BREAST AUGMENTATION

A DISTINCTIVELY DIFFERENT PRACTICE

EXPERIENCE EXTRAORDINARY

What is Breast Augmentation?

Breast augmentation surgery is one of the most commonly performed plastic surgery procedures in the United States and throughout the world. This surgery involves placing an implant behind your breast tissue to increase the size of your breasts or restore volume that was lost following pregnancy and/or weight loss. Breast augmentation surgery can enhance your self-image and self-confidence and improve the balance of your body.

You are a good candidate for breast augmentation surgery if you desire increased breast volume or fullness. Additionally, breast augmentation can be beneficial if your breasts are asymmetrical, one or both of your breasts failed to develop normally, or have an elongated (or tuberous) shape. Breast augmentation will not correct severely droopy or saggy breasts; however, breast augmentation surgery is common and safely performed with a breast lift if breasts are droopy and saggy and more volume is desired. When choosing to undergo breast augmentation, there are many factors to consider. It is important that you feel extremely comfortable with your surgeon. Dr. Hewell and/or Dr. Fischer will spend a significant amount of time with you preoperatively discussing implant safety, anesthesia choices, and sizing to ensure an excellent result.

About the Procedure:

The breast augmentation procedure starts with the consultation. Dr. Hewell and/or Dr. Fischer spend a significant amount of time with every patient to discuss implant choices and to understand each patient’s size ideal and desired outcome. They also use a breast onlay system to help patients choose the perfect size implant. This system allows patients to put implants over their breasts to get a sense of what different size implants look like on their body. Finally, they have the Vectra® 3D imaging system to help patients visualize the final result. This unique technology takes a 3-dimensional picture of the patient’s breasts. Implants are then added to the image so that patients can see what implants of various sizes and profiles will look like on their body.

When selecting a surgeon for breast augmentation, it is important that you feel confident with the surgeon and the surgical plan. Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer commonly perform this surgery in their state-of-the-art, accredited ambulatory surgery facility. Their patients report an exceptional surgical experience due to the Doctors’ dedication to safety, excellent results, and patient privacy. The procedure can be performed under IV sedation or general anesthesia on an outpatient basis. Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer see all of their breast augmentation patients for evaluation the day after surgery.

What is Breast Augmentation?

Breast augmentation surgery is one of the most commonly performed plastic surgery procedures in the United States and throughout the world. This surgery involves placing an implant behind your breast tissue to increase the size of your breasts or restore volume that was lost following pregnancy and/or weight loss. Breast augmentation surgery can enhance your self-image and self-confidence and improve the balance of your body.

You are a good candidate for breast augmentation surgery if you desire increased breast volume or fullness. Additionally, breast augmentation can be beneficial if your breasts are asymmetrical, one or both of your breasts failed to develop normally, or have an elongated (or tuberous) shape. Breast augmentation will not correct severely droopy or saggy breasts; however, breast augmentation surgery is common and safely performed with a breast lift if breasts are droopy and saggy and more volume is desired. When choosing to undergo breast augmentation, there are many factors to consider. It is important that you feel extremely comfortable with your surgeon. Dr. Hewell and/or Dr. Fischer will spend a significant amount of time with you preoperatively discussing implant safety, anesthesia choices, and sizing to ensure an excellent result.

About the Procedure:

The breast augmentation procedure starts with the consultation. Dr. Hewell and/or Dr. Fischer spend a significant amount of time with every patient to discuss implant choices, and to understand each patient’s size ideal and desired outcome. They also use a breast onlay system to help patients choose the perfect size implant. This system allows patients to put implants over their breasts to get a sense of what difference size implants look like on their body. Finally, they have the Vectra® 3D imaging system to help patients visualize the final result. This unique technology takes a 3-dimensional picture of the patient’s breasts. Implants are then added to the image so that patients can see what implants of various sizes and profiles will look like on their body.

When selecting a surgeon for breast augmentation, it is important that you feel confident with the surgeon and the surgical plan. Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer commonly perform this surgery in their state-of-the-art, accredited ambulatory surgery facility. Their patients report an exceptional surgical experience due to the Doctors’ dedication to safety, excellent results, and patient privacy. The procedure can be performed under IV sedation or general anesthesia on an outpatient basis. Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer see all of their breast augmentation patients for evaluation the day after surgery.

FAQ’s

During your preoperative visits, Dr. Hewell and/or Dr. Fischer will spend time with you discussing your desired outcome. They only use a breast onlay system and Vectra® 3D Imaging to select the perfect implant size and profile for you.

Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer commonly perform breast augmentation surgery through an inframammary incision to minimize visibility of the incision and prevent infection. Other options for your surgery include periareolar and transaxillary incisions.
Periareolar incision

Inframammary incision

Transaxillary incision

Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer perform both submuscular (under the pectoralis major muscle), and subglandular (above the pectoralis major muscle) breast augmentations. The appropriate location of your implant will be discussed at your consultation.

A. Under the pectoral muscle (a submuscular placement, also called dual-plane), or



B. Directly behind the breast tissue, over the pectoral muscle (a submammary/subglandular/suprapectoral placement)

Saline implants are silicone shells filled with sterile salt water. If a saline implant leaks, the implant will collapse and the salt water is naturally absorbed/expelled from the body. Saline implants are FDA-approved for augmentation in women age 18 or older.

Silicone implants are silicone shells filled with silicone gel. Some women prefer silicone gel implants, as the gel is soft and can feel more like breast tissue. If the implant leaks, the gel may remain within the implant shell or may escape into the breast implant pocket. Unlike a saline implant, a leaking silicone gel implant will not collapse. Ultrasound or MRI can be used in the postoperative period to assess the integrity of the implant if concerns arise. Silicone implants are FDA-approved for augmentation in women age 22 or older.

Structured saline implants are a newer type of breast implant that were developed to blend the beneficial properties of saline and silicone gel implants. These implants are filled with saline, but have nested silicone shells to give the saline implant a more natural feel.

Breast implants can be shaped or round. Shaped implants, often referred to as form-stable, or “gummy bear” implants have more projection at the bottom and are tapered towards the top. These implants are meant to sit within a breast pocket and not rotate to maintain the projection at the bottom. All shaped implants have a textured (fuzzy) surface to help the implant stick in the breast pocket in the proper orientation. Round implants are round in shape and there is no concern about rotation as there is no distinct top/bottom to the implant.

Smooth breast implants have a smooth shell, which allows the implant to move with the breast. Women report that this gives the breast a natural feel and movement. Textured implants have a fuzzy shell, which causes them to stick to the breast implant pocket. Due to current concern for anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) with textured breast implants, Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer prefer to use only smooth breast implants.

Breast augmentation surgery can be safely performed in an accredited office-based surgical facility. Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer’s office ambulatory surgical facility is accredited by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF). Established in 1980, AAAASF holds outpatient and office-based facilities to hospital standards and assures the public that patient safety is the top priority in a facility.

Medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedure. Anesthesia choices for breast augmentation surgery include intravenous sedation and general anesthesia. Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer will recommend which anesthesia option is best for you.

Yes, breast implant placement, or breast augmentation, can be performed at the same time as breast lift surgery. Some women chose to do this to enhance fullness of the upper breast. Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer have extensive experience in performing this combination procedure.

Breast implants do not impair breast health. Careful reviews of scientific research by independent groups such as the Institute of Medicine have found no link between breast implants and autoimmune or other systemic diseases.

Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer see all of their breast augmentation patients the day after surgery. The Doctors and their exceptional team will take care of all dressings at this visit.

Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer recommend annual physical examination to assess the integrity of the breast implants. The implants are not guaranteed to last a lifetime, and future surgery may be required to replace one or both of the implants. Over time, your breasts can change due to normal aging, pregnancy, weight fluctuations, and menopause. When breasts change due to the aforementioned factors, some patients choose to undergo a breast lift or implant exchange to restore a more youthful appearance to the breasts.

Yes, you can undergo mammography after breast augmentation. Dr. Hewell and Dr. Fischer recommend annual physical examination with your primary care provider and regular screening mammograms after breast augmentation for breast cancer surveillance.

You should bring your most recent mammogram report to your consultation if you have started screening mammograms. Additionally, you should bring any information about previous breast biopsies if you have had a breast biopsy.

Procedures 3

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