Can I pick my breast implant size for breast augmentation plastic surgery? Yes, Virginia plastic surgeon, Dr. Michael J. Brown will meet with you and discuss your goals and the size you wish to become. In most cases, a woman can "pick" the size she wishes. There are infrequent occasions when the physical examination of the patient limits the ability to achieve a certain size.
Selecting a breast implant size can lead to some anxiety in some women. The fear that they will be too large is most often the initial concern. Shortly after that concern is controlled, then the issue becomes going large enough. This is a difficult process and must be undertaken with a great deal of thought. A size on one woman may look entirely different on another. Using bra size as a guide can provide some assistance, but since all bras are made by different companies, there is no standard. Therefore, there are no guarantees about a specific bra size.
Usually looking at photographs help establish a look guideline. A natural breast fullness is overwhelmingly the choice that is selected. The majority of women will request 'a full C' look or into the 'small D'. Again, there are no guarantees about these sizes but they do assist in communicating the goals. Some women will want to be 'large'. All women must understand that selecting larger than recommended breast implants may result in long term consequences that may be undesirable. Stretch marks, implant settling, and asymmetries are usually worsened long term with larger breast implants.
some women will come to their breast augmentation surgery consultation with a breast implant size in mind. They have done some 'surfing' and believe that they have deduced the correct breast implant size. The most important aspect for an exceptional breast augmentation result is pleasing the woman by creating the size breast mound that she desires. So it is actually more important for the woman to have photos of the look that she would like to achieve from the breast enhancement surgery rather than a breast implant size. From this position, the correct implant size can typically be selected.
What kind of anesthesia is used during breast augmentation plastic surgery? Anesthesia is a complicated subject. Anesthesia is used locally in the breast tissues themselves and throughout the body using other drugs. When the drugs are administered through the IV (the vein), most people think that this is 'IV sedation' and not a 'general' anesthesia. Technically speaking, using an IV does not imply a level or degree of anesthesia but rather a route to administer the drugs. Inhalational agents are another modality or route to administer drugs and sedation. A level of sedation or consciousness is classified by how the body responds/or fails to resond to a stimuli. So there is 'light sedation' and 'deep or general sedation', the later category is refered to as 'general anesthesia'. It does not imply a breathing tube but rather a level of unconsciousness. General anesthesia can be achieved using IV medications or inhalational medications. Inhalational delivery of drugs can be entered into the body using specialized airways or 'breathing tubes'. It is a common misconception that IV medication anesthesia is less anesthesia than inhalational anesthesia. Another common misconception is that if you have general anesthesia, you will be paralyzed and not be able to move if you were to wake up during the breast implant surgery. You do not need to be paralyzed to have general anesthesia.The important thing to remember is that you will be asleep and will not feel anything. If you were to awaken you would be able to move and this would signal to the anesthesiologist that you require more medicine. This is extremely rare, and you would not remember it even if it was to occur. Technically speaking, this breast enhancement surgery is performed under general anesthesia without a breathing tube and without being paralyzed. The anesthesia is administered both using IV and inhalational medications.
What types of sensory changes occur after breast augmentation plastic surgery? There are two types of sensory changes that a woman may experience after breast augmentation surgery. Temporary and permanent changes may occur in the breasts. These can occur on the skin of the breast and or involve the nipple areolar skin. The most common nerve injuries are temporary and may only last a few days. Some women will note that they have decreased sensation in certain areas of their breast skin or nipple and within a few days it improves and then resolves. Some may note a dulled sensory change that as it heals becomes sensitive to the touch (hypersensitive) that also resolves with time. These hypersensitive changes usually last a few weeks. Rarely, some women may experience a very sharp, severe pain that truely limits their activities. This type of pain is also short lived and typically goes away within a week or two. Permanent sensory changes are ones that still exist after a year. They would normally be a loss of sensation in a limited area of the breast or nipple.
When can the breasts be touched after breast augmentation plastic surgery? There is not limitation to touching the breasts after the surgery. It is up to the woman to determine when she is willing or interested in being touched. There is no medical reason that prohibits touching.
Are there any restrictions after breast augmentation plastic surgery? Other than exercise limitations for a brief period of time, it is recommended to avoid the medications on the 'Medications to Avoid List'. These medications have been shown to increase the chances of a bleeding problem. After about 4 days you may resume taking some of these medications again. It is always best to check with Dr. Brown prior to resuming those types of medications.
