Monthly Archives: March 2012

Breast Augmentation Massage or Breast Enlargement Massage

Categories in: Breast Augmentation, Breast Procedures

What is breast augmentation or breast enlargement massage? What is this, and what does it have to do with cosmetic breast implants?

Breast augmentation massage is also called implant displacement. It is a series of maneuvers or techniques to move the implants around inside the body. The purpose is to help the breasts heal and soften after surgery and to minimize scarring in the future. This will be discussed in more detail below.

The first purpose of breast enlargement massage is to help the breasts heal and soften after cosmetic breast surgery. The tissue and muscle on top of the breast implants will be swollen and “tight” after surgery. This tissue will gradual soften and stretch over time. The swelling will also gradually resolve as part of breast augmentation recovery. Massage will help this stretching thru physical movement and range of motion of the implant. Massge will also help with swelling by incresased lymphatic drainage.

The second purpose of breast augmentation massage after surgery is to help minimize scarring in the future. This is called capsular contracture or “hardening of the implants.” The idea is that breast augmentation massage after surgery will minimize this from occurring- like stretching will minimize stiff joints.

It has been shown in medical studies of breast augmentation that the implant placed beneath the muscle leads to lower levels of scar tissue formation. It is thought that the muscle might get “internally” massaged as the muscle contracts to decrease scar formation! Massage done by the patient is also believed to decrease this scar tissue from occurring.

Breast implant massage or breast implant massage exercises are recommended by Dr. Saunders after cosmetic breast surgery. During breast augmentation recovery, you will be shown how this is done. It is a two step process. The first is “pushing” from the sides and the second is “pinching” from the top. Both parts are held for a minute or so and then repeated multiple times. The whole process of breast implant massage technique is repeated several times in the day. Please see Dr. Saunders video on breast implant massage technique that shows exactly how the breast augmentation massage is done!

People will ask, “How long should I do massage? When should I stop?” Breast massage is recommended to be done essentially forever! This might sound hard but it is not. Once the breasts have softened, massage can be simplified. Usually it is done just once a day for a minute or two. During a person’s daily shower is a good time this can be performed. It is maintained to minimize scar tissue formation.

Doing regular breast augmentation massage after surgery does not guarantee that a person will not get capsular contracture. It is done to decrease the chance!

If a patient has breast implants and a breast lift, the instructions for the breast augmentation massage technique might be different to allow for better healing. Dr. Saunders will review this with you personally.

People interested in breast augmentation or breast enlargement or other topics such as breast augmentation cost, breast augmentation recovery, or breast augmentation technique should please call the office for an appointment.

Dr. Saunders is a board certified plastic surgeon who practices exclusively cosmetic surgery. Please check out the breast augmentation before and after photos on our web site. Also, please come in for a complimentary consultation to learn about your choices and options!

Breast Implants Saline or Silicone?

Categories in: Breast Augmentation, Breast Procedures

When women are considering cosmetic breast augmentation, they have a choice about breast implants. There are two main breast implants to choose from with breast enlargement: Saline breast implants and Silicone breast implants. It is important to learn the difference about these breast implants and this is the purpose of this educational writing.

Many women ask, “Which implants are best?- breast implants saline vs silicone?” First, it is important to understand that one breast implant is not better than the other! Silicone breast implants are not “better” than saline breast implants or vice versa. There are choices and options. Think of it more like picking your favorite favor. It is not wrong or right. There are advantages and disadvantages to both types. It is important to learn about both to make the best choice!

Saline breast implants are filled with saline. Saline is the medical word for salt water. Humans are about 70% salt water. The implant shell can be thought of as a “plastic bag.” The bag holds the saline. It is, however, an expensive and extensively studied bag! A women who chooses saline breast augmentation for her cosmetic breast enlargement essentially is picking a salt water filled “balloon” that is very natural in shape and feel.

Silicone breast implants are filled with silicone gel. The silicone is a “gelatin” and not an oil that was used in older and out-dated silicone implants in the past. The breast implants silicone gel is sometimes just referred to as “gel” implants. This still means silicone breast implants. These implants are also commonly referred to as “cohesive”, “gummy-bear”, or “gel” implants. They are all silicone breast implants that are FDA approved. The “bag” holding the silicone is the same as for saline breast implants.

Neither silicone breast implants or saline breast implants cause disease. This is a frequent worry of women choosing breast implants. Many people lean towards saline because they heard something about silicone causing disease. Dr. Saunders was the principle investigator of the silicone research study at Christiana Care Hospital System. This study was part of the national study examining silicone breast implants.

The conclusion of the FDA study was that silicone implants are extremely safe and do not cause disease! They were taken off the market for almost 15 years to study the safety! After this extensive review they are again available. It is Dr. Saunders’ opinion that silicone implants or breast implants silicone gel are one of the most extensively studied medical products in medical history!

Dr. Saunders does not “push” one breast implant over another. He believes it is a choice. He wants his patients to choose the best breast implant for their breast augmentation that they want and feel most comfortable with!!

SALINE:

Remember, it is a choice (not wrong or right) when picking your breast implants for breast enlargement surgery. Saline implants have the advantage of being psychologically safer because they are salt water. They also are placed with the smallest incision, because they are empty and filled after being placed at surgery. They feel like a water balloon, so they are not as soft and natural as silicone breast implants. Saline implants are natural, extremely safe, feel wonderful to most patients, and give outstanding results frequently.

SILICONE:

Remember, it is a choice (not wrong or right) when picking your breast implants for cosmetic breast augmentation surgery. Silicone breast implants are totally safe, have FDA backing , do not cause disease, and have been used and studied for more than 40 years! They require a slightly larger incision than saline breast implants because they are pre-filled. They are more expensive than saline breast implants. Silicone breast implants are the most natural breast implants for feel and appearance. The FDA recommends MRI’s periodically to follow them.

Summary of the advantages and disadvantages:

Saline:
1- Filled with a natural salt water
2- Less expensive- saline breast implants cost vs silicone
3- Requires the smallest incision to place
4- Slightly less natural feel and appearance than silicone

Silicone:
1- Filled with silicone gel
2- More expensive – breast implants silicone cost vs saline
3- Requires a slightly bigger incision to place
4- More natural feel and appearance
5- MRI recommended periodically by FDA

People interested in saline or silicone breast implants, or breast augmentation cosmetic surgery or breast enlargement cosmetic surgery or other topics such as breast augmentation cost, breast augmentation recovery, or breast augmentation technique should please call the office for an appointment. Dr. Saunders will review your breast surgery with you in detail! He will help you figure out which breast implant is best for you!

Dr. Saunders is a board certified plastic surgeon who practices exclusively cosmetic surgery. Please check out the breast enlargement before and after photos on our web site. Also, please come in for a complimentary consultation to learn about your choices and options!

Breast Lift and Breast Reduction Surgery

Categories in: Dr. Saunders

The writings or blogs on the cosmetic surgery topics such as cosmetic breast lift are posted with the most recent ones on top. The earlier ones are lower or posted first. For those really interested in cosmetic breast lift please scroll to the bottom and read all the posts.

Breast lift or breast reduction incisions are of major concern, The incisions turn into the scars as they heal. Understanding these incisions or scars is extremely important. In contrast, if a woman overall likes her breasts, but the shape is just not quite right, the decision to have surgery may be more difficult. Maybe from aging or children, she has some “maturity” to her breasts, then the decision to have surgery is much more difficult. In this scenario, the patient is having less shape improvement and yet is still having incisions or scars placed on the breasts. Some patients or husbands might find the overall results worse than before surgery, because now she has “scars.” This is the “Real-Reality” of the cosmetic breast lift. Incisions are necessary. Shape is improved at the expense of incisions. Most women are very happy with the lifting or reduction operations. A realistic understanding of the risks of the incisions is the central and most critical aspect of this type of cosmetic breast surgery.

Treatment is available for the unfortunate case with poor scaring. Understand once again that most women do not go down this road. Most women’s incisions fade very well. However, for the person who is unlucky, there are significant treatment options for poor scars such as lasers, steroid injections and silastic gel sheeting. They are other options as well. They do work. It requires a series of treatments, however, and fading of poor scars takes time. They never go completely away. They are permanent. Even cosmetic surgery incisions can sometimes need revision, which means cutting out the scar and starting over. This occasionally can be necessary and can make significant improvement.

An interesting fact about breast lift or breast reduction is that many women think the operation is going to be horribly painful, because the breast is a sexual organ. They are concerned about excruciating or intense pain. This is not the case at all. Women might think it is going to be bad, because the surgery is on the breast, and naturally tender. However, surgery of this type, classically is easier than most. There is no muscle work like breast augmentation or breast enlargement, and this makes a major difference. Many patients of mine take Tylenol only for discomfort. Many patients require pain pills for several days to ease the pain they do have. However, most are surprised at how easy the recovery is. They are often surprised at how little pain they actually experience during breast lift recovery.

Breast lift recovery or postoperative care for my patients involves a one-time bandage and wrap. This is removed, approximately 72 hours after the cosmetic surgery, and the patient then showers. At this time, after the shower, they wear a sports bra. The sports bra is worn for approximately 1 month. There are typically no stitches to be removed. They are all absorbable sutures. The instructions after this operation, typically, are to take it easy and shower in three days. Don’t overdo it and avoid heavy lifting. In my opinion, the “Real-Reality” of the cosmetic operation for breast lift is an easy recovery. Many women can go back to work in a week or two.

In contrast to breast lift, breast lift and breast augmentation or breast lift and breast enlargement have a very different recovery because of the muscle work. This is a different operation, and it is important to understand breast augmentation, in addition, to breast lift for people interested. Please see the photos for breast lift and augmentation for patients interested in this operation by linking here.

For people interested in breast lift, breast lift cost, breast lift recovery, or breast augmentation and breast lift– please schedule a complimentary consultation by calling the office. Please also see the breast lift photos in the gallery by linking here.

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