Atlanta breast implants

January 25, 2016

Tips for Healing from a Breast Augmentation

Blog, Breast Augmentation, Breast Surgery, Educational atlanta breast augmentation, Atlanta breast implants, Atlanta breast surgeon, Atlanta cosmetic surgeon, atlanta plastic surgeon

For most patients, getting ready for breast augmentation (or any plastic surgery) involves a combination of nervousness for the procedure and excitement about their results. As great as this optimism is, it’s also important to realize that you won’t find a perfect and polished appearance the minute you awake from surgery. Your true results won’t be visible until your body heals, your swelling is gone, and your incision lines fade. In your eagerness, it’s easy to mentally skip over the recovery period, but those first days and weeks after surgery are an opportunity for you to take several measures to help your body heal and to make your final results as satisfying as possible. While every patient is unique, below are a few ways you can make the most of your body’s healing time.

Follow post-surgical instructions. This is the most important element to a healthy and successful recovery. As a double board-certified plastic surgeon, I’ve been guiding patients through surgery and recovery for over 30 years, and as your surgeon, I’m also familiar with all the specific details of your case. Your aftercare instructions are based on your individual needs and your unique procedure, and they are the key to a healthier, more comfortable, and more successful healing process.
Find the right balance of activity for each stage of the process. While I’ll be able to give you some guidelines based on your unique needs and your procedure (for example, did you only have a breast augmentation or did you pair it with a breast lift as well?), it’s important to be up and walking around a little bit every few hours as soon as possible to lower your risk for blood clots. But while some level of activity is vital, you should also be cautious not to push your body too hard too soon after breast surgery, because this can cause complications and a much longer healing process.
Take your pain medication. While different patients may need different amounts of pain management, you should be honest with yourself about whether or not you actually need it. Allowing yourself to be in more pain than you need to be can raise your blood pressure, which increases your risk for a number of problems and complications, so while you shouldn’t take too much pain medicine, you should also avoid taking too little.
Follow through with all of your post-surgical appointments. One of your most effective tools for a healthy recovery and ideal plastic surgery results is careful and consistent monitoring. Problems may arise at any stage of the healing process, and there may be warning signs you aren’t aware of or haven’t noticed, so keeping your follow-up appointments at my office is a crucial part of ensuring that you are recovering correctly.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. After your surgery, you may have concerns or symptoms that arise, and unfortunately, many patients react by searching the web to see if their symptoms are normal or a warning sign. While the internet can be a useful tool in some cases, you may come across information that is either inaccurate or is intended for other patients in different circumstances, so your best option is to call me and ask if you should be concerned, because I’ll be able to base my recommendation on the specific details of your case.

Thinking about your breast augmentation recovery can be nerve-wracking, but as long as you follow your post-surgical instructions and the tips above and stay in communication with me throughout the process, you can keep your risks low and help your body heal more smoothly and more quickly. To start discussing whether cosmetic surgery is the right choice for you, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. Franklyn Elliott. Or, for more helpful tips and plastic surgery news, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

January 13, 2016

Can Breast Implants Produce Natural-Looking Results

Blog, Breast Augmentation, Breast Surgery, Educational atlanta breast augmentation, Atlanta Breast enhancement, Atlanta breast implants, Atlanta breast surgery, Atlanta cosmetic breast surgeon

The decision to seek breast augmentation is a very personal choice many women make to attain an appearance that makes them feel more confident and empowered. Each woman has her own vision of how she wants to look, but most of my breast enhancement patients have one request in common: they want to look natural. Much of this depends on the decisions you make about your surgery, and below are several of the factors which affect how natural your results will look and feel.

Type of Implant

One of the major differences between various types of implants is the material they’re made from, and there are two general categories: silicone and saline. While both are surrounded by a silicone shell, the saline implants are filled with a liquid saline (saltwater) solution, while the silicone implants are filled with a thicker silicone gel. Between the two, many patients find the silicone to have a more natural look and feel, although it is a matter of patient preference, and there are a variety of other pros and cons to weigh as well.

Implant Placement

Another customizable aspect of your breast surgery is whether the implant is placed in front of or behind the pectoral muscle. In many cases, placing the implant below the muscle will achieve more natural-looking breast augmentation results.

