Breast augmentation is one of those plastic surgeries which tends to receive plenty of publicity from the entertainment industry, both in movies and television shows as well as in celebrities’ own lives. But how much do you actually know about breast augmentation—the implants, the options, and the results? To learn more about the details of the procedure and whether you may be a candidate, check out my video below providing a brief overview including several plastic surgery before and after pictures that can give you an idea of what to expect.
Breast size is just one of the many common aesthetic issues that can leave people struggling with self-consciousness. As a double board-certified plastic surgeon, my passion is helping patients become their most confident and beautiful selves, whether that means enhancing the size and shape of the breasts, turning back the clock on facial aging, or other cosmetic changes. To discuss your own plastic surgery options, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. John L. LeRoy today. Or, for more patient tips and news from the cosmetic surgery world, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.
Throughout over twenty years as a double board-certified plastic surgeon, I’ve found that for women, the breasts can be a major aspect of their appearance. Not only can they create a flattering silhouette, but many women feel that their breasts are a part of their femininity. Couple this with the fact that, unlike the abdomen and other areas, there’s nothing a woman can really do to naturally change her breasts, so it may not come as a surprise that breast procedures are among the most popular cosmetic surgeries in the US. The general public is well aware that breast implants can offer a size increase, but how knowledgeable are you about the other ways cosmetic surgery can enhance the breasts’ appearance (for both women and men)?
In reality, there are four general types of plastic surgery for the breasts:
Breast augmentation (sometimes known as breast enhancement or breast enlargement)
Breast reduction
Breast lift
Male breast reduction (to correct overdeveloped male breasts—a condition called gynecomastia)
Each procedure is ideal for a different aesthetic goal, and my video below offers an overview for each of them.
As with the face and the body, breast surgery should always be customized to fit you, the patient. If you’re ready to learn more about your options for one of these procedures or another type of cosmetic surgery, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. John L. LeRoy. Or, for more plastic surgery tips and special offers, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.
Every mother has her own experiences and views on parenting, but nearly all of them agree on one thing: “it’s tough, but it’s worth it.” On top of the countless responsibilities of parenthood, most mothers are also left with self-consciousness about their post-pregnancy figure. Even after you’ve returned to your pre-pregnancy weight, there are certain changes the biological process of childbearing causes which simply cannot be resolved with diet and exercise. That’s where a mommy makeover comes in.
Contrary to popular belief, there isn’t a specific surgery called a “mommy makeover.” Instead, the common term refers to the technique of combining multiple cosmetic procedures, each aimed at repairing certain physical changes that come from pregnancy and early motherhood, into one surgery. With the effects breastfeeding and pregnancy have on the breasts and the abdominal area, this usually means that a mommy makeover will include one or two breast procedures as well as one or two body procedures. Every woman’s surgery is designed to fit her unique needs and goals, but here’s a look at what a mommy makeover generally includes:
Breast Procedures
In general, there are three breast surgeries which are commonly used as part of a mommy makeover: breast augmentation (with breast implants), breast reduction, and a breast lift. The first two aim to either increase the size of breasts which have lost volume through the childbearing process or decrease the size of uncomfortably large breasts. A breast lift, on the other hand, keeps the breasts the same size while removing excess skin and repositioning the nipple to give the breasts a more youthful look. In many cases, patients want to improve both the size and the position of their breasts, so a mommy makeover often includes both a breast lift AND either a breast augmentation or a breast reduction.
Body Procedures
It’s highly common for a woman who has always been slender to have a very different shape after having one or more children. Even if you’ve returned to the same weight you were before pregnancy, stretched abdominal muscles, loose skin, and a stubborn new fat distribution can cause you to be less confident in your physique. For this reason, mommy makeovers generally include liposuction, a tummy tuck, or both.
A tummy tuck removes the excess skin which has resulted from the fast gain and loss of belly size, and it can also repair the stretched abdominal muscles which give many mothers that visible “pooch” that doesn’t respond to diet and exercise. Liposuction, on the other hand, purely focuses on removing unwanted fat. During a mommy makeover, it’s often used around the abdomen, “love handles,” thighs, “saddlebags,” or hips. However, liposuction can be performed for nearly any area of the body.
Women who have smaller amounts of excess skin and fat may not need the full, traditional tummy tuck and liposuction. If this is the case, you may be a candidate for my Band Aid Liposuction and/or Band Aid Tummy Tuck—unique mini surgeries I developed to serve as minimally invasive versions of these popular procedures. Like my other “Band Aid” procedures, these surgeries only require half the recovery time compared to their more comprehensive counterparts, and they’re performed in-office with gentle numbing.
Parents sacrifice many things in their efforts to give their children the best upbringing they can—time, energy, money, relaxation, and the list could go on and on. But with all the options available in cosmetic medicine today, there’s no need to sacrifice your self-confidence, too. To discuss your options for taking control of your appearance and becoming your most confident and beautiful self, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. John L. LeRoy. Or, for more plastic surgery tips and helpful articles, join me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.
