Wedged between summer bikinis and winter holiday cocktail dresses, fall is the perfect season for La Jolla resdients to consider breast augmentation. The busy pace of summer has slowed, and temperatures have cooled, making way for a less active social calendar and loser fitting clothing—a perfect combination to give you time to recover from breast augmentation surgery. At Umansky Plastic Surgery, we have the extensive experience, training and expertise necessary to give you the beautifully enhanced breasts you desire.
What are the Benefits of Breast Augmentation?
Breast augmentation is a surgical procedure that uses saline or silicone gel implants to change the shape, size and volume of your breasts. If you are unhappy with the appearance of your breasts, augmentation can give you a new lease on life. Maybe you have always had small breasts and simply want to fill out your clothes better.
Perhaps you have asymmetrical breasts and want them to be balanced. For some, pregnancy and breastfeeding can leave once voluptuous breasts deflated and flat. For all of these patients and many others, breast augmentation is the key to a more youthful, perky and full feminine contour. The benefits of breast augmentation include:
- Enhancing the overall shape of your breasts
- Increasing breast volume and size
- Improving the profile of the breast
- Balancing breast and hip contours
- Restoring breast symmetry
- Improving self-confidence
During your breast augmentation consultation at Umansky Plastic Surgery, William Umansky, MD and Jeffrey Umansky, MD will answer all of your questions and provide as much information as possible. They believe that educating each patient about their chosen procedure is a vital part of any successful surgery, and want to ensure that you are informed and at ease throughout the entire process.
Saline vs. Silicone Gel Implants
Two types of breast implants are used to enhance breast tissue: saline or silicone gel, both of which have an outer silicone shell. Implants can be smooth or textured, round or teardrop shaped and come in a variety of sizes, allowing you and your surgeon to determine the best shape and size to fit your body while achieving your goals. Aside from the shape, size and texture of the implants, what differs between the two is the material inside.
The material—saline or silicone gel—provides a different shape, look and feel. William Umansky, MD and Jeffrey Umansky, MD will guide you through the decision-making process and help you choose the right implant to give you the appearance and feel you want.
Saline breast implants are filled with a sterile saltwater solution. The saline solution makes the implants feel firm, and provides a rounded, uniform shape that is more visible in the upper area of the breast. One benefit of saline breast implants is that they can be filled after being placed, allowing the surgeon to create a more symmetrical balance. This is especially important for patients with asymmetrical breasts, so that one breast can be filled more than the other to create a more proportional bosom.
Silicone gel breast implants are the preferred implant among patients that are seeking a more natural feel and appearance after augmentation. The inner material is silicone gel, which has a similar consistency to gummy candy, and mimics the feel of natural breast tissue. They tend to look more natural because the cohesive, thick gel acts more like natural breast tissue. Silicone gel breast implants come pre-filled from the manufacturer.
Breast Augmentation Procedure
Breast augmentation is a surgical procedure; thus, general anesthesia will be administered to make you comfortable. Incisions are strategically placed, and can be done on the underside of the breast where it meets the abdomen, tucked in a fold within the armpit or around the edge of the areola. Incision placement is based on the patient’s body and breast tissue, as well as the type and size of the implant.
Next, the breast implants are placed either under the pectoral muscle or immediately behind the breast tissue. Your doctor will discuss the placement of your implants prior to surgery and recommend which location is best suited for your body and desired goals. After the implants are inserted, sutures are used to close the incisions, and bandages and a compression garment are secured around your breasts. After time in the recovery room, most patients are released to return home under the care of another adult.
Recovery from Breast Augmentation
We will send post-op instructions home with you. Follow them carefully and plan to have someone stay with you for the first two days following surgery. Rest, keep your movements simple and avoid exercise and strenuous activity for the first week after surgery. It is common to have pain and swelling after your surgery, but this discomfort is usually managed by oral pain medication and subsides within a few days.
Swelling and soreness may continue for up to a few months as your breasts heal and the implants settle into place. Sleep on your back, keeping your upper body elevated to minimize swelling and reduce the chance of lying on your breasts. Wear the compression garment at all times, don’t lift anything and avoid raising your hands above your head.
Patients usually return to work one or two weeks after surgery, depending on how strenuous your job may be. Light exercise is usually permitted three weeks after surgery, and most patients return to their regular workouts six to eight weeks post-surgery. Listen to your body and don’t overdo it. Caution in the early days and weeks following your breast augmentation procedure will help promote healing and ensure a full and rapid recovery.
Learn More from a La Jolla Breast Augmentation Surgeon
Breast augmentation can play an important role in transforming your confidence and physique, and fall is a great season to consider such a procedure. If you want to learn more about breast augmentation and how this procedure can enhance your appearance, call Umansky Plastic Surgery at 858-281-4560 and schedule a consultation.