Posts Tagged ‘fix’
Public opinion and recent scientific studies have once again swung the pendulum in favor of breast implants in the United States. After the FDA restricted the use of silicone implants in 1992, plastic surgeons experienced a precipitous drop in the number of breast augmentations they performed. The government’s concern at the time were reports that silicone implants were causing generalized symptoms in some women (Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and other auto immune diseases).
In the years that followed multiple large studies were performed at leading medical centers yielding consistently favorable data. In 1997, the Institute of Medicine independently reviewed this data for the US Congress and found conclusively that there was no evidence that silicone implants were responsible for any major diseases of the body and that these devices did not increase the risk of primary or recurrent breast cancer. Since then, many other studies have solidified these conclusions reassuring the public that silicone and saline implants are indeed safe.
With this increased confidence in implant technology, more women chose to have breast enhancement in the year 2004 than ever before. In fact, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported that 254,140 American women underwent the procedure in 2003 compared to 32,607 in 1992. This number continues to rise steadily and Charlotte is no exception. Breast Augmentation has become one of the most commonly performed cosmetic procedures in the US.
Improving breast contours and unevenness may seem trivial and vain at the surface, but the emotional implications are far reaching. The boost in self-confidence that we witness in our patients makes this procedure extremely rewarding. A significant number feel a lack of femininity and have an altered body image similar to our mastectomy patients before their reconstruction. Those that are severely underdeveloped avoid bathing suits and instead wear bulky t-shirts to obscure their flat chests.
Their gratitude after the surgery is unparalleled and they invariably become an important source of referrals to our growing practice. These days, once women have decided to undergo augmentation they are faced with a plethora of options: silicone vs. saline, round shape vs. contoured, smooth surface vs. textured, pre-filled vs. inflatable, under the chest muscle vs. over, in the hospital vs. the office, sedation vs. general anesthesia; not to mention the different size implants and manufacturers available, as well as which incision to use and whether or not other procedures are required. It can become overwhelming?
First, the issue of silicone vs. saline implants. Although the Institute of Medicine unequivocally ruled out the association between silicone gel implants and systemic diseases, local problems with the breasts such as silicone leaking and hardening, while not life-threatening, were concerning to this committee. My personal preference is to use saline implants. These can and do eventually deflate but the salt water used to fill them is completely harmless to the body and gets reabsorbed, making them safer than silicone implants.
Furthermore, unlike saline deflations where the patient soon notices a decrease in size and seeks attention, the ruptured silicone implant can go undetected for years until the breast starts hardening and becomes painful.
The next choice to be considered is smooth vs. textured (rough) surface. My bias has changed in the last decade from mostly textured to mostly smooth implants. Research in the early 90′s indicated that textured silicone implants hardened less frequently than smooth ones. It may not be the case for saline implants however. Some studies show a small difference, others no difference.
When it comes to choosing pre-filled (fixed volume set by the manufacturer) or inflatable implants (inserted empty into the breast and then inflated in-situ), I prefer the latter. Using an inflatable prosthesis allows fur a much smaller incision to be made and more flexibility in choosing the final size, especially when the breasts are uneven to begin with.
Placing the implant behind the chest muscle (pectoralis major) or in front is another intensely debated issue. More surgeons, as I do, feel strongly that behind the muscle is better. The major advantages is a lower rate of hardening, better preservation of nipple sensation, improved breast contour (the edges of the implant are obscured by the muscle) and improved visualization on mammogram.
The disadvantages are that there is more pain after the surgery, the breasts look fuller at the top the first month and the implants occasionally “bounce” when the chest muscle is contracted forcefully (as in some body builders). Despite these inconveniences, behind the muscle is definitely the way to go.
Which incision to use for placing the implant, by contrast, is much less important. Excellent results can be obtained with all four approaches: under the fold, in a crease of the armpit, through the areola (nipple) or the belly button. I generally prefer the armpit crease incision as it is a more direct route behind the muscle and leaves no scar on the breast itself Nipple sensation and breast feeding potential remains intact.
