Breast Augmentation and Liposuction Blog - Dr. Bottger

Breast lifts and breast augmentation are two separate cosmetic surgery options to help women enhance, enlarge or contour their breasts. Sometimes these procedures are used in conjunction to achieve the desired results and sometimes only one procedure is necessary.

Breast Lift

A breast lift can help reverse the effects of aging, pregnancy or weight loss. Over time and after such major life experiences, the skin of the breasts can lose elasticity and succumb to gravity leaving breasts that sag or droop. Also called mastopexy, a breast lift involves the removal of excess skin and the repositioning of the nipple to reshape the breasts. The breasts will be perkier, firmer and look more youthful; however, they will not be larger in size.

There are two different types of incision methods that can be used for the breast lift procedure, depending on the severity:

• Donut, which results in an areola scar only
• Vertical, which results in a scar that circles the areola and extends vertically to the fold of the breast

Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation, also called augmentation mammaplasty, is used to enlarge and reshape a woman’s breasts. Typically, this procedure alone will not correct sagging breasts, although there are always exceptions.

Women who choose breast augmentation have many important choices to make, including:

• Saline or silicone implants
• Size and shape of the implants
• Incision location
• Placement of the implants on the chest

If you would like to enhance or enlarge your breasts and would like to know which procedure might be right for you, please contact Philadelphia breast surgeon Dr. Bottger today for a free consultation.

Plastic surgery can help both men and women change physical attributes about themselves that they find undesirable. Before embarking on any type of cosmetic surgery, the patient should discuss his or her final outcome expectations with the surgeon so everyone has a realistic understanding about the surgery possibilities and limitations.

Women considering breast augmentation surgery should have open and honest discussions with the surgeon regarding:

• Size, shape and texture: There are different types of implants available, and each will look and feel differently.
• Scarring: Depending on the incision location, the incision scars may or may not be visible.
• Recovery time: Patients should wait 3 weeks to resume strenuous activity, and the breasts may not be fully healed and shaped until several months after surgery.
• Replacement: Implants do not last a lifetime, and the average lifespan is 10 years. It is possible that the implants may need to be replaced due to deflation or other complications.
• Sagging: A breast lift may be necessary to correct sagging breasts. Typically breast implants alone will not fix this problem.

Breast augmentation is an invasive surgery that carries potential risks and complications. Patients should be fully aware of these risks before making the important decision to undergo surgery.

If you are considering breast augmentation surgery and would like to meet with board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. David Bottger to discuss your expectations, please visit our “contact us” page for a free breast implant expectations consultation. We serve patients in and around Philadelphia, PA and all of Delaware.

It is for a patient’s own safety that plastic surgeons ask a variety of screening questions and/or do medical testing prior to performing surgeries. By understanding each patient inside and out, the surgeon has a better chance of reducing any risks or complications that can occur.

Surgeons should inquire about:

• Medical history: Plastic surgeons should be fully informed about patient’s medical history in order to determine which type of surgery, if any, is appropriate and safe for the patient.
• Psychological disorders: Mental illnesses, such as Body Dysmorphic Disorder, can give people warped self-images, making them poor candidates for plastic surgery. These individuals may believe that the surgeries will make them happier, when in actuality the surgeries may have the reverse effect.
• Substance abuse: Individuals with substance abuse problems may suffer from depression and undergo plastic surgery for the wrong reasons. The healing time for these patients can also be greatly lengthened, adding to the patient’s depression and despair.
• Medications: The surgeon should know about all medications the patient is taking prior to, during and after surgery. Even herbal medications and vitamins have been known to cause complications and delay or prevent proper healing.

The more honest you are with your surgeon, the better chance you have for a successful surgery and desired outcome.

If you would like to discuss plastic surgery options and live in the Philadelphia or Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania area, please contact cosmetic surgeon Dr. David Bottger today for a plastic surgery consultation.

Some women may be surprised to learn that silicone and saline breast implants are not created with bra cup sizes in mind. Because there is no absolute industry standard among bra manufacturers on cup sizes, it would be virtually impossible for implant manufacturers to create a D-size implant, for example, that perfectly fit every D-size bra on the market.

Breast implants are classified by the volume of saline solution or silicone gel that is injected into the implant shell. Breast implants range in size, depending on how large the woman would like her breasts to look. Typically, implants range in size from 250cc (cubic centimeters) to 1200cc with 350cc being one of the most popular implant sizes.

Each woman’s own unique body type will determine how much saline or silicone will be necessary to create the desired breast size. A 350cc implant on one woman may have a completely different effect on a different woman. However, as a rule of thumb, each 150cc-175cc of implant may increase a woman’s bra size one cup.

Pennsylvania and Delaware-area cosmetic surgeon, Dr. David Bottger, is experienced in helping women determine the right breast implant size for their body shape, breast shape, lifestyle and final expectations. If you would like to learn more about the different methods used to select the right implant size, please contact our office for a free breast implant sizing consultation.