Breast Procedures
At Duet Plastic Surgery, Dr. Lim and Dr. Weintraub offer a woman's perspective on the breast procedures that can help you achieve the balance and proportion that suit your frame and life.
Age, genetics, and changes in weight can all affect the appearance of a person’s breasts. While many parts of the body can be changed and improved with exercise, very little changes the shape and size of the breasts naturally. Augmenting, lifting or reshaping the breasts can have a profoundly positive influence upon a person’s self-image. Our patients are extremely happy with their choice to undergo breast procedures and find their self-confidence is boosted as well.
Jump to: Breast Augmentation | Breast Lift and Breast Reduction | Breast Implant Removal| Breast Asymmetry
Breast Augmentation
At Duet, Dr. Lim and Dr. Weintraub pride themselves on achieving natural results that fit each patient’s individual frame and personal goals.
Our patients undergo breast augmentation for a variety of reasons, including a desire to balance their figures as well as to improve breast asymmetry. If you have ever wished for a different breast size or shape, breast augmentation with implants or with fat grafting are options to consider.
Location of Incision
An important decision you will make with the plastic surgeons of Duet is the location of the incision.
The common incisions are inframammary (below the breast) and periareolar (below the nipple/areola). The incision placement is determined by the size and type of the implant as well as your skin and tissue.
Drs. Lim and Weintraub will talk to you about the advantages of the different approaches and help you decide which is best for you.
Location of Implant
During your consultation at Duet, you will also discuss the location within your breast for placement of the implant. After the incision is made, the implant is placed into a pocket either beneath the pectoral muscle (subpectoral/submuscular) or over the muscle but beneath the breast tissue itself (subglandular/subfascial).
Certain patients (those with breast ptosis or droopiness) may benefit from using a hybrid approach, called the "dual-plane" technique, to help center the breast, implant, and nipple/areola.
Recovery
Breast augmentation typically takes about an hour, and the procedure is performed under general anesthesia.
Our patients go home the same day. With the help of long-acting medication injected intraoperatively, they recover fairly quickly and comfortably with only oral pain medications. Patients are able to and strongly encouraged to walk after surgery but should minimize strenuous arm/chest activity for several days in order to allow for proper healing. Most patients with an office-type job return to work 4-5 days after their surgery.
Saline Implants
Saline implants are filled with sterile salt water, which allows for a natural look and feel with relatively low maintenance. If the implant shell leaks, a saline-filled implant will deflate, and the physiologic salt solution will be naturally absorbed by the body. A benefit of saline implants is an extremely flexible volume fill that can be allows for total personalization. For patients with any asymmetry in cup size, saline implants can be a great option to achieve better balance. Saline-filled implants are currently FDA-approved for women 18 years and older.
We offer Allergan’s Natrelle saline-filled smooth implants, which are available in three different profiles: low, moderate, and high.
Silicone Implants
Silicone implants are filled with a smooth cohesive gel, which feels and moves much like natural breast tissue. These are also called “gummy bear” implants.
If you choose gel implants, you should have regular screening exams after your surgery to make sure the implants are functioning properly. Silicone gel-filled implants are FDA-approved for women 22 years and older. We offer Natrelle's "Inspira" smooth round gel implants as well as Motiva gel implants.
We use the Keller funnel to deliver our silicone gel implants safely with a "no-touch" technique and significantly shorter scars.
Cost: The cost of breast enhancement surgery ranges between $12000 - $15000, depending on the type of implant chosen, the complexity of the procedure and whether other procedures are performed at the same time. At your consultation, you will be provided with a personalized price quote for your procedure, which will remain valid for a limited time.
Breast Lift and Reduction
Time and gravity, genetics, childbearing, or weight fluctuations can cause breasts to lose their shape and fullness.
A breast lift, or mastopexy, can completely reshape and lift the breasts.
A breast reduction provides a lift in addition to removing tissue for a perkier shape and more manageable size.
Dr. Lim and Dr. Weintraub will discuss your options with you and recommend the approach that best suits your needs.
