If you’re a Fort Lauderdale, Florida woman considering a breast augmentation, please call The Weston Center for Aesthetic Medicine and Surgery today at 954-526-0066.
Find out more about breast augmentation:
- Breast Augmentation Options
- The Breast Augmentation Procedure
- Breast Augmentation Recovery and Scarring
- Breast Implant Options - Saline or Silicone
- Breast Augmentation Candidacy
- Contact Us
Breast Augmentation Options
If you feel that you're ready for a chance, your breasts may be one of the first places you look. Because of age, the effects of the environment, gravity, pregnancy and breastfeeding, you may find that your breasts have changed significantly over the years. This may be something that causes you to have a lack of confidence and makes you self-conscious. The good news is that our plastic surgeon, Dr. Jon Harrell, offers a variety of breast augmentation options to help you love how you look again. Dr. Harrell offers breast lift procedures that can help raise your breasts up from their current position and remove excess skin that may be causing them to look droopy or deflated. Also, Dr. Harrell offers breast implants that can improve the size, perkiness, and shape of your breasts. To determine which breast augmentation procedure(s) would be right for you, a consultation is imperative.
Breast augmentation simply provides a woman with more volume. It creates more roundness in the upper part of the breast and provides more cleavage between the two breasts. It can create better proportion in a woman's shape - better matching her waist and hip shape. And of course, for many women it can help them to feel more 'feminine' or sensual.
Usually a woman can be satisfied with a range of sizes. However, over or under augmenting can create cosmetic problems which Dr. Harrell can address at the time of consultation. In most circumstances patients with appropriately sized implants feel their breast augmentation expectations have been met. Occasionally specific anatomical issues may affect the final result and these issues will be addressed at the time of consultation if they are present. In some patients breast lifting to remove excessively loose skin may be indicated to obtain the best results possible.
The Breast Augmentation Procedure
Each patient has appropriate laboratory testing performed. A mammogram may be requested and smoking should cease or be significantly reduced. A detailed information packet will be given to you at the preoperative visit which will answer most of the commonly asked questions regarding preparation for breast augmentation surgery.
The Process of Breast Enhancement Surgery
Breast augmentation usually takes an hour to perform. If sedation or general anesthesia is used a licensed provider specializing in anesthesia will be used to ensure your experience is both safe and without discomfort. All procedures are performed in a nationally accredited or state licensed facility - further ensuring each patient has a safe and uneventful experience. After surgery you will spend a short amount of time in the recovery area until awake and alert enough to go home.
Breast Augmentation Recovery and Scarring
After your procedure you must have a responsible adult stay with you the first evening and bring you to your first postoperative visit the day after the procedure. If necessary you will be given medications to keep you comfortable and to reduce bruising and encourage speedy healing. Patients are encouraged to create a relaxed and non-stressful environment after surgery to help them heal uneventfully. Aerobic and vigorous activities are discouraged for a short time after surgery but most daily activities can be resumed immediately.
All surgeries result in some degree of scarring, and breast augmentation is no exception. Miami plastic surgeon Dr. Jon Harrell makes a concerted effort to minimize your scarring, and he will strategically place your breast augmentation incisions in a location that will ensure the scars are as discreet as possible.
There are a variety of factors that will impact your level of scarring following breast augmentation:
- Age
- Skin type
- Skin health
- Breast implant type
- Breast implant incision location
- Ethnicity
- Overall health
- Diet and lifestyle choices
- How closely you follow Dr. Harrell’s post-operative instructions
Breast Implant Incision Location and Scarring
Your choice of breast augmentation incision location will significantly impact your scarring. Dr. Harrell offers three breast augmentation incision options:
- Inframammary
- Periareolar
- Transaxillary
The inframammary incision location is the most common option, especially for patients choosing silicone breast implants. It is placed in the crease underneath the breast where the breast tissue meets your chest. Your scar will be concealed nicely underneath the breast and will lighten as you heal.
The periareolar incision is made around the areola. The scar around your areola will heal well and the change in color around the nipple will effectively conceal your scar. As you heal, the scar will lighten and become even more discrete.
The transaxillary incision is placed in the armpit and is used only with saline breast implants. While this incision option allows for a scar that is located away from your breast, it is also the most noticeable to others. For this reason, Dr. Harrell does not generally recommend this incision option.
Minimizing Your Breast Augmentation Scars
Dr. Harrell will go over what to expect from your breast augmentation and give you detailed after-care instructions which should be diligently followed during the recovery period to ensure that your scars heal properly.
There are several steps you can take to facilitate the healing process and minimize your scarring. Dr. Harrell will give you a special bra to wear that will increase comfort and provide extra support so that the weight of your breasts will not pull on your incisions. You should also avoid stretching or pulling on your incisions while they heal since this can prevent your scars from healing properly.
It is best to avoid smoking for at least two weeks prior to your breast augmentation procedure and throughout your recovery period. Smoking can adversely impact the healing process and reduce the blood flow to your skin cells. Quitting smoking is one of the best ways to ensure that your breast augmentation scars heal properly.
Breast Implant Options
When choosing to go forward with breast augmentation, one of the biggest decisions is what kind of implant should be used. Dr. Harrell offers both saline and silicone breast implants, enabling him to better customize each procedure to meet the exact needs of the patient. During your initial consultation, Dr. Harrell will discuss all options with you to make sure the best type of breast implant is used for your augmentation procedure.
Saline Breast Implants
Saline breast implants are filled with a sterile salt-water solution. Because this solution is watery, if a saline implant ruptures, deflation will be almost immediate. Dr. Harrell fills saline breast implants after they have been placed. This allows for benefits such as:
- A smaller incision
- The ability to adjust volume after placement
A smaller incision may reduce recovery time and minimize visible scars, which may make saline breast implants more attractive to some women. However, when placed above the muscles in the chest, saline implants may eventually produce aesthetic imperfections such as ripples, wrinkles, and folds.
Silicone Breast Implants
Filled before placement, silicone implants require a larger incision and their volume cannot be adjusted after they have been placed. However, there are some advantages offered by silicone breast implants that may make them more attractive to breast augmentation patients. Some of the biggest advantages offered by silicone implants include:
- The thicker, cohesive filing looks and feels like natural breast tissue
- Women with smaller breasts can have silicone implants placed above chest muscles without fear of eventual aesthetic imperfections such as rippling and double bubble
- Implants will retain shape and size even after rupture
Our Miami breast augmentation surgeon is here to answer any questions you may have and to assist you in choosing the best breast implant type for your needs. Give us a call at 954-526-0066 to learn more.
Breast Augmentation Candidates
One of the first steps in your plastic surgery experience will be determining whether you are a sound candidate for a breast augmentation. Most women are, but it’s still important to make a fully informed determination.
A breast augmentation is appropriate if you:
- Want larger breasts
- Have no or mild sagging
- Lost breast volume during a pregnancy or as a result of weight loss
An ideal breast augmentation candidate:
- Is at least 18 years old (for saline breast implants) or 22 years old (for silicone)
- Is in good overall health with no active infections
- Has finished physical development
- Has realistic breast augmentation expectations
Dr. Harrell believes every patient should undergo the procedure that helps them achieve their aesthetic objectives safely.
Contact Our Plastic Surgeon Today
Dr. Jon Harrell helps people throughout South Florida, including in Fort Lauderdale. Breast augmentation is just one of many procedures we offer. Please contact The Weston Center for Aesthetic Medicine and Surgery through our online form or call (954) 526-0066 today.