Answering your questions is one of my favorite parts of being on Body Beautiful. Since it is a live show, I never know what you’ll ask, but it gives me a chance to share a bit of what I have learned in over 15 years of my private practice of Plastic Surgery in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Walnut Creek, CA.
Breast Augmentation Video Presentation
Breast Enhancement was the theme for my recent appearance on the San Francisco Bay Area’s News Station, KRON4‘s Body Beautiful. Watch the Breast Implant Questions Video segment below for the latest information about Breast Augmentation and Breast Implants. Our caller, Sonia from Pacifica, asks good questions, and I supply her answers about Breast Lifts, Breast Augmentation, Mastopexy Augmentation (the combination of the two), and Breast Implants.
Breast Implant Video
The following Breast Augmentation Video is the last of four segments on Cosmetic Breast Enhancement Surgery. In this segment, the newest information is presented about Breast Augmentation including: updates about the procedure, breast implants like the new gummy bear breast implants, techniques, options, recovery and the importance of choosing an experienced Board Certified Plastic Surgeon for your breast procedures. The (415) phone number shown in this video, was for viewers to call in with questions during the live show. If you have a question, please call my Walnut Creek Plastic Surgery office directly at (925) 943-6353. We are open weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm.
The Lastest in Breast Augmentation (with Breast Implants)
Reduction Mammoplasty – Breast Reduction Information
This Breast Enlargement Surgery Video includes answers to frequently asked questions and general information about:
Is a Breast Lift enough?
Can a Breast Implant be used during a Breast Lift?
What is the lifespan of a Breast Implant?
When do Breast Implants leak?
What is the leakage rate for Breast Implants?
What is a Breast Implant warranty?
Adding a Tummy Tuck, Is that a Mommy Makeover?
Who is qualified to perform Breast Augmentation?
What does it mean when my Plastic Surgeon is Board Certified?
Who gets Plastic Surgery more men or women?
What types of Plastic Surgery do men get?
More Breast Enhancement Information
The other video segments from my Body Beautiful appearance are available here:
The best information is obtained in person. If you are considering Cosmetic Breast Surgery, the most reliable way to clarify the specific options that will work for you is with a personal consultation. To schedule a Breast Reduction consultation in our San Francisco Bay Area, Walnut Creek Plastic Surgery Office, call (925) 943-6353, or use the contact form to the left.
While Breast Augmentation can increase the size of the breast, it takes a Breast Lift to correct sagging breasts. I discuss many of the available options for Breast Lifts on KRON4′s Body Beautiful.
Breast Lift Video Presentation
Cosmetic Plastic Surgery is the theme for San Francisco Bay Area’s News Station, KRON4‘s Body Beautiful. Watch the Breast Lift Video segment for the latest information on Breast Lift or Mastopexy. Host Janelle Marie asks the tough questions, and San Francisco Bay Area callers have their questions answered during the program.
Mastopexy Video
The following Breast Enhancement Video is the second of four segments on Cosmetic Breast Enhancement Surgery. In this segment, vital information is presented about Breast Lifts including: updates about the procedure, breast lifts, techniques, options and recovery. The (415) phone number shown in this video, was for viewers to call in with questions during the live show. If you have a question, please call my Walnut Creek Plastic Surgery office directly at (925) 943-6353. We are open weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm.
The Lastest in Breast Lifts
Mastopexy – Breast Lift Information
This Breast Lift Surgery Video includes answers to frequently asked question and general information about:
Breast Lift
Breast Surgery and Breast Abscess Treatment
Who is a good candidate for Breast Lift?
What is a Mastopexy?
Can I get Breast Implants when I have my lift?
Do Breast Lifts change the breast size?
What are the indications for a Mastopexy?
What is the recovery time associated with Breast Lifts?
New techniques to help support the breast internally
Can symmetry be improved with a Mastopexyt?
Breast Lift Before and After Pictures
Augmentation Mastopexy (lift with implants) Before and After Pictures
Where are the scars after a Breast Lift?
Periareolar Breast Lift
Vertical Breast Lift
Inverted-T Breast Lift
What other procedures are combined with a Mastopexy?
