Aesthetic Medicine

Archive for the ‘Breast Augmentation’ Category

How can you use surplus tissue from your body to go from a 32 B to a C cup?

It is the cosmetic procedure that sounds like many women’s dream: increase the size of your breasts by up to a cup size, while taking inches off your tummy and thighs.

The operation, carried out under local anesthetic, involves the patient having fat removed during liposuction, mixed with other body cells, including stem cells, and then reinjected into the breasts. Quite common in Europe, still novel in the U.S., but unsurprisingly advocates believe this procedure will revolutionize the plastic surgery industry.

My patients are thrilled with the results, having gone from a 32B to a ‘natural looking’ C-cup.

Alternatives

Having silicone implants is not for everybody. Many women want a bigger chest but most do not want water melons. Some don’t like the idea of something alien in their breasts.

Another option to consider is injections of synthetic filler Macrolane – a procedure known as ‘the boob jab’, which can boost the breasts by a cup size. I have seen several reports of this filler turning lumpy, so there is risk of some long term side effects. Read the rest of this entry »

Have you heard of the new breast implants that don’t use silicone or saline? In fact there are no implants at all. Your fat is the best replacement for the implant! Moving fat from your undesired areas into the breast sounds perfect. But how does it work, what can patients expect, and is it safe?

Natural breast augmentation is a relatively new procedure in the United States, but it has a long history and very successful following in Europe. There are very few physicians performing this procedure in Tampa Bay area.

I use fat taken from your own body via liposuction to add volume to the breasts. You can be rest assured that the procedure is painless, safe, very effective, and results last very long.

The procedure begins with liposuction. I remove fat where it’s not wanted and contour the body where it is most needed, safely and permanently without the need for invasive surgery. The patients will work with me to decide which area they would like to see reduced, commonly the hips, thighs, stomach, or buttocks, and what areas will need to be re-contoured and to what volume.

One of the greatest gains with the new procedure has been in the fat survival rate which is between 85% to 90%. With the addition of adult stem cells to enhance the fat transfer and breast splinting technology, adipocyte survival rates have shown to be even higher. In fact, when the fat transfer is concentrated with adult stem cells harvested from the patient’s own fat, and is injected into the fat that is already within the breast, the result can equal a permanent increase of 250cc to 500cc in overall breast size equating to a 1 to 2 cup size increase. Read the rest of this entry »

Implants or fat transfer?

Implants are filled with saline or silicone. Fat is taken from one part of your own body, most commonly the thighs or abdomen, and after minimal processing is injected into the breast. My vote is definitely for fat transfer: it is natural and without the usual complications associated with implants.

Breast enlargement using implants requires anesthesia. A pocket is made above the rib cage and under the pectoral muscle. Then an implant is placed in the pocket and inflated. This can be performed with an incision around the nipple, under the mammary fold or through the axilla.

Fat transfer is done under local anesthesia using tumescent solution and fat is taken from an unwanted area and transferred to the breast just under the skin. The breasts feel natural and it does not interfere with breast-feeding or mammogram readings. While implants can cause problems such as encapsulation, breakage and migration upward or downward, the fat transfer stays where it is placed. This fat remembers that it is from the thighs or abdomen and as one loses or gains weight, the breasts become less prominent or more prominent. They are totally natural and feel natural.

About tumescent anesthesia
Tumescent anesthesia is the injection of Xylocaine, an injectable pain medication much like what your dentist would give you before he starts your dental work. Xylocaine is injected into a liter of fluid and then the fluid is injected into your fat. This solution takes away all pain during the procedure and lasts for approximately 18 to 36 hours. The patient is awake and responsive to her environment and even interacts with the medical staff. The fluid is slowly absorbed. Usually the patient requires no medication after the procedure except Tylenol. Many studies have been done over the past five to six years which show that the fat transferred survives at least 90% and in many cases 100%. The bottom line is that it can last a very, very long time, if not forever.