At Galanis Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills, CA, Dr. Galanis is a highly skilled plastic surgeon with decades of experience performing breast augmentation surgery and other aesthetic cosmetic procedures.
If you’re looking to improve the breast size, shape, or symmetry of your breasts, he can help you boost your self-esteem with a breast augmentation procedure while still maintaining a natural appearance.
Breast Augmentation Procedure
There are several ways a breast augmentation can work. If you’re looking to correct asymmetry or add a small amount of volume to the shape of your breasts, fat transfer works by removing excess fat from different parts of your body and injecting it into strategic locations within your breast area.
Another form of breast augmentation is a breast lift. A breast lift can be done with or without implants. This surgery tightens the surrounding breast tissue while removing excess skin. Your areolas can also be reduced in size if they have enlarged over time.
If you’re looking for a significant amount of additional volume, breast implants like silicone breast implants or saline breast implants work to drastically lift and augment your breasts.
The volume you can add to your breasts depends on several factors, including the amount of extra weight your chest wall and ribs can support, the shape of your breasts, as well as the circumference of your hips and waist.
Incisions Placement
Your plastic surgeon will determine the placement of the incisions depending on several factors, including your personal preference, the results you’re looking for, and the health of your skin.
Inframammary incisions are made along the inframammary fold, or crease beneath your breast, to allow for incredibly precise implant placement.
If you’re concerned about temporary incision scarring beneath your breast, you may benefit from a trans axillary incision made beneath the arm.
Implantation placement is also very precise when inserted through the armpit and nobody will see the incisions as they are healing. Finally, you may opt for a periareolar incision around half of your areola.
Breast Implant Placement
Depending on your lifestyle, family planning goals, and aesthetic goals, your breast implants may be placed beneath your glandular tissue and above your pectoral muscle or beneath your chest muscle.
Subglandular implantation is ideal for women with enough existing breast tissue to be at low risk of rippling. In other words, the wrinkles of the implant won’t be visible through the skin.
If you have very little natural breast tissue, submuscular implantation is ideal. Regardless of the type of breast implant you opt for, nobody will be able to see or feel any rippling affecting the breast implant itself.
Submuscular implantation is also ideal for women who are at high risk of developing breast cancer, do not engage in competitive weight lifting or similar sports, and do not anticipate breast feeding in the future.
What to Expect During Breast Augmentation
Most of our clients are asleep during the breast augmentation surgery. Some are placed under general anesthesia and others are placed under local anesthesia and intravenous sedation. Both outcomes are the same.
Women who aren’t healthy enough to be asleep during the breast implant surgery will not experience any pain or discomfort. Local anesthesia numbs the treatment area while the recipient of the medication stays awake.
Clients who are concerned about being awake during the breast augmentation surgery can take a mild anti-anxiety medication to help calm the nerves before the implant surgery.
How the Breast Augmentation Surgery Is Performed
Before you are numbed and put to sleep, the incision sites will be cleaned with an antiseptic to ensure there is no dirt or other pollutants or contaminants that can get inside your skin through a surgical incision.
To ensure that you don’t get an infection after your breast augmentation, you will be given a prescription for a full course of antibiotics before your procedure. Take these pills as directed.
Remember, the incision location and implant insertion location depend on your aesthetic goals. Dr. Galanis will give you a better idea of what to expect during your procedure when he determines the appropriate method for implantation to achieve your unique goals.
On average, a breast augmentation will take between one to two hours and then you will be observed following your surgical procedure for a few hours as the anesthesia wears off.
Breast Augmentation Recovery
Recovery from breast augmentation surgery is fairly short. If you opt for breast implants with saline, your recovery should only take around five days. If you opt for silicone gel implants, your recovery may take up to seven days.
One of the most significant factors affecting how long the recovery process lasts is how well you follow your post-op instructions that your plastic surgeon provided to you.
After the Procedure
Depending on the size of the implants placed, you may be asked to wear a front-clasp surgical bra for two weeks or a compression band for two weeks. You will be instructed to wear a compression bra if you only received a moderate increase to breast size.
If you received a large increase in breast volume, a compression band is required to protect your incisions.
It is important to wear your compression garment at all times except for when you shower. For this reason, we encourage you to have several compression garments so you don’t feel rushed into finishing the laundry when all you want to do is rest.
If you usually sleep without a bra at night, practice wearing a soft compression bra at night for a couple of weeks pre-op.
What to Do After the Procedure
After the breast augmentation, you should rest as much as possible. Sleep on your back for at least nine hours per night and take naps whenever you feel drowsy or tired.
To ensure you’re getting enough sleep, avoid blue light exposure in the hour before bed and minimize the amount of light and sound you are exposed to while you sleep. Blackout curtains are great for this.
If possible, sleep without an alarm set for the first two weeks post-op. This gives your brain the opportunity to wake you up naturally when your body is done resting and recovering.
At the very least, take five business days off from work and go seven nights without setting your alarm. The more you rest, the quicker and smoother your recovery process will be.
What to Avoid After the Procedure
After your breast augmentation, avoid the temptation to do too much too quickly. You may want to pick up your puppy or your child or vacuum your floors. Resist this urge. You should not lift anything weighing 10 pounds or greater in the first six weeks post-op.