Incision

Part of looking natural after plastic surgery is keeping scars as minimal as possible, and there are many ways this can be achieved for breast augmentation patients. First, there are multiple choices for where to place the incision. The most common location is along the natural crease at the bottom of the breast, but women who choose saline implants may instead be able to have their incisions placed around the areola, because the saline implants are filled after they are placed in the breast, allowing them to use a smaller incision than silicone implants. In some cases, the incision can also be made within the underarm area instead. Another way to minimize scarring is by ensuring that the incisions and sutures are as clean and well-aligned as possible. This depends largely on the skill of the surgeon you choose, so be sure to select a board-certified plastic surgeon with extensive experience in breast surgery. However, certain technology can also have an impact on the quality of the incisions and sutures, like the Quill™ Knotless Tissue Closure Device I use.

Size of Implant

Part of keeping your breasts looking natural is ensuring that your new size is appropriate and proportional to the rest of your body. While implant size comes down to each patient’s personal opinion, my experience allows me to offer guidance based on your height, current breast size, shoulder width, body shape, and desired results. During your consultation with me, you’ll have the opportunity to try various sizes and shapes of implant to help you determine which feels the most comfortable.

Use of Natural Tissue

In some cases, breast implants can be substituted for or supplemented with your own natural tissue for breast enhancement. For instance, if you’re seeking a more subtle size increase, you may be a candidate for fat transfer to the breast, in which I can use liposuction to remove excess fat from another area of your body before processing the fat and injecting it into your breasts. Or, for patients who are using breast implants for breast reconstruction after a mastectomy, a flap of tissue from their back can be used to secure the implant in place, resulting in a more natural look and feel.

While all this information can help in your decision-making process before breast augmentation, it’s important to remember to use the guidance and experience of a qualified plastic surgeon who has conducted an exam and is familiar with your specific needs. To start discussing your breast enhancement surgery, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. Franklyn Elliott. Or, to stay up-to-date on the latest plastic surgery news, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

November 10, 2015

Why Some Women Choose Breast Revision

Blog, Breast Surgery, Educational atlanta breast augmentation, Atlanta breast implants, Atlanta breast revision, Atlanta cosmetic breast surgery, atlanta plastic surgeon

For women who are insecure about the size and shape of their breasts, cosmetic surgery can be a life-changing experience by giving them a confidence they’ve never had before. But, while nearly every patient plans for her results to last forever, some do find themselves back in the operating room years later for a breast revision procedure. When most people hear that a woman had a breast revision, they assume it’s because something went wrong or she wasn’t happy with her results, but in reality, that’s often not the case. To help patients develop a better understanding of what breast revision is and why over 70,000 women received the procedure last year, I’ve examined a few of the many reasons why a woman may opt for this surgery.

Her breasts have changed since her last surgery.

Nearly every part of our bodies change with age, but this is especially true for breasts. For instance, a woman may have breast augmentation in her early 20s and be thrilled with her results, but after twenty years of aging, weight fluctuations, and possibly even pregnancies and breastfeeding, her chest can look completely different by her early 40s. In this case, breast revision can be a way to restore her breasts to a shape and size that makes her feel confident once again.

She wants to take advantage of changes in breast implants.

Today, breast implants come in a variety of shapes and materials so that women can have greater control over the feel and appearance of their enhanced breasts. Unfortunately, not all of these same options were available decades ago (or, in some cases, just a few years ago), so breast revision can be used to exchange one type of implant for another.

She has complications which need to be corrected.

While complications with breast surgery are very rare, some do occur and may require a surgical procedure. In some cases, the scar tissue your body natural forms around the implant becomes hardened and gives the breast a less natural feel. Or, the breast implant may rupture or change position. In these cases, breast revision may resolve these issues and restore the feel and appearance the patient once enjoyed.

She wants to improve upon her initial results.

There are times when a patient’s breast enhancement results aren’t exactly what she expected. In the case of breast surgery, the two breasts may be asymmetrical or the size or shape may not be what the patient had hoped for. Fortunately, breast revision is an option which can allow many patients to achieve the appearance they were hoping for.

Her vision for the breasts she wants has changed.

As years go by, a patient may change her opinion about the size or shape she wants her breasts to be. For these women, changing the size or shape of her breast implants may allow her to once again feel like confident in her appearance.

Breast revision can serve many purposes, and the procedure can be very different from one patient to another. However, the overall intention is always the same: to help the patient to be happier with the appearance of her breasts. To discuss whether breast revision or another plastic surgery procedure is the right choice for you, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. Franklyn Elliott. Or, for more helpful information and the latest cosmetic surgery news, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

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