BREAST AUGMENTATION

         Breast enlargement surgery is also known as breast augmentation. This procedure enables women to enhance the size   and shape of their breasts.   Besides   the physical enhancement,   many women who have   had this procedure   are more outgoing, self assured and   have a better self image than before their augmentation.

         Breast augmentation can be performed by many different techniques with implants. Breast implants consist of a silicone outer shell and are filled with silicone gel or saline. There are several approaches where the incisions are made to place the implants. One approach is under the arm call the transaxillary approach. This procedure has the benefit of not leaving a scar on the breast. The other two common approaches are placement of an implant through an incision around the areola called the periareolar approach or an incision along the bottom of the breast where it meets the chest called an inframammary approach.   The surgeon will place your implant on top of the breast muscle in a subglandular position or under the muscle in a submuscular position. The choice of implant, incision, and position of the implant are only made after a consultation with your surgeon as there are many factors that determine which methods are best for each patient.

         Breast augmentation surgery is performed in a hospital or surgical center under general anesthesia.   The procedure usually takes between one to two hours. The patient goes home the same day and will require approximately two weeks to recover. Your activity is then   gradually increased under the guidance of your surgeon.

       Call today to schedule your personal cosmetics consult for a breast augmentation.               

BREAST LIFT

        Breast lift surgery is also known as a mastopexy. Breast lifts are usually performed to restore a more youthful shape to breast which is commonly lost after weight loss, loss of support as a result of the   normal aging process, and pregnancy.

        Mastopexy can be performed by many different techniques. The particular technique   depends on the amount of sagging or droopiness of the breast, called ptosis. Some women that need a small amount of lift can have this accomplished with a breast implant or with a small amount of skin taken from around the areola called a Benelli mastopexy. Women with slightly more sagging of the breast can get the right amount of lift by various techniques that remove excess skin from below the areola. The type of mastopexy that will give you the   result your looking for can be determined by consultation with Dr. Small at   Ocean Plastic Surgery.

        Breast lift surgery is usually a same day surgery procedure performed in a hospital or surgical center under general anesthesia. The procedure takes approximately two to three hours to complete. The recovery is about two weeks with a return to full activity at about four weeks.

        Call today to schedule your personal cosmetics consult for a breast lift.

BREAST REDUCTION

        Breast reduction surgery is a reconstructive procedure that is performed to decrease the size of the breasts to relieve symptoms related to the weight of the breasts. Although, repositioning and reshaping the breast for aesthetic reasons are often sought and accomplished with the procedure as well.   Insurance carriers typically will cover this type of surgery if it can be demonstrated that the patient is experiencing problems attributed to excessively large breasts which include neck, back and shoulder pain, shoulder grooving from the brassiere, breast pain or infections under the breast.   In addition, excessively large breasts called macromastia can also affect a women's lifestyle preventing them from certain work related and social activities.   Not to mention this condition can be psychologically stressful causing embarrassment and unwanted attention and might be further indications for having the procedure.

        This procedure is performed at a hospital under general anesthesia. The procedure takes approximately three to four hours.   Some surgeons keep their patients in the hospital overnight and discharge them in the morning. Other surgeons send their patients home the same day as the surgery. The procedure is done with an incision made around the areola and with the incision extending down and sometimes out along the bottom of the breast. The excess breast tissue is removed to create two similar sized and shaped breasts that are smaller and reduced to size that is more proportionate to the patient's body.

        The recovery time for this procedure is typically two weeks with full recovery between four to six weeks.

         Call today to schedule your personal consult for a breast reduction       

MALE BREAST REDUCTION

        Excess breast tissue can develop in young as well as older men and can be a source of embarrassment and low self esteem. This condition called gynecomastia can also be a sign of an underlying medical problem which your surgeon will thoroughly evaluate before your surgery.   There are several techniques to remove this unwanted breast tissue such as liposuction or removing the breast tissue by a small incision made around your areola, the dark skin surrounding your nipple. The procedure is typically done in a surgical center or hospital with general anesthesia as a same day surgery procedure. The procedure takes approximately two to three hours. The recovery time is about a week with a return to full activity in about four weeks.

        Call today to schedule your personal consult for a male breast reduction.

BREAST RECONSTRUCTION

        Breast cancer is the most common malignancy affecting women. Breast cancer affects over 200,000 women a year. Fortunately, with advances in breast cancer treatment mortality has been declining and women are benefited with more choices and less invasive surgical procedures for treatment with an improved quality of life.   In fact, the five year survival for women who are diagnosed in the early stage of the disease is nearly 100%. Based on the stage of the disease, a woman may benefit from non-surgical options such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. These treatments may be used in conjunction with a mastectomy, a surgical procedure that removes the entire breast, or with breast-preserving surgery such as a lumpectomy, where only the tumor is removed. While mastectomy is sometimes the best treatment and   life -saving   many women undergoing this procedure often experience difficulty with the loss of their breast(s).  

        As a result, breast reconstruction has become an integral aspect of management for the patient with breast cancer.   Before having a mastectomy a woman should discuss this option with her oncologist, general surgeon and plastic surgeon to discuss the risks, benefits, and options of reconstruction.

        The goal of breast reconstruction is to recreate a natural appearing breast that is soft, symmetric with the opposite breast, and has a similar texture and color to the native breast that was removed.   The reconstructive options need to be individualized and objectively discussed with each patient to obtain the best aesthetic result. Breast reconstruction can be done at the time of mastectomy, called immediate reconstruction, or some at a later time, called delayed reconstruction.   Patients who should be strongly considered for delayed reconstruction are those with larger tumors, lymph node involvement and those with a close margin around the tumor since they often need radiation which can create problems with the reconstruction when it is performed   before radiation treatment.

        There are many types of   breast reconstructive surgery.   Some procedures involve a breast implant and others use muscle and tissue, called autogenous reconstruction from other parts of the body or a combination of both methods. What determines the type of reconstruction depends on many factors such as the patient's health, size of her natural breasts, whether or not the patient is a smoker, obese ,   needs radiation as well as the patient's overall desires.   Generally, implants are chosen for women who have smaller breasts who do not need radiation and would rather not have a prolonged surgery or the risk of complications from tissue taken from another part of the body.   Autogenous reconstruction often takes tissue from the abdomen in a procedure call a TRAM. This type of reconstruction is usually chosen when a patient needs radiation or has slightly larger breasts since it can provide for a more natural appearing breast than an implant in these circumstances. However, this procedure requires a longer operation with additional recovery needed because tissue was taken from the abdomen to reconstruct the breast.   The decision to have breast reconstruction is very personal and after discussing the patient's desires the surgeon can help the patient make the best informed decision as to which reconstruction best fits their needs and is most appropriate based on these many factors.

        Breast reconstruction should be considered, offered and discussed with any women undergoing a mastectomy. It is not merely the creation of an illusion of a breast mound. The benefits can be tremendous and positive in many ways. For some women reconstruction   makes them less self conscious, restores self esteem as well as   improves social and personal relationships that were impaired after mastectomy. While others just want a more natural, balanced look while wearing a brassiere without the need to wear a prosthesis .

       The recovery is very much dependent on the type of reconstruction. Typically, reconstruction with an implant allows for a shorter recovery.   Recovery with an implant is usually a week to one and a half to two weeks.   Autogenous reconstruction requires a longer hospitalization of approximately one week and a longer recovery of three to six weeks.

       A woman can still have reconstruction in conjuction with other types of treatment. Your plastic surgeon will speak to the other physicians involved to make sure there is   coordination and timing of the reconstruction for the best care and reconstructive outcome.

        Call today to schedule your personal consult for breast reconstruction