of saline implant constructed with multiple internal shells to keep the water from sloshing around. This gives the IDEAL implant a look and feel somewhere in between silicone gel and traditional saline.The IDEAL implant has two downsides when compared with standard saline breast implants:IDEAL implants are several hundred dollars more expensive than regular saline implants. This is due to the cost of the implants themselves. The more complex design of the shell makes the IDEAL implant more expensive to manufacture.The IDEAL implants come in fewer sizes and shapes than standard saline implants. This is rarely a problem since the IDEAL product line offers an appropriate implant for most women’s needs. Also, each IDEAL implant size can be used as either a moderate or high profile projection. The shape is controlled by how much saline the surgeon adds to each implant chamber.For women who want a saline-filled breast implant, we would recommend the IDEAL implant over a standard saline breast implant. The ingenious design does make it feel much more natural.

When it comes to choosing the right shape for your implants, you can choose between round or teardrop.

Round implants resemble a flattened sphere, while teardrop ones are manufactured in a more bottom-heavy shape.

While, in theory, you would think this would create a more realistic look, in reality, it doesn’t, at least not significantly. Added to this is the risk of it rotating and looking very peculiar, which is why the vast majority of surgeons, myself included, would always recommend round.

The next thing to consider is profile, or how far the implant sticks out. There are, broadly speaking, five different profiles, from flatter to more globular, and the final choice depends on the look the patient is hoping to achieve, along with her build.

We were the first surgery in Dallas to offer breast augmentation with fat transfer and it’s a service we still provide.

The thinking behind it is simple: taking fat from a place it isn’t wanted, such as the stomach or thighs, and implanting it into a place where it is, such as the breasts.

However, in reality, it’s not so simple.

The first issue is that, no matter how much fat we collect through liposuction, there is limited room to inject it into the breasts. That’s because you can’t transfer it all in one go; instead, it has to be injected in tiny little droplets all around the breast to make sure they pick up the blood supply.

As you’ll know, most women looking for breast augmentation surgery do not have large breasts to begin with, so there are limited options for adding these droplets.

The second problem is that, during liposuction, not all of the fat survives, so ultimately we do not collect enough fat to produce a visible result.

However, fat transfer is a great choice if you are primarily focused on the liposuction, and don’t want to waste the fat; it can create a modest impact so is ideal if breast augmentation isn’t your main goal.

This is the 64 billion dollar question and one we can’t answer without meeting you.

While you may have an idea of the material you want and how you want the result to look, finding the ideal size depends on many variables – not least that there’s no standard definition of cup sizes.

That’s right: a C cup to you may mean something totally different to me, or anyone else, which is why it’s not a measurement we use, focusing on CCs instead.

We also don’t rely on holding an implant up to your chest and guesstimating. This gives no indication of what the result would be inside your body; it’s like buying a dress after holding it up in front of you.Instead, we take a more considered approach to make sure the client gets exactly what they want.

We’ll ask you to bring along a photo (or ten) of your ideal breasts to consider every aspect, not just size. From here, we’ll take detailed measurements of you before coming up with a potential shortlist of implants.

Once in surgery, we’ll test out each of the options in the breast cavity before making sure we’ve got the absolute perfect fit for you.

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Some surgeons suggest changing every ten years, but there is no hard and fast rule, and it’s not a target we set.

The main reason for changing implants is because there is an issue with the original, whether it’s because they have leaked or the implant has shifted, or if the woman simply isn’t happy – after all, the core purpose of breast augmentation is to make you feel proud of your breasts.

We specialize in revision surgeries, for whatever reason it becomes necessary, and there are a number of ways we can ensure you are happy with your breasts.

Should you have suffered a leak, this is obviously a time for revision surgery, but the cases present differently depending on the type of implant.

With saline implants, which are filled with saltwater, when a leak develops the saltwater rushes out of the implant, and it is pretty obvious it has happened.With silicone versions, which are made of a cohesive gel, it is not as obvious, which is why the FDA recommends women with silicone implants get an MRI or an ultrasound five years after the original surgery and then every three years thereafter.

The simple answer is, if you are unhappy with your breasts for whatever reason, then yes.

There are a few criteria you’ll need to meet. You need to be physically healthy, at least 18 years old your breasts should be fully developed; we won’t operate on anyone who is not of appropriate age and development.

And while we feel that breast augmentation is potentially suitable for everyone who is unhappy with their figure, we will never rush or pressure you into having any procedures. We want you to be completely confident in your decision – the ultimate aim is for you to be happy.

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There’s a lot to consider when it comes to the techniques used for breast augmentation surgery, which can be broadly summarised into venue, anesthesia, incisions, and pockets.

When it comes to choosing a venue, the surgery should always be performed in a true operating theatre in a sterile environment, which is what we offer here in Dallas.

We always recommend your surgery is done under general anesthetic (GA), as it is nearly impossible to fully numb the whole area with a local. Should you have a debilitating fear of a GA then local is an option, but we would always prefer to get to the bottom of the fear of the GA and proceed that way.

There are three potential sites for incisions: the crease beneath the breast; between the breast and the nipple; and through the armpit.While all are valid, we prefer to use the crease beneath the breast, as it allows us enough space to correctly place the implant, while any scarring is hidden by the breast itself.

The last consideration is where to place the implant pocket, and here there are two choices: on top of the pectoral muscle or beneath it.

In most cases, the ideal option is beneath, for three reasons: one, you end up with more natural padding above the implant; two, the muscle can help to support it; and finally, and possibly most importantly, you can still get a good mammogram.

Before having any procedure, you will meet one of our surgeons to talk through all of the above in more depth and make sure we come up with the right solution for you.

In the weeks leading up to any surgery, it is a good idea to be as healthy as possible. If you smoke, it’s best to stop before your surgery. Though, this isn’t essential for breast augmentation, stopping for even a few days can make your recovery easier and improve healing. Stop taking any herbal medications at least two weeks beforehand and don’t take any anti-inflammatory medication or aspirin in the ten days before the procedure.

On the day, arrive in plenty of time and wear comfortable clothes. One of our nurses will deal with any paperwork, before showing you to your private room. You will then meet with your surgeon again for a final chat. Following this you’ll have a general anesthetic and go into surgery.

The good news is that, in the majority of cases, recovery is a lot easier than you may expect.

While it is not totally pain-free – this is surgery, after all – the pain is more muscular, similar to when you do too many bench presses at the gym. In fact, we find that most of our patients don’t even need narcotics beyond the initial surgery.

In terms of what activities you can do following the surgery, each case is different. As a guide, most are back up doing jobs around the house after two or three days and driving within a week. As for work, it depends on what you do for a living: office work, you could be back at your desk in four days; something more manual, a bit longer.Exercise is a slightly different matter; walking is fine, but we’d recommend waiting around three weeks before attempting a full workout.

When it comes to appearance, you can expect to be swollen for a few days and the implants will sit higher on your chest for a while, before they settle.

How long does it take? Our rule of thumb is you will see about 75 per cent of your end result by the end of a month and about 90 per cent of your end result by the end of two months.

The last 10 per cent of healing consists of some softening and fading of the scar tissue, which can take between six and 12 months from the time of the surgery.