Questions You Always Wanted To Ask About Breast Surgery

In this informative interview with Aesthetic Insider™, Dr. Whitney Florin, a cosmetic surgeon who practices at Inland Cosmetic Surgery in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, discusses her expert approach to the most popular of all cosmetic surgeries — breast augmentation, reduction and lifting. If you want to learn how patients and their surgeons decide on the correct breast size, why there is a trend to smaller sized breast implants, or what different implant procedures and types of implants are available, Dr. Florin will discuss it all in this tell-all interview. Dr. Florin is a third generation physician who specializes in cosmetic surgery. To learn more about Dr. Florin and the aesthetic beauty and anti-aging procedures offered at Inland Cosmetic Surgery, call (909) 987-0899 or visit www.inlandcosmetic.com.

Questions You Always Wanted To Ask About Breast Surgery!

Why do you think cosmetic breast surgery ranks among the highest cosmetic surgery procedures?
For many women breasts can be a very defining feminine feature and the desire for women to have fuller or larger breasts, as well as those that simply want to improve the shape of their breasts, has grown tremendously. Also, the breasts are very commonly affected from pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight gain, weight loss, etc., and is an important body feature that often show the results of things women go through during motherhood, and other life changing experiences.

When is the right time for a person to decide to undergo cosmetic breast surgery?
We see young women that have not had any children but their whole life have desired larger breasts and it is something they’ve been thinking about for years. Those patients range in age from approximately twenty-two to twenty-five. We also see women that are coming to us after having children. In those situations, I recommend they wait about three to six months after they finish breastfeeding, but they generally come in to the practice sooner so they can obtain medical information and we can develop a plan and schedule a date for their surgery post breast feeding. For patients that have undergone a dramatic weight loss, I recommend the same amount of time – about six months after they’ve achieved their weight loss goal – in order for them to really have predictable results.

What are your recommendations to selecting the right surgeon?
There are many important factors when selecting which surgeon is the right one for you. From finding a surgeon who is well educated, and has substantial experience performing the procedure the patient is seeking, to making sure that the surgeon’s aesthetic is the same as the patients. Important questions to ask your surgeon are:

– What is their level of medical/surgical training?
– Where did they do their residency?
– Are they fellowship trained in cosmetic surgery of the breast?
– What length of time have they been in practice?
– How many successful breast surgery procedures have they performed?
– Are before-and-after photos available for review?
– Is it possible to meet with, or talk to, an actual breast surgery patient?
– What does the doctor recommend in terms of size, shape and type of implant? Is this what the patient had in mind?

In terms of breast augmentation, what does it entail, and what types of implants are available?
The two main distinctions are whether the implants are placed over or under the muscle. In our practice we almost always place implants under the muscle – that is called sub-muscular – and there are many benefits to this technique. In general, the implants have a better appearance and look more natural with fuller cleavage. The implant is also less obvious, and there is less chance of rippling or seeing the edge of the implant. Sub-muscular implants also tend to last longer and will deflate or rupture less frequently. We have also seen a lower rate of capsular contracture with the sub-muscular approach and the breasts generally remain soft and natural for a long time. Capsular contracture is a complication that can occur and causes hard tissue to form around the implant making the breast hard or painful. For that reason we almost always place implants under the muscle. There are two types of implants – saline or silicone. We discuss these options in great detail during consultation. We also discuss where to place the incision and how the implant is going to be placed which really depends on the person and their anatomy. The most common would be a small incision hidden under the fold of the breast, but an incision can be hidden around the ariola (the nipple), and saline implants can also be placed through a belly button incision which is a unique way to place an implant and we do offer that at Inland Cosmetics Surgery. Lastly, another incision option is hidden in the armpit on either side of the body.

How long does it take to recover from a cosmetic breast procedure?
Typically for breast augmentation I recommend that patients take about a week off of work and refrain from driving for one week. It is important that they do not do any heavy lifting for about three weeks after surgery which means nothing over thirty pounds and no strenuous exercise. After six weeks most patients can resume their normal activities including working out at the gym but they should check with their doctor before doing so.

Do you help a patient choose breast implant size?
Yes I do but breast size preference is very personal. Every day we hear phrases such as, ‘ I don’t want to be too big’ or ‘I don’t want to look too fake’ or ‘ I’m afraid I’m going to go too small’ so we assure our patients that the size they choose will be the right size for them. To help them with this decision we provide sizers that they can place inside a sports bra and we have them try on different sizes so that we can find out what they are comfortable with. This way they can go home and temporarily wear the different sizes to help them find the right fit. Our goal is to help a patient choose a size that matches with their silhouette and body size as most patients want their implants to look natural and proportional. Sometimes people do want an implant that exceeds their anatomy, and is going to go beyond their natural breast width or will stretch their skin too much. In those situations I advise them to select something smaller to begin as they can always choose a larger implant for another surgery, but it’s safer to begin with an implant that the body can handle. Other patients, generally athletic types such as marathon runners or weight lifters, want smaller implants that fill out their shape or give them a more feminine outline but nothing that is going to get in the way of their lifestyle.

Do you help patients requiring a breast lift or reduction?
Yes. We can perform a breast lift with or without implants. A breast lift patient generally has tissue that has streteched and lost some or most of its volume. If there is adequate volume we can perform a breast lift to reposition the breast tissue and areola (nipple) back to its original shape. If there is volume loss we may use an implant to replace the volume along with a breast lift procedure. In the case of a breast reduction, we generally perform this procedure on women struggling with large heavy breasts that may be causing shoulder pain, neck pain, back pain, etc., or are preventing them from running or high impact sports. Many of these patients just want smaller breasts and opt for a breast reduction procedure.

What tips would you offer to patients seeking a cosmetic breast procedure?
There are many things that can help a patient recover and heal and, of course, we are meticulous about suturing so that the patient not only recovers safely, but has optimal results. An important factor is adequate nutrition, I recommend all patients be on a multivitamin before their surgery and maintain a high protein diet after surgery. The other thing I recommend is sun avoidance, even one year after surgery incisions are still sensitive to the sun so I recommend a strong sunscreen applied directly on the incisions area as UVA rays can penetrate the fabric and make the incison marks darker. Another tip is that we recommend that most of the time a patient wear a supportive bra. Patients are going to have a very nice fullness and cleavage without wearing a bra, that’s the beauty of implants, however, the breasts will still sag with age so supporting them early on is always a good idea.

Why is suturing important?
Suturing is one of the most important aspects of any medical procedure and especially cosmetic ones. At our practice, we all use multiple layers of dissolvable sutures. That means they’re going to dissolve on their own. We do not need to remove sutures that have left tiny dots on the skin, or use staples that also leave marks on the skin. We use a system of meticulously placing multiple layers of dissolvable sutures so that there is a strong support system under the tissue so that when a patient moves the implant is held securely in place and the tissue can heal without distress. I feel that proper planning, careful marking of the patient before surgery, choosing an appropriate size implant for the patient, are all of the things that will maximize results and minimize scarring.

What changes have you seen in patients after breast surgery?
I love doing surgery but something that I love just as much is continuing to follow my patients after their surgery. We really get to know each other and people will share many stories with me. I see patients beaming from the inside out after surgery, they feel better about themselves, they begin to dress up more. Many women tell me that they feel sexy again, or sexy for the first time. Most of all the biggest change I see is that my patients exude confidence and are simply just happier with their life.