Your breast implant incisions are closed with sutures and it’s important that you don’t strain them or your muscles.
Furthermore, avoiding changes in blood pressure should be another top priority. To ensure your blood pressure doesn’t drop too low, eat an adequate amount of sodium, and stay hydrated by drinking at least half a gallon of water, tea, and coffee daily.
Avoid high blood pressure by regulating your stress levels and avoiding strenuous exercise. Weight lifting may resume six weeks post-op.
Breast Augmentation Results
There is a common misconception that you have to switch out your breast implants every 10 years. This is because anecdotal evidence suggests that a breast implant may rupture within 10 to 20 years of breast surgery.
However, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, breast implants are medical devices without an expiration date.
A good rule of thumb is that if you don’t have a problem with your saline filled implants, they don’t need to be replaced. They may last for the rest of your life.
If you have silicone implants, come in every three years for imaging tests to detect breast implant rupture. Saline ruptures are obvious because the breast implant shape will appear deflated nearly immediately. You may be unable to see or feel a silicone rupture.
Breast Implants and Breastfeeding
While we’re dispelling myths about breast implants, we’d like to address another common misconception. Many women are concerned that breast implants will affect their ability to breastfeed in the future.
This is due to another unfortunate misconception that breast implants affect the nerve endings required to feel an infant suckling and produce breast milk.
However, when you get breast implants at Galanis Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills, CA, Dr. Galanis is very careful to ensure that no nerve damage occurs when your breast implants are placed.
Just let him know of your plans to breastfeed in the future so he can determine the appropriate incision and placement locations for your potential future needs.
When You Should See the Results
You can see the volume added to your breasts immediately after your breast augmentation. If you had your nipple reduced in size or raised up your chest wall, you will also be able to see this immediately after your breast surgery.
The final results of your breast enhancement will not be visible for several weeks after your procedure.
The final results of your breast augmentation can take up to a year to be seen. It usually takes between four to six weeks for your skin to settle into position once your breasts have been augmented.
Therefore, if you have elastic skin that is very reactive to change, you may see the final results in a month or two. You may see the final results after a year if your skin is unhealthy.
The Right Breast Augmentation Method for You
If you are a good candidate for breast augmentation, the only way to identify the appropriate augmentation method for you is to come in for an initial evaluation.
During this initial evaluation, Dr. Charles J. Galanis, M.D. will review your aesthetic goals and evaluate the physical structure of your chest wall and the measurements of your other contours.
Again, if you only need a small amount of volume added to the size of your breasts, the right augmentation method for you is augmentation via fat transfer.
If you want durable, low-maintenance, natural-feeling, natural-looking results, saline implants are the ideal augmentation for you. However, there are also many benefits to silicone implants.
Potential Complications of Breast Augmentation
The prevalent complications linked to breast implants include reoperation, capsular contracture, implant removal, breast implant illness, anaplastic large cell lymphoma, implant leakage or implant rupture.
It is crucial to undergo regular follow-up exams and adhere to your doctor’s instructions post-breast surgery to monitor the condition of your breast implants effectively.
With capsular contracture, scar tissue around the implant distorts the breast implants shape causing a tight or even painful feeling in the area where your plastic surgeon placed the breast implant.
Breast implant illness doesn’t have an official medical diagnosis. Some of the symptoms in rare cases include joint pain, brain fog, fatigue, dry eyes and other health concerns.
Questions and Answers
What styles of breast augmentation implant can I choose from?
There are several variations of implants to choose from. You could have round breast implants or teardrop shaped implants. There are also textured breast implants and smooth implants.
Each of these styles can come in either silicone filled implants or saline implants. Your plastic surgeon will be able to educate you further on how these different styles will relate to your goals.
How common is scar tissue after breast augmentation?
The body naturally forms scar tissue around any foreign object, every woman undergoing breast augmentation will develop a capsule. Fortunately, only a small minority will experience problematic capsular contracture to a significant degree.
If you have pale skin, at first your scars will be noticeable by they will fade considerably once the incisions heal.
What is the safest option for breast augmentation?
A sterile saline implant, silicone implants, and gummy bear implants are all regarded as safe. Ongoing research continues to assess their safety and effectiveness.
Good Candidates for Breast Enhancement
If you feel self-conscious about the size, shape, or symmetry of your breasts, there’s a good chance that you’re a good candidate for breast augmentation.
When determining who is a good candidate for the procedure, Dr. Galanis looks for healthy individuals with realistic expectations looking to add volume to the breasts, while being conscious about the entire process, from preparation through recovery.
The volume of your existing breast tissue doesn’t affect your candidacy because Dr. Galanis offers breast augmentation options for all shapes and sizes. Nevertheless, to be an ideal candidate, you should have fairly elastic skin around your breasts. Elastic skin results in a smoother recovery and better results.
Discover How to Improve Your Proportions Today
If you think your self-confidence would improve with the augmentation of your breasts, breast augmentation surgery in Beverly Hills may work for you. To learn more about how this procedure works, or determine if you’re a good candidate for this procedure, call Dr. Galanis at Galanis Plastic Surgery in Beverly Hills, CA today at (310) 858-8930 to book an appointment.
