Breast enlargement procedures are the most common procedures performed by Dr. Chang. Women like the fact that they are given a choice of minimal incision procedures. These not only include the Transaxillary Augmentation Procedure (where the incision is hidden under the armpit), but also include the more traditional Periareolar Incision and the Inframammary Incision Techniques. Most implants are placed under the muscle. The advantages include a lower rate of complications, a more natural appearance, and easier interpretation of mammograms after surgery.
Breast enlargement surgery is ideal for 3 general types of patients. The first type is simply the smaller breasted woman who feels self conscious about having small breasts and who may feel the need to hide their figure behind baggy clothes and padded bras. The second type of patient has experienced a decrease in breast size after having children and wish that they had the breast size they had before having children (if not larger). And the third type of patient has some sagging of the breast that comes with age and or previous child-bearing. For these women, the benefits of breast augmentation include a boost in a woman's self-esteem and self-image. Outwardly, the increase in self-confidence is reflected in how we present ourselves to the world both physically and psychologically.
The procedure is often combined with liposuction, tummy tuck or other gynecology procedure for optimum body contouring.
Procedure:
Breast augmentation procedures are typically performed at the outpatient surgery center under general anesthesia. Through your choice of either the inframammary, Periareolar, or the transaxillary approach, a small 2.5 cm incision is made, through which the implant is placed. Most implants are placed under the muscle. Numbing medicine is then placed into the breast to make the early postoperative period more bearable.
Recovery:
Most patients are back to work in 7-10 days. Bruising and swelling take 2-4 weeks to improve. The first postoperative visit is a day or two after your procedure. Your initial dressings are removed and you may start wearing a sports bra. Under wire bras are discouraged for the first 4 weeks. Pain is relatively significant in the first 2 to 3 days. Pain medications and antibiotics are prescribed. Incisions are generally closed with absorbable sutures under the skin... there are no sutures to be removed. The scars normally take about a year to mature.
As the years go by: Almost every woman notices a gradual decrease in the size, shape, and firmness of her breasts. Gravity, pregnancy, breast feeding, and weight changes all take their toll. The breast eventually sags; losing its youthful contours. The breasts may look and feel old- but they don't have to. A breast lift can help. A breast lift can reshape, rejuvenate, and lift the breasts to its normal location of youth. It can also reduce the size of an enlarged nipple-areola complex.
The procedure is often combined with a tummy tuck or other gynecology procedure for optimum body contouring.
Procedure:
Breast Lift Procedures are typically performed at the outpatient surgery center. Patients with just a minor amount of sag and size decrease may only need an implant augmentation procedure. An augmentation would not only recreate the fullness of youth, but minimizes the scars involved with more typical breast lift procedures. These more typical procedures require an incision that goes around the areolar complex, vertically down to the inframammary crease and a horizontal scar along the crease. Most procedures by Dr. Chang, require only the vertical incision without the horizontal one.
Recovery:
Most patients are back to work in 7-10 days. Bruising and swelling take 2-4 weeks to improve. The first postoperative visit is a day after your procedure. Your initial dressings are removed and you may start wearing a sports bra. Underwire bras are discouraged for the first 4 weeks. Pain is relatively significant in the first 2 to 3 days. Pain medications and antibiotics are prescribed. Incisions are generally closed with absorbable sutures under the skin... there are no sutures to be removed. The scars normally take about a year to mature.
In national surveys: The breast reduction procedure routinely produces one of the highest satisfaction rates in all of plastic surgery. This is because the purpose of the procedure is not purely cosmetic; most women think of it as a medically necessary procedure (covered by insurance). Oversized breasts are often painful, cause back and neck pain, and cause rashes and skin irritations. They also make it difficult to exercise comfortably; and the stares, the unwelcome attention, and the rude comments are often difficult to bear. These are just a few reasons why women with oversized breasts choose breast reduction surgery for help.
The procedure is often combined with a tummy tuck or other gynecology procedure for optimum body contouring.
Procedure:
Breast reduction surgery is typically performed in the hospital or out-patient surgery center depending on the amount of breast tissue to be removed. Breast reshaping typically requires an incision around the areolar complex (to make it smaller), a vertical incision down to the inframammary crease, and a horizontal incision along the crease.
Recovery:
Most patients are back to work in 7-10 days. Bruising and swelling take 2-4 weeks to improve. The first postoperative visit is a day after your procedure. Your initial dressings are removed and you may start wearing a sports bra. Underwire bras are discouraged for the first 4 weeks. Pain is moderate in the first 2 to 3 days. Pain medications and antibiotics are prescribed. Depending on the size of the breast and the amount of bleeding, drains may be placed; these are usually removed the day after surgery. Incisions are generally closed with absorbable sutures under the skin... there are no sutures to be removed. The scars normally take about a year to mature.
Cosmetic Surgery