The two dominant manufacturers of implants in the US, McGhan and Mentor, are equivalent in most respects. As to the size of the implant, the majority of our patients are conservative: wanting simply to restore fullness after having children or slightly enhancing underdeveloped breasts. The width of the chest, how much breast tissue exists, and what the target cup size is desired, are the major factors in choosing the volume in “cc’s” of the implant.
The aesthetic “norm” in the US appears to be a full “c” cup unlike Europe and South America where B/small C is more common. Although not an exact science, the majority of patients are content with their final volume. In our one year post-op survey that patients fill out, 91% of women are happy with their size. 6% would have liked to have gone bigger, and 3% smaller.
Be knowledgeable about the complications that can arise. No surgery is without risks. but these should be minimal.
Finally, take your time to do the research. Don’t rush into the surgery. Know that it is safe and ever-more popular, but do it for the right reasons: mainly to feel better about yourself.
Adrien Brody is a business writer specializing in health and beauty products and has written authoritative articles on the industry. To learn more about breast enhancement, make sure you visit
Is there Anything Cosmetic Surgery Can’t Fix?
Posted by: admin
January 6th, 2010 >> Herbal Breast Enhancement
If you’ve spent any time in front of a television in the past few years you’ve no doubt seen shows like Extreme Makeover and wondered if there was anything cosmetic surgery couldn’t fix. The answer is, “Of course.” Cosmetic surgery can’t fix low self-esteem even if it does provide a temporary psychological boost. Cosmetic surgery can’t fix a broken marriage, and it can’t fix a person’s desire for attention from one special person, whether that person is a significant other, spouse, or parent. And cosmetic surgery can’t even fix a person’s desire to have the perfect face and/or body. Cosmetic surgery addicts are a testament to that fact.
Cosmetic surgery can’t fix the aging process. It can help a person reset their clock by a few years, but aging will take place on altered as well as unaltered faces and bodies. While some procedures are less noticeable than others, any surgical procedure will leave scars, sometimes invisibly, and sometimes visibly. Cosmetic surgery can’t take 40-year-old skin and make it look exactly like 20-year-old skin. Cosmetic surgeons use scalpels, not magic wands. It can’t fix a gnawing desire to always look younger. That fixation can outlast numerous surgical procedures, head to toe.
There is a lot that can do. It can repair damage from accidents and cancer surgery. It can fix back pain caused by years of carrying around breasts that are too heavy for a woman’s frame. It can mostly restore a breast that was lost to cancer. It can suction fat from thighs and hips, resulting in inches lost that wouldn’t budge otherwise. It can tighten abdominal skin and muscles that have been stretched by weight gain or pregnancy, and it can remove excess skin from those who have lost massive amounts of weight.
Cosmetic surgery can’t make you happy enough that you’ll like your boring, un-fulfilling job. It can’t make up for your choosing the wrong person to marry. It can’t make your teenage children be nice to you if they’re not inclined to. It can’t fix grief, depression, or addiction.
Many people in today’s world think that any “problem” that can be addressed by throwing money at it goes from being a “problem” to being merely an “expense.” It is extremely easy to get into this mindset, particularly for people who spend a lot of time watching television, seeing plastic surgery programs and makeover programs, and noticing how happy the participants are with their new nose, or teeth, or breasts, or thighs. Young adults may make fun of the “vain” people who treat themselves to or a nose job, but many of them end up getting plastic surgery themselves anyway.
It is extremely easy to lose sight of what a real human body looks like after years of being presented with perfectly proportioned bodies that look great in clothes and attract just the right amount of attention from admirers. It’s all too easy to forget that bodies come in many shapes, and the shape that is hot this year might well be passé next year. And cosmetic surgery can’t change that. It can only adapt to changing consumer demand.
Leonard Dawson is a freelance article writer who writes for about current issues, technology and news within the cosmetic surgery market. Article Source:
