Blog posts in category "Breast Lift"
Dear Dr. Kim: How Do I Know if I Need a Breast Augmentation, Breast Lift or Both?
Aug
San Francisco plastic surgeon Dr. Roy Kim opens up the mail bag to answer a blog reader's question. Does she need a breast augmentation, breast lift or both?
How to Get A Discount on Your Breast Surgery
Feb
Warning: Obesity Can Cause Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Diabetes … and Loss of Nipples
Feb
Breast Implant Exchange - 6 Questions to Ask
Jun
Are you unhappy with your breast implants? Are you thinking about a revision after breast augmentation? There are several things to consider before undergoing a breast implant exchange procedure. Here are 6 questions to ask yourself and your surgeon.
Correcting Breast Asymmetry Caused by Poland’s Syndrome
Jun
It’s extremely rare for two breasts to be perfectly symmetrical. Most women have some degree of asymmetry, but the difference is usually not significant enough to notice while wearing a bra, bathing suit or even with the naked eye. But sometimes, the asymmetry is more pronounced. Generally, when breasts differ by one cup size or more, this is considered abnormal and cosmetic plastic surgery is seen as the best treatment.
Causes of breast asymmetry include genetics, hormones, certain birth control medications, degenerative disease, pregnancy and menopause. But there is another very rare condition called Poland’s Syndrome that also causes pronounced breast asymmetry.
What is Poland’s Syndrome?
Poland’s Syndrome is named for not for the country but for a 19th-century British surgeon named Sir Alfred Poland who was the first to discover it.
Poland’s Syndrome is a congenital defect present at birth that is marked by the absence of the big chest muscle (pectoralis) on one side of the body and the webbing of the fingers on the hand of the same side.
The four characteristics of Poland’s Syndrome are
1) shortened index, middle and ring fingers
2) syndactyly (webbing) of those same fingers,
3) underdevelopment of the hand and
4) the absence of the one chest muscle.
All of the characteristics affect only one side of the body. Patients may have varying amounts of Poland’s syndrome- in other words, there is definite asymmetry, but how much variation depends on the patient.
While the cause is unknown, we do know that men are twice as likely to have Poland’s Syndrome as women and it is five times more likely to affect the right side than the left, but overall, it is extremely rare. Less than 200,000 people in the United States have Poland’s Syndrome. It is estimated to affect 1 out of 20,000-30,000 live births. But when a woman does have Poland’s Syndrome, it is likely that she will have severely asymmetric breasts or even no breast or nipple on side.
How Does Breast Augmentation Correct Poland’s Syndrome?
Typically, breast asymmetry is fairly easy to correct. Plastic surgeons simply work with the patient to choose the desired size for both breasts. The surgeon then uses measurements to account for the different volumes of implants needed. Appropriate adjustments are made and the larger implant is used on the smaller side.
Poland’s Syndrome presents some unique challenges for the surgeon because the missing chest muscle makes it difficult to determine how the implant will sit inside the chest. In addition, the deformity of the chest makes saline breast implants more likely to rupture and deflate. During the many years that silicone implants were banned by the FDA, saline implants were found to be less than ideal for correcting asymmetry due to Poland’s Syndrome.
Today, silicone implants are the preferred implant material and their solid gel make-up makes them ideal for withstanding pressure and resisting movement due to unusual anatomy. But unlike saline implants, which are filled with saline after being inserted into the breast pockets, silicone implants are only available in pre-sized volumes. So it’s a bit more difficult to be sure that silicone implant(s) will look symmetrical once they are placed inside the patient.
How do I ensure a good match? I use a temporary saline implant in the operating room. After inserting it into the smaller breast, I fill it with saline solution until it matches the other side both while reclined and while the patient is sitting up. Then I take out the temporary sizer, choose a silicone implant that matches the sizer, and fill the pocket with the appropriate implant.
If you have breast asymmetry, regardless of the cause, cosmetic breast augmentation on one or both sides can help. To schedule a consultation, please contact our patient care coordinator, Caroline, at 415-354-8148.
What is the Recovery Like After a Mommy Makeover?
Nov
A Mommy Makeover is a large operation involving the abdomen and upper body. The abdomen usually undergoes a tummy tuck and some bilateral flank liposuction to reduce and eliminate the loose skin that may be associated after childbirth. The breasts often undergo a breast augmentation, breast lift or a combination breast augmentation and lift to give a more youthful and aesthetically appealing appearance to the breasts. Both operations can usually be done at the same time. In many women, a Mommy Makeover is a powerful, confidence building operation.
Recovery after a Mommy Makeover is variable, but typically takes about 10-14 days. The more procedures you have, the longer recovery time may be required. For example, if you need just a tummy tuck, your recovery will be faster than if you have a tummy tuck and liposuction. Another example would be if you had just a breast augmentation, you should have a slightly faster recovery compared to a breast augmentation with a breast lift.
A Mommy Makeover is typically done in a surgery center or hospital setting. Depending on your overall health and the amount of surgery you need, you may have to stay overnight in a hospital. After you go home, you will still need someone to help take care of you for 1-5 days afterwards.
After your procedure, drinking plenty of fluid and walking around a little will help mobilize your fluids and help with recovery. Hopefully your surgeon uses a pain pump, which dispenses numbing medicine automatically to the areas of surgery. This will reduce your pain levels and increase mobility as well.
If you have children, you should make sure that you have extra help taking care of them right after your Mommy Makeover. You should be able to walk around gently several days after your procedure, but everyone is different, and having extra help at home will psychologically give you a little less stress.
Returning to work will take 10-14 days, and you should be able to return to an office job sooner than if you have a more active job. Driving should also be possible within 2 weeks, but you should be off of pain pills before you drive.
Should you desire more information about my available services, or want to schedule an appointment, please contact my Patient Care Coordinator at info@drkim.com, or call our office at 415-362-1846.
Do you have any questions about Mommy Makeovers? Have any comments? Please feel free to leave some below.
How Large is the Areola?
Sep
A patient recently asked me this question, and although it's obvious to me, it's a pretty interesting question.
In a nutshell, the average woman's areola before childbirth and breast feeding is 38-42 mm. How do I know precisely these numbers? Yes, I went to Plastic Surgery School, but more importantly, these numbers are based on a study done in the late 1960’s at a college, where breasts where measured on college age women. Included in these measurements were the diameters of the areaola. Obviously, there is variation around this average diameter size, but the overall diameter is generally around this number.
Areolar diameter is an important measurement, because during breast reduction, breast lift, and breast reconstruction surgery, we often have to either recreate or make more symmetric the overall areola and nipple size, shape, and position on the breast. In breast reconstruction, the nipple and areola may have to be removed during mastectomy, and recreating it in proportion to the rest of the breast, chest, and torso, is more scientific and less susceptible to guess work if a particular measurement is used.
Areolae often become bigger, with a larger diameter, after pregnancy, childbirth, breast feeding, or age. If you are undergoing an aesthetic procedure, then obtaining a more aesthetic appearing breast is possible, based on your body dimensions and measurements.
As a side note, the areola are never perfectly symmetric. At a glance, most areolae are the same diameter. However, with a ruler, they rarely are. This is normal, since perfect symmetry does not exist in large volunteer studies in humans.
Should you desire more information about my available services, or want to schedule an appointment, please contact my Patient Care Coordinator at info@drkim.com, or call our office at 415-362-1846.
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What Are the Warranties Like for Breast Implants?
Sep
In terms of saline or silicone, there is a lifetime warranty. From the text of both companies, that is a warranty for the actual breast implant. If you have a defective breast implant, Allergan and Mentor will replace it.
How Long Will Nipple Sensitivity Last After Breast Augmentation?
Jun
The nerves are going to feel what they want to feel while they are healing. Fortunately, these feelings go away usually 1-3 months after your procedure. In theory, it can take 6-12 months for these feelings to subside, and also theoretically, these feelings may never subside, but this is very rare.
Will You Be Able to Breast Feed After Breast Surgery?
May
Yes, you should be able to breast feed after breast surgery, assuming that your milk ducts are preserved.
