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.
San Francisco plastic surgery patients have an extensive new local resource encompassing all aspects of cosmetic breast enhancement surgery. I have consolidated my years of experience, and the common questions that my patients ask, to create a site that is both informative and understandable. If you are considering cosmetic breast surgery, SanFranciscoBreast.com is a comprehensive collection of consumer information.
The web site is illustrated with videos and before and after pictures. The list of topics covered is long and includes:
SanFranciscoBreast.com is a specialty site dedicated to all aspects cosmetic breast surgery. Since the site is focused only on the breast, it gives me the opportunity to describe each procedure in detail, and to provide you with specific information to help you make an informed decision.
This is part four of four videos reviewing breast lifts and breast implants bay area. Some topics covered include if a breast implant alone can lift the breast, and if a breast lift can safely be performed with breast augmentation surgery. I also cover some of the basics for a safe operation including age and health requirements.
Breast Implants? Breast Lift? Both?
The most reliable way to get these questions answered is to visit a board certified plastic surgeon specializing in cosmetic plastic surgery. They are uniquely qualified to listen to what you would like corrected, and provide you with the safest and most predictable way to get there. You don;t have to know everything about how to do a breast lift or breast augmentation, but a general working knowledge can make the experience more comfortable. Here are a few general rules that can help:
I Like My Breasts’ Shape, But the Size is Wrong
If you are happy with the shape of your breasts, but the size is too small, breast augmentation alone is sufficient to provide the change you are looking for. If the size is too large, breast reduction alone is the option most worth considering, especially if you are experiencing neck, back and shoulder pain.
I Like My Breasts’ Size, But the Shape Needs a Lift
On the other hand, if you are happy with the size of your breasts, but not the shape, the breast lift can help. Normally, a breast lift does not remove breast tissue. Instead, it tightens the skin, lifting and firming the breasts. If you are happy with the size of your breasts, but feel they are too low without a bra, a breast lift might be a good option for you.
The Breast Lift with Breast Implants Bay Area
After having children, after weight loss, or sometimes for no good reason at all, the breast can deflate. The combination of lost volume and too much skin leads to dissatisfaction with both the size and the shape of the breast. This is best addressed with both a breast lift and a breast augmentation. Breast augmentation mastopexy can improve both the shape and the volume of the breasts, by tightening the skin and adding volume to the breast tissue.
Breast Augmentation, Breast Lift, Breast Implant Video
This segment tries to answer some of the more common questions regarding breast augmentation, breast lifts and breast implants. The video comes from a recent airing of KRON’s Body Beautiful with Vicki Liviakis. The 800 number shown was for the live broadcast only, so if you have questions, please call my office directly at (925) 943-6353, or use the contact form to the left. Additional information can also be obtained from the links at the end of this article.
This episode includes:
Breast Augmentation vs. Breast Lift or the combination Augmentation Mastopexy.
Can one do a Breast Lift with Breast Implants?
Will a Breast Implant lift the breast?
Can Liposuction be used for Breast Reduction?
What are the age limits for Breast Implants?
Can Breast Implants be used for younger patients with birth defects?
How old is too old for Breast Augmentation?
Should I have a physical examination before cosmetic surgery?
How are pectoral implants used for male Breast Enhancement?
What is included in a Breast Implant Warranty?
What is the recovery after a Breast Reduction, and does it depend on the size of the reduction?
If you are interested in learning what specific treatment will work best for you, a personal consultation appointment would be the best way to find out. A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon can help define your goals and tailor the treatment to best achieve the results you desire. To schedule your consultation, please call (925) 943-6353.
Additional information on Breast Augmentation and Breast Lifts can be found here:
What happens when a breast implant leaks, depends on the type of breast implant. When the breast implants are saline filled, the saline is water with 0.9% salt (NaCl). A small defect in the shell, or leak at the valve, will allow the saline to quickly escape. Since saline has the same saltiness as our body, the fluid causes no harm. There is no reaction to the leaking saline, and it is quickly absorbed. The leaking saline breast implant will deflate, and it becomes quickly obvious that there is a problem. No additional tests are usually necessary, and under most circumstances, arrangements are made to replace the defective breast implant; the sooner the better. Did you know that breast implants come with warranties?