Can a Breast Lift help after weight loss or pregnancy?
More Breast Enhancement Information
Other segments from this Body Beautiful appearance are available here:
If you are considering Cosmetic Breast Surgery, the best way to clarify the specific options that will work for you is with a personal consultation. To schedule a Breast Augmentation consultation in our San Francisco Bay Area, Walnut Creek Plastic Surgery Office call (925) 943-6353, or use the contact form to the left.
A Breast Lift is used to firm a saggy breast. The procedure, also called a Mastopexy, changes the shape, but not the volume of the breasts. San Francisco Breast Lift patients can have their Mastopexy combined with Breast Augmentation or Breast Reduction, if a change in breast volume is desirable.
Breast Lift with Breast Augmentation Before and After
The Breast Lift is combined with Breast Augmentation when we want to increase the size of the breasts or when more upper pole fullness is desired. Before surgery on the left; After periareolar mastopexy augmentation on the right.
When Breast Size is Good, Just Lift Them
The Breast Lift is primarily a Breast Shaping procedure. Larger breast can be left larger, and smaller breast can be left smaller, depending on what you are comfortable with. Larger breasts do tend to require more maintenance in most cases, and may be at higher risk for needing another Breast Lift in the future. It is important to seek a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, and be fully informed before any procedure.
Large Breast Lift Before and Afters
Below is an example of a Breast Lift for a patient with larger breasts. If desired, the breast could have been reduced at the same time.
Breast Lift can be performed for larger breasts without a Breast Reduction. Often the vertical scar can be eliminated in these cases.
Small Breast Lift Before and Afters
It is not always desirable to increase the size of small breasts during the mastopexy surgery. The bridge, as they say, is not burned however. If in the future a larger cup size is desired, a Breast Implant can be inserted in the future. There are certain cases when it is better to stage the Breast Lift and Breast AUgmentation, but most the time they can be performed at the same surgery.
Breast Lift can also be performed for smaller breasts without making them larger. This is especially helpful for very active, athletic women who do not want to deal with the added weight of larger breasts.
Mastopexy Before and After – Side View
A breast lift not only raises the nipple up on the breast, but can raise the breast mound on the chest. This is best seen in the lateral (side) before and after pictures. My patient has a conveniently located skin lesion that makes this amount of elevation easy to see. The red spot (hemangioma) along side her breast is seen just in front of her arm, at the level of the elbow. After her Mastopexy, the breast is back on the chest, leaving the hemangioma on the abdomen, and well below the perky breasts.
Mastopexy Before and After Pictures: The side view dramatically shows the amount of lift possible with today’s modern breast lifting techniques. A red spot (hemangioma) is seen just in front of he elbow. On the left, the before breast sags well below this marker, while on the right, after the breast lift is well above it.
Breast Lift Specialist
If you are considering a Breast Lift, Breast Augmentation, Breast Reduction, or any other Cosmetic Breast Enhancement, give us a call at (925) 943-6353. We can discuss all the latest innovations, and find the procedure with the right aesthetics for you. Many Breast Lift procedures exist, and it is good to review your options before surgery. That way you can make the best decision, one that is the safest and most predictable means to achieve the goals you want.
Dr. Joseph Mele appears on KRON4′s Body Beautiful.
On Monday, Walnut Creek Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Joseph Mele, MD, FACS, appears on the San Francisco Bay Area’s News Station, KRON Channel 4, with the latest in breast enhancement options. As a guest of Body Beautiful with Janelle Marie, Dr. Mele will discuss Breast Augmentation, Breast Lift, Breast Reduction and even Breast Revision Surgery.
Answers to Your Breast Enhancement Questions
The television show is broadcast live, so you can call in and ask your questions on the air, and get your Breast Enhancement Questions answered during the show. Tune in to channel 4 at 11 AM on Monday (December 10, 2012) for the number to call. Also, feel free to call the office at (925) 943-6353 any weekday, 9 AM to 5 PM.