Procedure
Breast lift (also called mastopexy) restores the breasts to a better shape, can reduce the size of the areolae, and also repositions the breast and nipple to a more youthful position.
Breast reduction (also known as reduction mammoplasty) creates a more proportionally sized areola, centers the nipple, while also removing heavy, bulky tissue for what many patients find is a life-changing improvement in size and shape. Patients are thrilled after surgery when they find their posture has improved, their neck, shoulder, and back pain has disappeared, and they feel newly comfortable and confident in their clothes.
Techniques
Depending on the degree of sagging, there are several different ways to perform a breast lift. A few women need only an incision around the nipple/areola to achieve a more aesthetic look, while others require a vertical incision below the nipple/areola as well to obtain an adequate lift. The most significant lift is achieved through a full anchor-shaped incision.
Breast reduction surgery requires the full anchor scar to achieve the best shape and smoothest contour. Rarely these days insurance may cover some costs of breast reduction surgery; please call our office for more information.
Lift + Implants
Some women dislike the droopiness of their breast skin and how low their nipples sit on their chests, but they also miss the volume that they had prior to weight loss or pregnancy/breastfeeding.
For certain women, combining a breast lift with implants can help restore size, shape, and position. This is also called mastopexy/augmentation, and with proper planning and guidance, can be a very safe and satisfying procedure. Saline or silicone gel (“gummy bear”) implants can be used, and choosing a moderate size in conjunction with a lift can improve fullness in the upper part of the breasts and reduce the amount of loose skin.
Breast Implant Removal
Sometimes women who have had breast augmentation find that implants no longer fit their lifestyle or they simply wish to be free of the long-term maintenance and additional surgeries.
At Duet, we carefully review your surgical and implant history and talk more with you about the explantation process. Each patient has a different breast augmentation journey, and we completely respect every individual story. Access to implant cards, previous operative reports, and mammograms or other imaging if indicated can help sketch out a more complete picture. Certain patients will also benefit from modification of their implant pocket (such as capsulotomy) or may need partial or complete removal of internal scar tissue (also called capsulectomy). Together, we create a plan to remove implants as safely as possible to help patients achieve their goals for this surgery.
Breast Asymmetry
Nearly all women have some degree of asymmetry between their two breasts.
Some women have more pronounced differences in shape and/or cup size that can make it difficult to wear a bra, fit into clothes comfortably, or feel confident.
Asymmetry Correction
Some women have a significant disparity in the size of their breasts, sometimes even several cup sizes different.
This is often noted at puberty, but the difference can become more dramatic with changes in weight or with pregnancy and breast-feeding.
Tuberous Breast Correction
"Tuberous breasts" is a variation some women are born with. Defining characteristics of tuberous breasts include an enlarged (or "puffy") areola, a narrow width to the breast with wide spacing between the breasts, a short distance from the nipple to the bottom of the breast, and droopiness of the breast. Even severe cases can be transformed into a more traditional appearing breast with a well-thought out plan for correction and reconstruction. This may require implants, areolar reduction, and a modified lift. Most patients with tuberous breasts find that more than one surgery is necessary to achieve their ultimate goals for shape and size.
Personalized Surgical Plan
Because each breast asymmetry case is unique, a variety of different surgical techniques may be used to achieve improved symmetry. This carefully tailored surgical plan may include implants, a lift or reduction, and liposuction.
Dr. Lim and Dr. Weintraub will evaluate you and discuss what the best options are for your specific case.
Our Results
“Dr. Lim did an amazing job on my breast implants. She is confident and knowledgable but is not arrogant or condescending. The best part about Dr. Lim is that I trusted her and felt comfortable throughout the whole process. I am so happy with the results! I had always worn fairly padded bras and had considered surgery but was happy with how my breast looked. However, after having two kids my breasts were never the same. After all the nursing and pumping my breast had become very deflated. Every time I looked at them without a bra on I felt disfigured.
Now I love the way my breasts look and feel, very natural. I am so happy I made the decision to get breast implants at Duet Plastic Surgery. I now feel comfortable naked, in a bathing suit, in the gym etc. ”
