If you’re considering breast augmentation in NY, Dr. Michael A. Fiorillo, MD can help you get the results that you’re looking for. This surgery is one of the most frequently performed cosmetic surgery procedures in the U.S. and is one of our most popular services. The surgery can give women with small or unevenly sized breasts a fuller, firmer, better-proportioned look through the placement of saline or silicone implants in the breasts.
Our patients elect to undergo augmentation for many different medical and aesthetic reasons, including balancing size, compensating for reduced mass after pregnancy or surgery, and correcting a congenital defect. Under Dr. Fiorillo’s expert care, patients enjoy great-looking, natural-feeling breasts that are one or more cup sizes larger after the operation.
We know that every woman is unique in both her desires and her body shape. With that in mind, we take the time during the pre-operative consultations to learn what each patient hopes to gain from the surgery and to decide which implant type and implant placement is best. In this way, every one of our patients enjoys completely customized treatment designed with her specific goals in mind.
Having this surgery can achieve dramatic and beautiful results on its own as well as in conjunction with other cosmetic surgery or non-invasive procedures. We sometimes recommend combining augmentation with other procedures such as a breast lift for more satisfying results.
The implants are silicone shells filled with either saline (salt water) or silicone gel. Both implant types are very safe, and each offers its own advantages. We will help you decide which kind is right for you. During surgery, we will place the implants behind each of the breasts, either underneath tissue or the chest wall muscle.
After many years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved silicone implants for surgery. We are proud to offer patients the option of silicone gel-filled implants, since they are much softer and feel more natural than saline-filled implants.
The procedure lasts one to two hours and is typically performed with general anesthesia. Incisions are made in inconspicuous places on the breasts to minimize scar visibility. These may be located:
- In the armpit (transaxillary)
- In the crease on the underside of the breasts (inframammary)
- Around the areola, the dark skin around the nipple (periareolar)
The breasts are then lifted, creating a pocket into which the implant is inserted.
Saline implants may also be placed endoscopically through an incision in the navel. This minimally invasive enhancement technique is known as a transumbilical breast augmentation or TUBA approach.
Implant placement beneath the muscle of the chest offers a few advantages over placement beneath the breast tissue only. These include reduced risk of capsular contracture (post-operative tightening around the implant) and less interference with mammogram examinations. Possible disadvantages include need for drainage tubes and elevated pain in the first few days following surgery. We will discuss which option may be best for you.
In the TUBA procedure, implants cannot be placed beneath the chest wall.
After the implants have been inserted and positioned beneath the nipples, the incisions are stitched closed, then taped and bandaged. In a few days, these bandages may be replaced with a surgical bra.
Most patients feel tired and sore after surgery, but this usually passes in a day or two. Many patients return to work within the week.
Stitches are removed in a week to 10 days after the procedure. Any post-operative pain, swelling and sensitivity will diminish over the first few weeks.
Scars from the surgery incisions will begin to fade in a few months and will continue to fade for months or years.
Complications following the surgery are uncommon and usually minimal. They may include capsular contracture, swelling and pain, infection around the implant, a change in nipple sensation, milk production if you nursed a baby within a year before the procedure, and breakage or leakage of the implant (implant rupture) as a result of injury or the normal compression and movement of your breasts.
If a saline implant ruptures, the implant will simply deflate in a few hours and your body will absorb the salt water. If a silicone implant leaks, you will need to see a doctor immediately. Regular monitoring of implants after the procedure is recommended to ensure continuing the health of your breasts and implants.
For breast augmentation in NY, call our offices to schedule a consultation with the doctor today. As a trusted, well-known and respected plastic surgeon, you can trust Dr. Michael A. Fiorillo, MD to get you the results you need.