Liposuction is a body contouring procedure continually topping the list of the most popular cosmetic procedures pursued by plastic surgery patients. According to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery’s most recent 2013 statistics, liposuction was the number one most popular cosmetic surgical procedure, followed by breast augmentation. With 363,912 procedures performed nationwide in 2013 alone, the commonality of liposuction speaks for itself—but there are still many questions to be answered as to how it works.
A common question I often hear regards the permanence of liposuction. Though losing inches and fat from liposuction certainly sounds attractive, patients want to know if fat can come back post-operation. Excess fat, whether prominent or tucked away in areas only we notice personally, is something that many of us struggle with. If you’re in good health overall but possess isolated areas of exercise-resilient fat, liposuction or body sculpting may be an answer to this commonly shared cosmetic concern. Now, back to the question—is liposuction permanent?
To be frank, the answer to this question is not entirely simple. Liposuction works by surgically removing fat by an auxiliary method such as ultrasound, laser energy, or vibration through a thin metal tube (also known as a cannula) inserted into a tiny incision hidden inside the treatment area. An additional method frequently used is tumescent liposuction, which involves injecting a tumescent fluid (a custom solution of local anesthetic and saline) to minimize pain and bleeding. After these fat cells are eliminated from the body, they are permanently removed. However, any fat cells left over maintain the ability to contract or expand based on your weight loss or gain.
Based on this fact alone, we’re reminded of the significance of liposuction’s status as a cosmetic procedure rather than a method of weight loss. It’s important to reach a maintainable goal weight before surgery to avoid unwanted outcomes like dimpling and uneven contouring. Liposuction is a great way to decrease bothersome areas if you’re a few pounds within your ideal body weight. For patients with smaller areas of excess fat, Band Aid Liposuction may be performed in-office with gentle numbing like my other Band Aid Plastic Surgery techniques.
To learn more about liposuction and the other body contouring procedures, connect with me, Dr. John L. LeRoy, on Facebook, Twitter, and Google +.
Breast augmentation surgery is a cosmetic procedure designed to change the size and shape of a woman’s breasts while creating a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. For many women, breast augmentation allows them to create a look that is more proportionate with other features and to fit into clothes with confidence. While the reasons for wanting breast augmentation are numerous, Dr. John LeRoy encourages any woman contemplating breast enhancement to fully understand her implant options before undergoing surgery to maximize satisfaction with her results.
In addition to implant size (measured in cubic centimeters), patients must also elect the type of implant they’re to receive. Currently, there are three FDA-approved or indicated breast implant types: saline, silicone, and silicone gel. Saline implants are composed of a silicone elastomer shell that is inserted into the body deflated and then filled during surgery to the pre-determined volume with sterile saline solution once in place. Many patients choose saline breast implants for fear of side effects from silicone breast implant rupture. Because saline is inherent to the chemistry of the body, there are no known biological side effects in the event of saline implant rupture whereas the long-term effects of silicone exposure are still inconclusive.
The other side to the breast implant coin is the natural look and feel of silicone breast implants. Composed of a silicone elastomer shell, silicone implants come prefilled with a silicone gel congruous to the consistency of human fat. Like saline implants, silicone implants are surgically inserted to create the previously decided contour. Because silicone gel is more viscous, a breast implant leak or rupture may be slower and less noticeable. For that reason, the FDA currently recommends that all women who have silicone implants receive an MRI every 2 years, beginning 3 years after their surgery, to detect any changes in the implants such as leaks or ruptures. In the event of a leak, most board certified plastic surgeons will recommend patients to receive breast revision surgery to remove and replace the affected implant.
The most recent option, undergoing further FDA study as of March 2012, Sientra’s PMA silicone gel breast implant is made of a silicone shell filled with a cohesive, semi-solid silicone gel. Referred to in popular media as the “gummy bear implant”, the Sientra implants were designed to offer an additional textural option as well as hold their shape in the event of implant trauma like leak or rupture. As with any cosmetic procedure, Dr. LeRoy encourages all of his patients to examine their medical history as well as their lifestyle and cosmetic goals when pursuing breast surgery.
To learn more about breast implant surgery in Atlanta with Dr. John LeRoy, visit his website and continue to read his blog. You can also connect with Dr. LeRoy on Facebook, Twitter, and Google + for the latest plastic surgery and breast implant technology news.
A common question I often hear regards the permanence of liposuction. Though losing inches and fat from liposuction certainly sounds attractive, patients want to know if fat can come back post-operation. Excess fat, whether prominent or tucked away in areas only we notice personally, is something that many of us struggle with. If you’re in good health overall but possess isolated areas of exercise-resilient fat, liposuction or 