Breast augmentation surgery ranks as the top cosmetic procedure in the U.S. year after year. Hundreds of thousands of women undergo this procedure annually in America. With breast implants, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Maakan Taghizadeh can enlarge and enhance your breasts to be the size and shape you’ve been dreaming about. Please contact U Plastic Surgery today to schedule a consultation in Baltimore.
Breast Augmentation Candidates
You may be a good candidate for breast enlargement if any of the following apply:
- Small breasts
- Asymmetrical breasts
- Lack of breast fullness and cleavage
- Not liking how your bust looks in tops and dresses
In addition, you should be in good general health, i.e. healthy enough to undergo a surgical procedure. Dr. Tag will make that determination after meeting with you and reviewing your health history.
Most women who want larger breasts are great candidates for breast augmentation. Please see the before-and-after gallery to see the results Dr. Tag’s patients have achieved.
Breast Implant Options
Multiple options exist when it comes to customizing your breast implants:
- Size
- Shape (round or tear-drop/anatomical)
- Type (saline or silicone)
- Profile/projection
- Textured or smooth
Your consultation includes discussing all of the breast implant characteristics and what they will mean for your results and your life after breast augmentation. Dr. Tag will show you examples of what the different breast implants look like after implantation, although this also varies by person because of differences in base breast size and tissue density.
Saline vs. Silicone Breast Implants
Choosing the type of breast implant is one of the main decisions. Both provide beautiful results, although you may end up favoring one over the other.
Saline breast implants: These implants are encased in an outer shell made of silicone, but contain saline fluid. This sterile saltwater solution has long been used as the fill material for breast implants. Although it carries the possibility of visible rippling after placement, this is an uncommon occurrence. If a saline breast implant should leak or tear, the fluid is harmlessly processed out through the natural metabolic processes in your body.
Silicone breast implants: These breast implants consist of an outer silicone shell that contains silicone gel. Silicone breast implants are prized for their natural look and feel. The silicone gel itself highly mimics the look and feel of natural breast tissue. Silicone gel maintains its shape if the breast implant shell tears, so regular MRIs are recommended to make sure the implant is intact over the years.
Saline breast implants are FDA-approved for women age 18 and older, while silicone breast implants are approved for age 22 and older, so that is another consideration if you are a young woman.
The Breast Augmentation Procedure
The breast enhancement procedure involves placing the breast implants within a pocket created in the natural breasts. Two main incision options exist:
- Periareolar – a circular incision around the areolas
- Inframammary – an incision extending along the breast crease, where the bottom of the breasts meets the chest
- Transaxillary – a small incision is made in the armpit. Special instruments are used to insert and place the implant via this incision
These incisions are made as minimally as possible in order to minimize their appearance in the future. The incisions do leave scars, and they do get somewhat lighter and flatter for most people, over time.
Breast implants may be placed above the chest muscle and below the breast tissue (sub-glandular placement), or below the pectoral muscle (sub-muscular placement). Dr. Tag will recommend the placement that will lead to the best results after meeting you in a consultation. Breast implant placement depends in part on the amount of breast tissue.
Most breast augmentation procedures are completed while the patient is under general anesthesia. You will be groggy when you awake, but most people are fine to return home the same day.
Breast Enlargement Recovery
You should walk around a few hours after surgery to get your blood circulating. You probably won’t want to leave your house for 1-2 days. Most people go back to work after several days to a week, especially if it’s a desk job.
Strenuous exercise and activity must be delayed 4-6 weeks. Dr. Tag will let you know when you can resume your specific exercise and activity routine. Heavy lifting must be avoided for at least 6 weeks.
Although your breast implants will ride high at first, they will settle into place over the coming weeks. Your finalized results will be apparent after 6 weeks, once the majority of swelling has subsided. Very minor changes may take shape for up to a year, as subtle reductions in swelling occur during this time.
Are You a Breast Augmentation Candidate?
The only way to know if you are a candidate is to arrange a consultation with a qualified, experienced and board-certified plastic surgeon like Dr. Maakan Taghizadeh. At our Baltimore practice, he will take all the time necessary to make sure your questions are answered and that you have all the information you need to make the decision. Please contact us today to arrange a consultation!