San Francisco Breast Enhancements
In conjunction with Monday’s topic, the San Francisco Breast website has had a mini lift. New pages have been added to expand the popular Breast Augmentation and Breast Implant Revision pages. More details and the latest information is available about your Breast Augmentation, Breast Implants and Breast Augmentation Revision options.
Click on the banners below to visit the site. Menus for the new pages are available at the top of these pages.
Click above to visit SanFranciscoBreast.com’s New Breast Augmentation Page
Click above to visit San Francisco Breast's New Breast Implant Revision Page
More Information
The goal is to provide you the best information available about Cosmetic Breast Surgery. If you need more information, use the contact form on the left to send our Walnut Creek Plastic Surgery office a question. Information here, and on my web sites, provides good general knowledge; however, it cannot substitute for an in-person consultation with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. If you are looking for specific details, or a personalized treatment plan, schedule your private consultation appointment today (925) 943-6353.
Breast Augmentation with Breast Implants remains one of the most popular cosmetic plastic surgery procedures in the San Francisco Bay Area, but breast enhancement comes in all shapes and sizes. As a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in the East San Francisco Bay Area City of Walnut Creek, a large part of my private practice is dedicated to the numerous aspects of breast enhancement, including:
The simplest way to decide what to do to achieve the optimal results in Breast Enhancement Surgery is to independently evaluate what needs to be done to the size of the breast and what needs to be done to the shape of the breast. While intimately related, size and shape often need to be addressed separately.
The Best Breast Size
The best size for your breasts depends on you. The best breast size will vary, and depends on the size of your body (preoperative breast size, the dimensions of the chest wall, height, weight); your level of activity (couch potato, gym enthusiast, serious athlete, Olympian); and most importantly, your comfort level with your desired cup size. This is a simplification, but a good sampling of what I am considering during every breast enhancement consultation. Whether increasing the size of the breasts with breast augmentation or decreasing the size of the breast with Breast Reduction, there is a range of aesthetic outcomes determined by physical parameters. In the vast majority of cases, this range includes what my patient has pictured in her own mind. On the other hand, the imagination has no bounds, and occasionally it outstrips what is possible.
The Best Breast Shape
The ideal breast is perky, with the nipple centered over the most projecting aspect of the breast. Changes in shape solely due to absent or lost volume, like that seen after pregnancy or weight loss, can often be improved with breast implants alone. Changes in shape due to increasing breast volume, whether due to genetics, pregnancy or weight gain, are addressed with breast reduction.
It may seem like breast reduction is the opposite of Breast Augmentation. If you are considering only breast size, it is. However, when we consider breast shape, just removing volume is not sufficient. The result would be a deflated, saggy breast. Breast reduction surgery includes a breast lift as an integral part of the procedure.
The Best Breast Lift
Breast Lifts, like breasts themselves, come in different sizes. Small breast lifts are effective for small amounts of sagging, while big breast lifts are necessary to correct large amounts of sagging. The topic is too large to cover in a paragraph, or even a web page, but more general information is available on San Francisco Breast.
The important part about breast lifts is that they help enhance the shape of the breast. Whether you are born with tubular breasts, have breast asymmetry or your breasts are ptotic (saggy), a breast lift can reshape the breasts into a more attractive form. Unlike breast augmentation, which simply magnifies the existing shape of the breast, a breast lift can remove excess skin and elevate the nipple’s position on the breast mound.
Breast Enhancement Consultations
If you are considering breast augmentation, breast lift or breast reduction surgery, be certain to find a qualified Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. It is important to remember that while there may be several ways to accomplish your desired goals, the method is not as important as the person you choose to do your surgery. Choose a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, who is an active member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). If you are considering cosmetic plastic surgery, members of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) are ASPS members who have shown a special interest in the cosmetic side of plastic surgery. For those truly dedicated to Cosmetic Plastic Surgery, the ASAPS also offers a Certificate of Advanced Education in Cosmetic Surgery. Mine is pictured below, as evidence that I am dedicated to providing you with the best that Cosmetic Plastic Surgery has to offer.
Dr. Mele's Certificate of Advanced Education in Cosmetic Surgery
If you are in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, and would like to take the next step and schedule a personalized consultation appointment, please give us a call at (925) 943-6353, or use the contact form to the left.
