Great advancements have been made in the field of plastic surgery, creating surgical techniques that are safer, simplier, and more effective than ever.  Nowadays, inconspicuous incisions for breast augmentation surgery can greatly the appearance of scarring.  At our office, we can make incisions in the armpit, the inframammary (or the crease under the breast), or even around the areola (the dark skin around the nipple).  We also offer the new TUBA approach, one of the least invasive techniques yet, with the implant being inserted through an incision made in the patient’s bellybutton!

The implant itself can either be placed beneath the breast tissue or beneath the muscle of the chest.  If placed under the chest muscle, you can reduce the risk of post-operative tightening around the implant (known as capsular contracture).  Also, this type of placement will not interfere as much with the results of your yearly mammograms.  On the flip side, placement under the chest muscle can cause more pain post-surgery and can create the need for drainage tubes in some patients. (It’s important to note that, using the TUBA approach, placement under the chest muscle is not an option).

The most important thing to know about the breast augmentation procedure is that each patient is unique in their situation. What works for one patient, may not be the best plan of action to give you the kind of results you’re looking for. So… ASK QUESTIONS!  Dr. McCluskey will be happy to meet with you to answer any questions that you may have.  It is his goal to make sure every patient is fully-informed and comfortable throughout the entire surgical process. 

For information on how to set up a consultation with Dr. McCluskey, click here.

Breast augmentation is one of the most popular procedures performed in the office of the Plastic Surgery Institute of Atlanta, so it was no surprise when the American Society of Plastic Surgeons announced that breast implants are now the number one most perform cosmetic surgery in the country.  Last year alone, plastic surgeons everywhere performed over 307,000 breast enhancement surgeries.  This trend can partially be attributed to the 2006 FDA approval of silicone implants, which after technological advancements and a 10 year long study, the FDA deemed “safe and effective.” Here’s a breakdown of the differences between the two:

Saline:  A saline breast implant consists of a strong, silicone elastomer shell that is filled with salt water that has been sterilized.  An advantage to this type of implant is that, in the rare case that an implant is ruptured, the salt water will be able to dissolve natural into the body – causing little health concerns.  Also, some saline implants contain a tiny valve whereby your surgeon can increase the size of the implant if you desire them to be bigger, or reduce the amount of saline solution if you decide you want to minimize your bust. However, saline implants can have a less natural look and feel than their silicone counterparts. Especially in women who are very thin or have limited original breast tissue to cover the implant, silicone may be a more natural-looking option.

Silicone: Recently approved by the FDA in 2006, silicone implants are filled with a silicone gel, whose texture closely resembles the texture of natural breast tissue.  Silicone implants give the breast a much softer and more natural look and feel than saline-filled breast implants. The downside is that it is much harder to detect when a leak occurs in a silicone implant.  Also, once you have had breast augmentation surgery, you cannot change the size of your implant without another procedure. Long-term testing has proved that, under the care of a qualified physician, both silicone and saline implants are very safe and effective.

At our office, we use both saline and silicone implants for breast aug patients, carefully weighing the options to decide which plan of action is best for them.  Visit our breast augmentation page for more information about this procedure.   Stay tuned for Part 2 (The Procedure) of this series coming soon!