When can a woman start exercising after breast augmentation plastic surgery? It is recommended to avoid getting your heart rate or blood pressure up too high after breast implant surgery to avoid complications. A bleeding complication may occur at late as 10 days to 3 weeks after breast augmentation surgery. So it is the office policy to recommend avoidance of strenuous exercise for this period of time. Having said that, there are many women to resume aerobic exercise as early as a few days after the breast enhancement surgery. Again, it is not recommended.
As far as weight lifting, the same 10 day to 3 week time limitation applies. After that, you may do any exercises that you chose. It may hurt you while you are starting up but you will not hurt your result or break the breast implant.
When can a woman begin lifting weights after breast augmentation surgery? It is recommended to avoid getting your heart rate or blood pressure up too high after breast implant surgery to avoid complications. A bleeding complication may occur at late as 10 days to 3 weeks after breast augmentation surgery. So it is the office policy to recommend avoidance of strenuous exercise for this period of time. Having said that, there are many women to resume aerobic exercise as early as a few days after the breast enhancement surgery. Again, it is not recommended.
As far as weight lifting, the same 10 day to 3 week time limitation applies. After that, you may do any exercises that you choose. It may hurt you while you are starting up but you will not hurt your result or break the breast implant.
When can a woman undergo strenous activities after breast augmentation plastic surgery? Most women have expressed concern about strenous activities up to one month after breast implant surgery. These types of activities include kick boxing, karate, tennis, firing a gun, military fitness exams, etc. They may be attempted on an as tolerated activity after the 10 day to 3 week period.
When can a woman lift a baby or small child after breast augmentation plastic surgery? It is best to not have to be the primary care taker of small children for at least 2-5 days. Picking up a child will not hurt the result but may cause an increase in the pain that a woman experiences when the chest muscles contract. Smaller children (less than 15 pounds) can obviously be picked up a bit easier than a 30-40 pound child. Care should be taken to be sure to check the range of motion and degree of tenderness that a woman has prior to trying to lift any child. Placing a baby or child into a car seat is usually tender for about two weeks, depending on the size of the child. Again, other than the first few days, it will be patient dependent on their own activity level.
When can a woman drive after breast augmentation plastic surgery? It is best to not drive until after a woman feels that she has good range of motion without tenderness. It is safest to be sure that turning the steering wheel quickly does not cause any pain. Flinching while trying to turn the steering wheel could have life endangering consequences. Technically speaking, it is safest to wait two weeks. However, most women are driving within the first week.
Can being involved in an accident or trauma to the chest break a breast implant? Although it is possible to rupture a breast implant with a blunt trauma to the chest, it is extremely unlikely. The force required would have very severe consequences to other areas of the body that would also be injured.
When can a woman return to work after breast augmentation plastic surgery? Usually 3-5 days is a safe amount of time to be sure to be out of the office. If the job requires using the arms a fair amount, ie nurse, police, construction, flight attendant, it may be better to take off more time from work. The time away from work is usually directly proportional to the amount of exertional activities that a job requires. Some office based careers allow for the women to return to work as soon as three days. While more strenous careers need about two weeks for 80% return of strength. The stronger women have stated that they could do push ups at one month after breast implant insertion.
Is there any problem with flying in a plane or scuba diving after breast augmentation plastic surgery? No, there are no problems with flying or scuba diving with breast implants in. These activities may be performed when ever the woman feels up to them.
When may a woman resume using a tanning bed or get a sun tan after breast augmentation plastic surgery? As long as the incision area is covered and protected from the sun's rays or the tanning bed's energy, you may resume tanning at your leisure. It is best not to intensely tan two weeks BEFORE your breast augmentation surgery. The dead skin can flake off during the surgery and may contaminate the breast implant.
What will happen to the breasts if a woman gets pregnant after breast augmentation plastic surgery? As with any other woman, there is no way to determine what will happen to the breasts after a woman gets pregnant. Previous pregnancies may prove to be some guide but some women will have different experiences with each pregnancy. Breast implants do not influence the breast glands response to hormones.
Can a woman breast feed after breast augmentation plastic surgery? Breast implants do not effect the breast feeding, a woman may or may not be able to effectively breast feed. Breast Implants do not influence the breast glands response to the hormones associated with breast feeding.
Is there anything that can improve the quality of the scar from breast augmentation plastic surgery? Good question. Tension across the wound is perhaps the worst thing for a healing wound. Keeping tape or a steri-strip or silicone sheeting probably help the most during the initial healing phase. Some women will use their special ointment, vitamin E, etc to improve the scar. If the ointment or cream can penetrate the skin, then it may be of some limited benefit.