The Tummy Tuck remains one of the most requested cosmetic plastic surgery procedures in my San Francisco Bay Area plastic surgery office. Walnut Creek is a growing community with excellent schools. It’s a great area for raising children, so I see lots of mommies from Walnut Creek and the surrounding areas.
Tummy Tuck, Abdominoplasty, Panniculectomy, it doesn't matter what you want to call it, the result is a flatter, firmer stomach.
What Does a Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) Do?
Tummy tucks are designed to fix abdominal wall laxity. Abdominoplasty can repair stretched abdominal wall muscles. The tummy tuck removes the excess skin and fat that accumulates on the lower belly. This part of the abdominoplasty is sometimes called a Panniculectomy. Whatever the name, the result is a firmer, flatter abdominal wall.
Tummy Tuck Timing – When to Get Your Abdominoplasty
There are several reasons for abdominal wall laxity, but having children tops the list. Pregnancy stretches the abdominal muscles and skin. Often the stretching is irreversible, and the skin and muscle remain loose, despite weight loss and working out. It may take several months for your abdomen to recover from child birth. Normally, maximum shrinkage is seen by your newborns first birthday. The best time to get a tummy tuck is after your are done having children. For more information about abdominoplasty, click on San Francisco Tummy Tucks
Another common reason for a tummy tuck is a history of being overweight. Weight gain, like pregnancy, stretches the abdominal wall. When the weight is lost, loose skin and stretched muscle may continue to be a problem. This occurs in more areas than the abdomen. Loose skin may affect the breasts, face, arms and thighs too. The best time to have a tummy tuck after Weight Loss, is when you have reached your goal weight. If you have had bariatric surgery for weight loss, it is recommended to wait one year after your weight loss surgery. This allows you to reach a stable weight, and gives your body time to adjust to its new physiology. For more information on plastic surgery that can help improve your appearance after weight loss, click on Post-Bariatric Plastic Surgery.
Mommy Makeovers
The Mommy Makeover is a combination of Tummy Tuck and Breast Enhancement. Since pregnancy affects the breast and abdomen, the mommy makeover is one of the most common combination surgeries I perform. Most commonly, Breast Augmentation, with or without a Breast Lift, is added to the tummy tuck. But sometimes, just a breast lift (mastopexy) or even breast reduction is needed. A mommy makeover may involve a smaller abdominal procedure when appropriate, so liposuction and mini tummy tucks (mini abdominoplasty) are always considered. For more information on Mommy Makeovers, click on San Francisco Mommy Makeover.
If you would like more information about the mommy makeover, tummy tuck, mini tummy tuck, liposuction, Breast Augmentation, breast lift, breast reduction or post-bariatric plastic surgery, make an appointment for a personal, private plastic surgery consultation. Give us a call at (925) 943-6353, or use the contact form on this page.
This patient had breast augmentation prior to becoming pregnant. Left: After pregnancy, the breast implant position remains unchanged; however, the breasts have dropped. Right: After breast augmentation revision, the breasts have been lifted and the breast implants exchanged, dramatically improving the breasts' shape and profile.
Pregnancy and Breast Augmentation
Pregnancy can change the volume and shape of breasts, and the result isn’t always positive. If you have been pregnant, you know firsthand. For the lucky few the changes are subtle, or even enhancing, but usually they are not. Many patients opt for breast augmentation after having children to restore what was lost. If you are trying to get pregnant, it is worth delaying your breast augmentation; however, if childbearing is not imminent, waiting may not be desirable.
Breast Implant Problems After Pregnancy
The breast augmentation revision before and after pictures above are of a woman who had breast augmentation at a young age, and enjoyed her breast implants for many years. After childbearing, her breast implants remained in a perky position, but the natural breast tissue sagged. Her breasts would have sagged and deflated whether she had breast implants or not, but with implants the result was normal elongated, deflated breasts, with the addition of disproportionate upper pole fullness from her breast implants.
The Breast Implant Revision Solution
The solution was a breast lift with breast implant exchange. The natural breast tissue was lifted to reduce the length of the breast and firm the natural breast tissue. The breast implant was exchanged to help with both shape and the post-partum changes in breast volume. Larger breast implants can be used to replace lost breast volume. Smaller implants, removal of the breast implants, or even breast reduction can help when the breast remain too large after lactation.
A desire to change breast implant size (larger or smaller)
Deflation of the breast implant
Firmness due to tightening on the breast implant capsule (capsular contracture)
Breast implant asymmetry or malposition like bottoming out, double bubble or symmastia (uniboob)
If you have one of these problems, a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, like Walnut Creek Breast Implant Specialist Joseph Mele, MD, FACS, can help.
Tomorrow, Dr. Mele will be appearing on Body Beautiful. The show airs live on KRON, channel 4, September 12, 2011, at 11:00 AM. Breast augmentation and breast augmentation revision surgery will be discussed. If you have questions, call in to the KRON studios on Monday at 11:00AM, or send us your question through the contact form on the left. Every effort will be made to answer your questions during the show.
Breast Implant Revision Videos
Below are links to previous television appearances on KRON4 featuring Breast Augmentation Revision Videos and Breast Augmentation Revision Before and After Photos:
Breast Augmentation Scar Revision Before and After Pictures
Breast Augmentation Scar revision is another reason for Breast Implant Revision Surgery. Follow the link for a case presentation of breast augmentation scar revision for a wide-spread periareolar scar : Hypertrophic Breast Scar Revision
Tubular breast deformity is a common, congenital breast abnormality found in both women and men. In men, the treatment is straight forward (see the bottom of this article). In women, however, additional aesthetic norms come into play, making the repair more complex.
Tubular Breast Deformity in Women
Tubular breast deformity is known by many names:
Tubular breast deformity
Tuberous breast deformity
Snoopy Nose or Snoopy’s Nose deformity
Constricted breast deformity
Women with mild constriction often come to see me to simply increase the size of their breast, not aware of the diagnosis. Women with more severe deformity, however, are often reluctant to show their breasts to others, and want to improve the size and the shape of their breasts. Correcting these types of problems is more challenging, but at the same time, quite rewarding.
Mild tubular breast deformity with constricted base was corrected with sub-pectoral breast augmentation (behind the muscle) and internal release (no lift needed)
Tubular Breast Abnormality is a Congenital Breast Deformity
While present at birth, the full extent of the tubular breast deformity is often not appreciated until puberty. This is when the breasts normally develop, and the full extend of abnormalities are revealed. While women with tubular breasts have smaller than average sized breasts, not all small breasts are tubular breasts. While the extent to which the deformities manifest can vary widely, several specific abnormalities are present.
Signs and Presentation of Tubular Breast Abnormality
Besides smaller size, the main components of the tubular breast are a constricted base and a tubular shape to the breast. This can be exacerbated by herniation of the breast tissue into the areola, causing “puffy nipples”. Technically, the nipple is not affected, but the areola, the colored skin around the nipple, may project out from the breast mound. The overall effect is an elongated or tubular shape to the breast. The true tubular shape is most noticeable in more severe cases.
The colloquial name for tuberous breasts is the Snoopy Nose or Snoopy’s Nose deformity. Snoopy is Charlie Brown’s white beagle of Peanuts fame. Picture the front of Snoopy’s muzzle. If you are not familiar with Snoopy click the link above. His white face represents the breast mound, his black nose sits like a ball on the end, and represents the herniated breast tissue filling the areola.
Treatment of the Tuberous Breasts
As mentioned above, tubular breasts tend to not fully develop. Often patients with tubular breasts desire breast augmentation to increase the size of their breasts. For mild tubular breast deformity, a breast implant may be sufficient treatment. When the breasts are more tubular, additional maneuvers are necessary to provide an enhanced result.
If the areola is overly full, a periareolar lift can reduce the puffy nipples, and prevent the breast tissue from herniating. Unlike for men, the breast tissue is not usually removed, just pushed back into its normal anatomical position. The constricted base seen with tuberous breasts also tends to shorten the distance between the areola and the base of the breast. The lift has the additional benefit of moving the areola higher on the breast, helping to center the nipple on the breast mound.