Silicone gel filled breast implants give a different result. Silicone gel is cohesive (sticky) and tends to stay together. Because of this, it is possible to have a “silent leak” with silicone breast implants. A silent leak is when the implant has leaked, but there is no evidence of the problem on physical examination. The silicone gel can leak out of the implant, but continues to be contained by the capsule, the thin scar that forms around the implant that helps keep the implant from moving. Saline is absorbed by the scar, so a silent leak is not possible with saline implants.
If the silicone gel gets outside the scar, the body will try to contain it by forming additional scar. This can lead to lumps in the breast. To avoid this complication, the FDA has recommended that women with silicone gel filled breast implants get an MRI three years after surgery, and then every two years thereafter. The hope is that a leak can be detected in the silent stage, and treated (replaced) before the gel escapes the capsule and begins to form more scar tissue in the breast.
In addition to breast augmentation mastopexy, this video discusses breast implant leaks and breast implant replacement surgery. Combining breast augmentation with other surgeries is also reviewed. The two most common combinations breast lift with breast implants and breast augmentation and tummy tuck (the mommy makeover) are mentioned.
This is segment three of four from a recent airing of KRON’s Body Beautiful with Vicki Liviakis. The 800 number shown was for the live broadcast, so if you have questions please call my office directly at (925) 943-6353, or use the contact form to the left. Additional information can also be obtained from the links at the end of this article.
This episode includes:
Breast Augmentation vs. Breast Lift or the combination Augmentation Mastopexy.
How soon should a Breast Implant deflation be treated?
What is the recovery after Breast Implant replacement for deflation or size change?
Is leaking saline dangerous?
Is it a good idea to bring my friend, boyfriend or husband to the consultation appointment?
Why would I need a Breast Lift with my Breast Augmentation?
Can Breast Augmentation be safely combined with other surgery? Mommy makeover?
What are the indications for Breast Reduction surgery?
If you are interested in learning what specific treatment will work best for you, a personal consultation appointment is the way to find out. A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon can help define your goals and tailor the treatment to best achieve the results you desire. To schedule your consultation, please call (925) 943-6353.
Additional information on Breast Augmentation and Breast Lifts can be found here:
Breast augmentation with breast implants, and the mastopexy (breast lift) remain two of the most frequently performed cosmetic plastic surgery procedures. Breast enhancement with breast implants has many different aspects. The size, type, location and insertion point of the implant can all be modified to an advantage. For the drooping breast, a breast lift, or mastopexy, is the procedure of choice. Breast lifts can be combined with breast implants, not only increase the volume of your breasts, but to enhance the shape.
This breast enlargement video series focuses on breast augmentation mastopexy. This segment reviews the options available for breast implants: saline vs. silicone; smooth vs. textured; round vs. teardrop shaped. It covers some of the advantages of saline and silicone gel filled breast implants bay area, as well as some of the common problems. No breast implant is perfect, but by understanding what breast augmentation can and can’t do, you can make an informed decision, and everything is easier when you know what to expect.
Breast augmentation before and after pictures are included, and these can be compared to breast lift before and after pictures and breast lift with breast implants before and after pictures. While these cannot be a guarantee of your results, they can serve as an example of what types of results can be obtained with the help of a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon.
This is segment two of four from a recent airing of KRON’s Body Beautiful with Vicki Liviakis. The 800 number shown was for the live broadcast, so if you have questions please call my office directly at (925) 943-6353, or use the contact form to the left. Additional information can also be obtained from the links at the end of this article.
This episode includes:
Breast Augmentation, Breast Lift or the combination? (Augmentation Mastopexy).
How many types of Breast Implants are there? (saline, silicone, smooth, textured, round, shaped)
How is a Breast Implant selected to fit the chest?
What was the silicone gel controvery?
What are the advantages of Silicone Gel Breast Implants?
What are the disadvantages of Silicone Gel Breast Implants?
What are the advantages of Saline Breast Implants?
What are the disadvantages of Saline Breast Implants?
Breast Augmentation before and after pictures.
Breast Lift before and after pictures.
Breast Augmentation with a Breast Lift (Mastopexy Augmentation) before and after pictures.
How does the recovery from Breast Augmentation, Breast Lift and Mastopexy Augmentation differ.
If you are interested in learning what specific treatment will work best for you, a personal consultation appointment would be the best way to find out. A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon can help define your goals and tailor the treatment to best achieve the results you desire. To schedule your consultation, please call (925) 943-6353.
Additional information on Breast Augmentation and Breast Lifts can be found here:
