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Plastic Surgery
> Breast
Breast
Augmentation
Breast augmentation or breast enlargement is a plastic
surgery procedure designed to give women larger, more
symmetrical breasts or to reconstruct damaged breasts.
First, an incision is made under the arm, around the nipple,
or below the breast. Next, a saline-filled or silicone
gel-filled implant is carefully inserted beneath breast
tissue or pectoral muscles. The incisions are then stitched
closed. Breast augmentation takes one and one-half to three
hours and is performed on an outpatient basis. The patient
is usually required to return to our office for a follow-up
visit the morning after surgery. Breasts normally heal
within a month to six weeks.
Breast Lift
Often, pregnancy or nursing stretches breast skin, causing
breasts to sag or become pendulous. Excessive weight gain or
loss or the natural aging process can also take its toll.
But there is no reason for a woman to hide behind a droopy
bust line. Breast lift, or mastopexy, can take years off a
woman's body by creating a firmer, and tighter bust line and
more voluminous breasts.
During breast lift surgery Dr. Snyder trims away excess
tissue and skin, and remaining tissue and skin are tightened
and lifted. In some cases, the areola is reduced in size,
making it more proportionate to the reshaped breasts. Breast
lift, which is often performed in conjunction with breast
augmentation, is not permanent; gravity, age, and additional
pregnancies can affect results over time, but effects are
still very satisfying for the vast majority of patients.
Breast
Reconstruction
Reconstruction of a breast that has been removed due to
cancer or other disease is one of the most rewarding
surgical procedures available today. New medical techniques
and devices have made it possible for surgeons to create a
breast that can come close in form and appearance to
matching a natural breast. Frequently, reconstruction is
possible immediately following breast removal (mastectomy),
so the patient wakes up with a breast mound already in
place, having been spared the experience of seeing herself
with no breast at all.
Surgical Techniques
Recent advances in surgical techniques have
made it possible to reconstruct a breast
mound using only the excess skin and fat from
the lower belly, without needing to cut any
of the important abdominal muscles. The Deep
Inferior Epigastric Perforator (DIEP)
flap allows for a natural breast
reconstruction using your own tissues,
without the need for implants and without the
need to cut your rectus muscle. And because
the abdominal muscles are not sacrificed as
they are in a TRAM flap, the post-operative
pain is less and the recovery time is quicker.
The Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator (DIEP)
Because the DIEP is a more
complex operation, extra operative time is
required. However, the recovery time and
amount of post-op pain are reduced, leading
to shorter hospital stays and quicker return
to activities and work.
There are very few surgeons who are capable of performing
this reconstruction and Dr. Snyder
is proud to be one of the pioneers in this new technique.
Candidates for breast reconstruction
Most mastectomy patients are medically appropriate for
reconstruction, many at the same time that the breast is
removed. The best candidates, however, are women whose
cancer, as far as can be determined, seems to have been
eliminated by mastectomy.
Breast Reduction
Breast reduction should be considered by women with
too-large, uncomfortable breasts, bra strap indentations on
shoulders, back and neck pain, ill-fitting clothes,
irritated skin, and general discomfort are an unfortunate
reality. For women who desire lighter, firmer, more
proportionate, breasts, breast reduction is an excellent
option.
During breast reduction cosmetic surgery, an incision is
made under the breast, under the arm, or around the nipple,
and excess fat, glandular tissue, and skin is removed.
Breast reduction can also be performed to reduce the size of
the areola (the dark area surrounding the nipple). Breast
tissue may be reshaped to ensure that the breasts are in
proportion with the woman's body. Breasts typically heal
within several weeks after breast reduction cosmetic
surgery, and results are considered permanent.
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