Is Post-Op Breast Asymmetry a Sign of a Bad Surgeon?

During consultations, I hear from some women that they are concerned about having asymmetry after breast surgery. Many of my breast augmentation patients felt anxious as they searched for a Los Angeles or Santa Monica plastic surgeon. They want to feel confident in their choice and, most of all, want to enjoy “perfect” results from their surgery.

A few years ago, a study of breast asymmetry found that after breast augmentation, 88% of patients had some degree of asymmetry and 65% of the women had more than one type of asymmetry. These numbers may seem very high, but before we start questioning the skills of plastic surgeons, we should consider the issue from every angle.

While a beautiful result is always the goal, some asymmetry is simply a result of each patient’s unique physiology. For instance, asymmetry following breast augmentation may be the result of slight pre-op asymmetry that has been magnified by the increase in breast size. However, skilled surgeons can minimize asymmetry by:

• Performing a thorough chest wall evaluation before surgery to determine your individual needs
• Carefully choosing your implant size, profile and placement based on your physiology
• Using an areolar (around the nipple) incision to ensure areolar symmetry (if necessary)
• Performing a breast lift in conjunction with augmentation
• Considering inframammary fold position before surgery to help prevent the implants settling in different positions.

Choosing a surgeon who is highly qualified can help prevent some of these issues, but keep in mind that asymmetry is a natural occurrence. Discussing your concerns with your surgeon is a great way to ease your anxiety and find out what he or she can do to help improve your symmetry after surgery.

Tags: breast augmentation in los angeles, santa monica plastic surgeon
Posted in Breast augmentation,Plastic Surgeon

Breast Enhancement – Before or After Weight Loss?

If you’re trying to lose weight, seeing those extra pounds start to melt away is exciting. But remember, you can’t always control where you’re losing the weight – it’s going to come off across your entire body, not just in one or two “target areas.” What this means for women is that, whether they like it or not, there’s a good chance their breasts will get smaller as the rest of their body gets slimmer. This is an important factor to consider if you’re planning a breast enhancement. Here’s why:
 

• Breast lift: Weight loss often causes breasts to droop or sag. Subsequent weight loss could undo the results of a previous breast lift. Women considering a breast lift should definitely wait until after they’ve reached their target weight.
• Breast augmentation: Results of breast augmentation will be impacted by weight loss in several ways. First, larger breasts may look out of balance with your new, slimmer physique. Second, weight loss may cause breasts to droop, creating the need for a second breast surgery.

I suggest that my patients wait to have their breast lift or breast augmentation in Los Angeles until they’ve lost the weight. By waiting, they are ensuring that they choose an implant size that fits with their new body contours and that they will have perky, youthful-looking cleavage.

And, just to note, I would also recommend waiting to perform other procedures until my patients have accomplished their weight loss goals in Los Angeles, such as face lift, tummy tuck, or liposuction.

Tags: breast augmentation in los angeles, los angeles face lift
Posted in Breast augmentation,Facelift

Breast Augmentation Size – A Highly Personal Choice

Across the country, many people think that in Los Angeles, breast enhancement means “super-size me,” and for some women, this is true. However, I see many patients who only want a subtle change in their breast size, and they will come to their consultation wondering if a more “subtle” augmentation is possible. My answer: definitely. I perform breast enlargement for women of all shapes and sizes, and sometimes it’s the smallest changes that produce the biggest benefits for my patients.

If you are a petite or very slender woman, you may not feel comfortable with large breasts. I see patients almost weekly who have very small breasts and only want a little cleavage, or would like to fill out a bathing suit just a bit more. Sometimes these women have been considering breast enhancement for a long time, but weren’t aware that small breast implants are available in Los Angeles. Others have consulted with plastic surgeons who have tried to convince them that there is no point in having breast augmentation without going significantly larger. In my opinion, a good plastic surgeon approaches each breast augmentation as a unique procedure, customized to meet each individual’s expectations.

My goal is to make each patient as happy with her surgical outcome as possible, so I listen closely and discuss all of her options. If it is clear that the patient wants only a subtle enhancement, I work with her to choose the size, shape, and profile of implant that will best achieve her goals. Breast enhancement is about improving the way a woman feels about herself, and that means achieving her personal ideal, not someone else’s.

Tags: los angeles breast enhancement, breast augmentation in los angeles, breast implants in los angeles
Posted in Breast augmentation