Moderate tubular breast deformity with constricted base, elongated breast and mild areolar breast tissue herniation, best seen in right breast (your left). Both size and shape were corrected with breast augmentation and peri-areolar lifts.
Traditionally, tubular breast were treated with breast implants placed in front of the muscle. With a periareolar lift, it usually possible to place the implant behind the muscle. This gives a more natural appearing breast mound, and makes it easier to perform mammography in the future. While silicone and saline breast implants can both give good looking results, for smaller breast, a silicone gel implant may give a better feeling result. It is important to discuss the pro’s and con’s of each option with your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon.
Tubular Breast Deformity in Men
In men, tubular breast deformity presents as an overly full areola or “puffy nipples”. Since men like flat chests, tuberous breasts are easily treated in with resection of the excess tissue. The procedure is similar to that used for Gynecomastia. A small “smiley-face” incision is made from 4 to 8 o’clock around the lower edge of the areola, and the excess glandular tissue is removed. The procedure provides a smoother contour, and a quick recovery.
Cosmetic surgery of the breast encompasses many varied procedures. Breasts can be enlarged with breast implants via breast augmentation, or reduced in size with breast reduction or a reduction mammoplasty. If you are happy with the volume, but not the shape of your breast, a breast lift, or mastopexy, may help by lifting and firming the breast. Even problems with the size and shape of the nipple and areola can be addressed via breast enhancement surgery.
I recently had the opportunity to discuss the many aspects of cosmetic breast surgery, on KRON’s Body Beautiful. A portion of the show is dedicated to viewer questions, which are answered live on the air. Below is an excerpt from my interview with the Bay Area’s News Station’s Vicki Liviakis, which includes several interesting viewer questions. Please note, the 800 number in the video was used exclusively as part of the live show. If you have questions, or would like to schedule a consultation appointment, please call (925) 943-6353, or use the contact form on the left side of this page.
This breast augmentation video includes answers to viewers questions about:
When is it safe to replace breast implants to change size?
What problems can occur with breast augmentation to sizes larger than a D-cup?
Can breast size be matched to maintain proportions?
Is it safe have elective cosmetic surgery with diabetes or other medical illnesses?
Can breast implants really lift the breasts? (Click for additional information about Breast Augmentation Lift)
Finding the Right Breast Augmentation Surgeon
If you are considering breast augmentation, be certain to review the benefits, and the risks, with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon like myself, as part of your breast augmentation consultation appointment. If you have developed problems with your breast implants, a consultation with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon is the best first step toward finding relief.
Additional Information on Cosmetic Breast Enhancement
Dr. Joseph Mele appears on KRON4's Body Beautiful.
To celebrate the debut of the new San Francisco Breast dot com (SanFranciscoBreast.com), a site dedicated to cosmetic breast surgery for the San Francisco Bay Area, I will be dedicating my appearance on Monday’s Body Beautiful on KRON4 to the breast. Breast augmentation, breast lifts, breast reductions, breast implant revisions, everything related to enhancing the breasts is open for discussion.
Body Beautiful is broadcast live at 11:00 AM on KRON4, so tune in and phone in with your breast questions. Whether you have had breast surgery, or are considering it, the show will cover a variety of topics. For a preview of what’s in store visit SanFranciscoBreast.com.
What’s new in Breast Enhancement Surgery?
The new web site is a comprehensive and authoritative review of the latest techniques in aesthetic breast surgery. Located in the San Francisco East Bay Area city of Walnut Creek, Plastic Surgeon, Joseph Mele, has lent his years of experience, and breast expertise, to this free patient education resource. The site is illustrated with graphics, videos and before and after pictures, and there is more to come. The list of topics covered is long and includes:
I look forward to hearing from you on Monday. If you will not be able to watch KRON4 at 11 AM on Monday, December 13, 2010, and you have a question you want answered, you can send your question via the contact form to the left. I will send you a personal response, and perhaps your question will be answered live during Body Beautiful.