When can ointments, oils, vitamins, herbs, etc. be put on the incisions after breast augmentation sugery to help the scars? These types of products may be started usually after about 4-5 days. During the initial few days it is best to allow the wounds edges to heal completely prior to starting to apply scar improving treatments.
Can the scar after breast augmentation plastic surgery be revised? Yes, if a woman would like to have one or both scars revised after 6 months it can be done in the office. It is seldom necessary to revise these types of small scars.
When can a woman have sex after breast augmentation plastic surgery? Non exertional sex without elevations in breast pressure may be entertained when a woman decides that she is interested. As with other forms of exercise and elevations in blood pressure, it is best to not experience elevated blood pressure for 10-14 days. As a side note, antibiotics may make birth control pills ineffective. So it is best to use other sources of birth control during the first month after antibiotics.
Can women with latex allergies have breast implants? Yes. Breast implant shells are made of silicone and do not have any latex in their construction. The operating room equipment and surgical gloves must be latex free and this is routinely done. The most important thing for the woman to do is make sure everyone knows about all allergies, including latex.
Can a woman's body reject the breast implants? No, there is no such thing as rejection of a breast implant. A woman may experience an infection which results in requiring to remove the implants but this is not a rejection. Scar tissue around the breast implant is also not a sign of rejection but rather a localized response to the implant. Rejection means that the body has created specific cells designed to destroy something. This is not the case with breast implants.
When can a woman sleep on her tummy after breast augmentation plastic surgery? Sleeping on the tummy may be started as soon as the woman can tolerate the added pressure. Most will start sleeping on their backs, then their sides and eventually make it to the belly. It usually depends on the woman and how firm the mattress is. There are no physical limitations and it may be done as tolerated.
When can a woman go braless after breast augmentation plastic surgery? From surgery on. Typically it is recommended to not wear a bra for the first few weeks. After the breast implants start to settle, a bra may be worn for comfort. If a woman has very thin tissues a bra is recommended to prevent the implants from stretching the skin too much.
Can women with breast implants have mammograms? Yes, mammograms are possible and recommended for all women over 40. Breast implants do not prevent mammograms. It is recommended to be sure and ask the mammorgrapher if they have experience in peforming mammograms on women with breast implants. Occassionally an extra view may be required to allow the radiologist to completely assess the breast for anything suspicious.
Can women with breast implants have breast biopsies? Yes, breast implants do not prevent breast biopsies. Rarely the breast implant may be punctured during the needle localization process or while the surgeon is removing the lump. This is not a problem and can be replaced after the cancer risk has been determined. Breast implants above the muscle can cause more problems for biopsies that breast implants placed below the muscle.
Do breast implants cause cancer? No. There is no known link or association of breast implants and the formation of any cancers.
Can breast implants cause stretch marks to occur? Yes, it is possible that new stretch marks can occur after breast augmentation plastic surgery. It depends on the size of the breast implants and the quality of the woman's breast tissue and skin. It is more common that women with previous stretch marks may notice that the marks get red again after the breast augmentation surgery. Over time these stretch marks typically become less red and fade into the natural color of the woman's skin.
Do all women's nipple areolar tissue widen after breast augmentation plastic surgery? No, most women's colored areolar tissue remains the same width. It may widen slightly when larger breast implants have been placed. In some women though there can be widening with breast implants because their tissues are so thin. This consequence does not need to be treated.
Can veins on the breasts look larger after breast augmentation surgery? Yes, veins may look larger in some women however, it is not very common that the veins appear larger. It tends to occur in the women who had a history of lots of veins showing with a pregnancy or breast feeding. It may also be more apparent on women with fair skin. There is no treatment necessary for the veins.
If the breast implants are too big can they be removed and what happens to the left over breast tissue? If at any time a woman requests that her breast implants be removed, it can be done. Her individual characteristics, genetics and breast implant history, will be the primary indicator of the final result. A breast lift may be necessary to reposition the breast gland and remove excess skin.
How long does it take for breast implants to settle after breast augmentation plastic surgery? It depends on the size of the breast implants, the woman's body, and the plastic surgeon's technique. It is safe to say that most implants will settle by 3-6 months, some as early as one month but others as late as one year.
How long should a woman wait to have a second corrective plastic surgery? Depending on what the problem may be, it is usually best to wait at least 3-6 months prior to a second breast implant plastic surgery.
Do I have to stop smoking before my breast augmentation surgery? It is always better to stop smoking before any surgery, but it is not required. If a woman stops or cuts back on her smoking she will cough less and experience less discomfort. Wound healing has also been shown to be compromised in people who are actively smoking during the healing process.
