Newport Beach Breast Augmentation
Breast Enlargement / Breast Implants
The figure you have always dreamed of is attainable. Many women feel self-conscious about small or unevenly sized breasts. Breast augmentation / Breast Enlargement is a procedure designed to increase the size and improve the shape of the breasts, but it is also known for boosting patients' confidence and self-esteem. Dr. Bandy can bring balance and enhancement to your figure with implants. The latest implant techniques make the surgery safe and the results more natural-looking than ever before.
Newport Beach Breast Augmentation / Enlargement / Larger Breasts Boob Job / Breast Implants / Breast Implant Procedure Dr. Amy Bandy – Plastic Surgeon
Breast Augmentation Information
Breast Augmentation is California's number one cosmetic enhancement procedure. With California's year round beautiful weather, Southern Californians are constantly throwing on their bathing suits and flocking to the beach to let their skin soak up the warm rays of sunshine. With hot days come warm nights and many women seek Dr. Bandy out to improve their silhouettes. There are several reasons that a patient would choose to have a breast augmentation procedure. Whether a woman has not developed as much breast tissue as they would like, developed unevenly or has lost natural volume with pregnancy or with aging, Dr. Bandy can help give you additional confidence to step out and be comfortable in whatever clothing (or lack thereof) you are wearing.
What is Breast Augmentation?
Breast Augmentation is the insertion of a medical grade breast implant under the breast tissue or under the chest muscle to enlarge breasts for overall increased volume or to correct asymmetry. A patient may also have breast augmentation for reconstruction purposes from a mastectomy. A patient may choose to either have a saline filled implant or a silicone filled implant. Saline filled breast implants have a silicone shell and are filled with sterile saline water. Silicone, also referred to as cohesive gel, is also FDA approved and is pre-filled with medical silicone.
Breast Augmentation Procedure and Recovery
A breast augmentation procedure is 1-1.5 hours in length and is performed under a general anesthesia. When a patient awakes from surgery, their pain will be minimal as Dr. Bandy injects a long lasting local anesthetic that will reduce pain experienced due to the newly formed pockets that the implants will now sit within. A patient will still experience discomfort often described as "pressure" or "heaviness" to their chest that is caused by the pressure on the muscle. The intensity of this feeling will last for approximately 2-3 days. After the local anesthetic wears off, the pain will become more noticeable and will last for 2-3 days and will gradually reduce to a dull discomfort when the arms or certain body movement are made. Recovery times vary and are dependent on a patients normal daily activities and what they physically do on the job. A more detailed recovery estimate will be discussed during a consultation when more patient information is received.
Saline vs. Silicone Breast Augmentation
Having been on the market for over 20 years, saline has always been a strong choice for patients choosing to have a breast augmentation procedure. With further advances in research and development, current saline implants have proven to be strong and durable. If there is ever a rupture or defect to the implant the saline will be absorbed and expelled from the body naturally and a patient would be left with the same volume of breast tissue that they had prior to their augmentation. In thin patients with minimal breast tissue, a firmer look and feel as well as noticeable rippling to the implant can occur as the skin surrounding the implant takes on the shape of the implant and the tissues settle over time. As time progresses or when a person looses weight, rippling can become more obvious due to skin stretching and thinning, thus making ripples noticeable that were previously not seen. Silicone has definitely become more popular with further advances in research and development and is the implant of choice for most thin patients who are looking for a natural softer breast with less chance of seeing or feeling rippling. In Dr. Bandy's practice, 80 percent of patients choose to have silicone implants. Patients rave that their breasts look and feel "so natural". In the 1980's silicone had the same consistency as honey and was very sticky if the implant ruptured. Silicone is not absorbable by the body the same way saline is. The FDA halted manufacturing of this form of silicone to investigate the safety of silicone gel implants. At that time, patients were left with only the option of saline implants for several years. In 2003, the FDA lifted its ban on silicone as 'cohesive gel' silicone implants were unveiled and the studies showed that the safety margin of silicone gel implants are parallel with saline. This form of silicone has the same consistency as a gelatin. The cohesive gel silicone is still within a solid silicone shell which acts as a strong and durable restraint against pressure or ruptures. Although women have their choice of saline or silicone implants, at this time the FDA has approved the use of silicone implants for women 22 years of age or older unless certain reconstructive guidelines are met.
Breast Implant placement in front vs. behind the muscle?
When consulting with a surgeon it is important to discuss your implant placement. There are two placement techniques that are used most for breast augmentation and a third placement that is used for varying circumstances. More commonly women choose implant placement behind the pectoral muscle. There are several reasons that a woman might choose to have her implant placed behind the muscle. After a breast augmentation a woman will be able to receive much more accurate readings from a mammogram if the implant is placed behind the muscle as this allows for the woman's natural breast tissue to stay in front of the implant and muscle. Also, if the implant is placed behind the muscle, the muscle acts as an internal support for the implant. Implants placed in front of the muscle will only have natural breast tissue and skin in front of the implant. Because skin and breast tissue do not have elastic recoil, the breast will stretch over time. For a woman that does not have a lot of natural breast tissue (A-B cups), implant placement behind the muscle might be a good choice as the muscle gives more coverage to the implant and helps create a natural look and natural slope. A third option is called the 'dual plane' implant placement. This means that the implant is placed behind the muscle and the upper 2/3 of the implant is fully supported by the pectoral muscle, however, the bottom 1/3 of the implant is allowed to settle into the bottom of the breast by releasing muscle fibers from the connecting bone. This is typically for women who have more of a bottom pole fullness naturally or are on the fence of having a breast lift. An experienced and skilled surgeon such as Dr. Bandy will be able to explain which implant placement is recommended for your own individual needs.
Breast Augmentation Incisions
Dr. Bandy recommends making her incision in one of three ways. The first is through the areola on the area where the areola meets with the lighter skin on the breast. An incision here makes for a well hidden and blended scar. Many women like this incision because if their scar heals dark, the color will match that similar of their areola and if their scar heals light, the color will match closer to that of the lighter natural breast color. Although a very popular incision site, this incision carries a slightly higher risk for loss (permanent or temporary) of nipple sensitivity. This incision not only cuts through skin, but continues through the patients breast tissue. The second incision is in the infra-mammary fold. This is under the breast in the natural fold of the breast. (Don't worry, if you don't have a natural fold, you will after an augmentation.) This incision makes for a nicely hidden scar and comes with a lowered risk for loss of nipple sensitivity. The third incision is the transaxillary incision in the armpit of the patient. This makes for a well hidden scar as well and also carries a lowered risk for loss of nipple sensitivity. Women may choose to implant both saline and silicone implants in any of the incision sites, however, with the transaxillary incision, due to pressure placed on an implant, the maximum size of a silicone implant to be implanted through this incision is reduced.
Breast Implant Complications and possible patient complaints
With any surgery or procedure there is a risk for complications. Breast augmentation is no different, with possible post surgical complications ranging from post operative bleeding (hematoma) and fluid collection that would require drainage (seroma) to implant rippling and capsular contracture. Although rare, there is always a chance for a patient to form a hematoma which would be noticeable within the first 18-72 hours after surgery. Although preventable in the operating room with an experienced surgeon, a hematoma can form post operatively by a surge in a patients blood pressure or a patient over exerting themselves and tearing any sutures previously placed, thus causing additional trauma to the breast. This is why it is imperative for all health complications or risks to be evaluated and under control prior to surgery as well as ensuring that a patient is made aware of and understands all post operative care instructions and guidelines. Patients can also complain of noticeable implant rippling. Implant rippling, although more prevalent in saline implants, is sometimes unavoidable. Choosing an appropriate implant size that does not go outside of the patients own tissue boundaries, and placement behind the muscle reduces the risk of rippling. However, rippling can still occur despite these measures, and there is no definitive way to determine if a patient will experience rippling of the implants. Implant type, size, material and placement are all contributing factors to rippling and it is important to discuss each factor individually with Dr. Bandy during a consultation and pre-operative appointment. The most common complaint heard is that many patients wish that they had gone with a larger size implant. But all in all, patients love the way they look and feel with their fuller, more youthful breasts.
Breast Augmentation Cost
Breast augmentation prices depend on a number of factors. For more information about our affordable rates on breast augmentation, please call our friendly office at 949-574-0574.
Breast Augmentation Financing
We do offer Breast Augmentation Financing. Please call our office for more information about Breast Augmentation Financing.
Breast Augmentation Before After
To many, an implant over 600cc in volume is considered to be a large implant. While the largest silicone implant is limited to 800cc, saline implants have a fill volume range of up to 850cc. Because a saline implant is filled by the surgeon, a qualified surgeon is able to fill a saline implant over 850cc. With additional saline filled into the implant, the look and feel of a saline implant can change and become more firm. Maximum fill volumes and the affect that it has on the look and feel of the implant is a very important topic to bring up during a patients consultation with Dr. Bandy.
Patient of Dr. Bandy after Large Breast Augmentation - Newport Beach / Orange County, CA
Dr. Bandy is very well known for creating beautiful bodies with a strong artistic approach to help patients achieve their desired results. Many patients consulting with Dr. Bandy inquire about large breast implants. It is very important to find a plastic surgeon that is highly skilled with performing a large implant breast augmentation. Implant width and dimensions must be precise as too narrow or too wide could leave a patient very unsatisfied.
Depending on a patients natural measurements and what size they are looking to achieve it is sometimes recommended that a patient stage their augmentation. If a patient is naturally small busted, inserting an extra large implant for a first augmentation could potentially stretch their skin too fast and leave a patient with unattractive stretch marks that are irreversible. Implanting larger implants during a first time augmentation might also lower where the breasts naturally sits on the chest leading to a possible "bottoming out" over the course of time. Staging a breast augmentation will allow for a patients pockets to expand and allow for a larger implant to be placed at a later time.
It is recommended to wait at least 6 months prior to having a second surgery to exchange current implants for a larger size. This allows for proper wound healing as well as allowing all internal sutures and swelling to no longer be present. Remember, although two surgeries to achieve the results that a patient is looking for might not be ideal, a patients health and safety is our number one concern and we will not put a patients health or recovery in jeopardy. To determine if a large or extra large breast implant is right, it is recommended to size with implants during a patients consultation.
