Alexandria Breast Augmentation
Shape the Look You Want
If you want to enhance the size, fullness, and shape of your breasts then breast augmentation at Virginia Center for Plastic Surgery can give you the balanced figure you desire.
At our Alexandria office, Dr. Desman offers Rapid Recovery Breast Augmentation, so you can enlarge your naturally small chest — or restore volume after weight loss, pregnancy, or aging — all while getting back to normal quickly and safely.
How Does Breast Augmentation Work?
Breast augmentation, also known as breast enlargement, uses implants to enhance the size, shape, and symmetry of the chest. With this type of operation, you can achieve a shapelier upper body that balances out your figure. Moreover, Dr. Desman performs breast augmentation using his Rapid Recovery approach, which allows patients to return to normal activity within just 24 – 48 hours, without the need for pain pumps, narcotics, or special bras. Patients are also able to shower starting the night of surgery.
At your initial consultation, our team will assess your frame, address your concerns, answer any questions you may have, and help you determine if this procedure is right for you. He will also discuss the available breast augmentation options, which could include:
- Incision placement
- Implant placement
- Saline or silicone breast implants
- Cohesive gel implants
- Structured Implants
What Is a Rapid Recovery Breast Augmentation?
Rapid Recovery is an innovative approach that allows most patients to return to normal activity within 24 to 48 hours after their breast augmentation surgery, without the need for narcotics, pain pumps, or special surgical support bras.
The average recovery time from most breast implant procedures is about 7-14 days. Think of it: missing a week or two of work, not to mention all the other things in your busy life! That’s a steep price to pay for most women, especially when it’s just not necessary for a proper recovery. Our patients are usually back on their feet in half the time!
The Rapid Recovery approach to breast augmentation surgery involves a combination of rest, over-the-counter pain medication, and movement. The goal is to promote proper healing with less discomfort and downtime. We will send you home with detailed post-surgical instructions that include how to take care of your incisions, when to nap, and when to eat and take medications.
Most of the recovery required from implants has to do with how we treat the muscles around the implant. As the muscle adjusts to the implant, it tightens and may begin to spasm, just like a common pulled muscle. If you don’t properly treat the muscle, you’re in for a prolonged and unnecessarily uncomfortable recovery.
The key to quick recovery is properly treating the muscle so that it gets back to normal in just two to three days. In fact, many women go out to dinner to celebrate the very night after they get their implants!
We recommend planning an outing the day after your breast enlargement surgery to get you out and about. We also suggest raising your arms above your head during your recovery process. The more you move, the faster you will heal.
Maximize the Results
of Breast Augmentation
Part 1: Pre-Op Planning
Part 2: The 14 Point Plan During Surgery
Part 3: Post-Op Recovery Plan
Who Is Qualified for Breast Augmentation?
Candidates for breast augmentation should be over 18, unhappy with the size or shape of their breasts, live in Alexandria or Northern Virginia, or be willing to travel. Ideal patients should also be in good health, within their target body weight, and not pregnant.
Deciding on an ideal shape and size is very difficult while the breasts are still developing. If you are a younger woman thinking about getting breast augmentation, waiting until your breasts have finished growing will help you and Dr. Desman decide which approach is best for you.
The Breast Augmentation Procedure Explained
Implant placement can determine the overall look and feel of your breast augmentation results. At your consultation, Dr. Desman will help you determine which implant location is ideal for you, choosing between submuscular and subglandular enhancement. While both options produce excellent results, the right one for you depends on your cosmetic goals and your anatomy.
Too many women simply choose an implant size without consideration of what will look best once the procedure is complete. Instead of asking, “What size do you want?”, Dr. Desman should assist you in determining the ideal size for your implants, based on three factors: your breast tissue, your body type (your build, height, and chest width), and your preferences.
Augmentation With Submuscular Implants
Inserting a breast implant beneath the pectoral muscle is known as submuscular placement. The implant is usually placed beneath two-thirds of the chest muscle, but a full submuscular placement is also an option. When a patient chooses this submuscular option, they remain eligible for all forms of breast augmentation.
Benefits
- More natural appearance and feel since edges and ripples are covered by the muscle
- Better results for women with small breasts
- Will not interfere with mammogram results
- Minimal risk of capsular contracture
- Lower chance of implant bottoming out, which is when the implant is too low, and the nipple is too high
Disadvantages
- Implant will sit higher until chest muscles relax
- Athletic women may have a distorted appearance and chance of implant displacement during workout
Breast Augmentation Incision Options
There are two main options for determining the location of an incision during a breast enlargement procedure: periareolar or inframammary fold placement.
Periareolar Incision Placement
A periareolar incision is made along the lower half of the skin, between the breast and the areola. It is sometimes called a nipple incision, and it is an open procedure. This breast augmentation method is optimal for minimizing the appearance of scars because the incision is in an area where the skin changes color and texture.
Additionally, clothes will cover any scarring that does occur. This incision can be reopened and used for additional procedures or adjustments in the future. Implants can also be placed very precisely due to the proximity of the implant placement area. Periareolar incisions are suitable for both subglandular and submuscular enlargement approaches.
Inframammary Fold Incision
In contrast, inframammary fold incisions are made below the breast, which hides subsequent scarring. Dr. Desman can then insert the implant and adjust it after placement. This is an open procedure, and clothing will cover any scars from the incisions.
Just like with periareolar incisions, Dr. Desman can use the proximity of the incision to the breast insert the implants very precisely. This means that the incisions can also be reopened for future adjustments. Additionally, an inframammary fold incision presents less risk of infection than periareolar incisions, because the procedure bypasses the milk glands. Inframammary fold incisions are suitable for both subglandular and submuscular implant placements.
Post-Op Instructions for Rapid Recovery Breast Augmentation
Dr. Desman will give you detailed post-operative care instructions after your rapid recovery breast augmentation procedure. It is important to follow these instructions carefully to ensure proper healing.
Immediately Following Your Rapid Recovery Breast Augmentation
When you return home from your breast augmentation procedure, you should take a two-hour nap. After your nap, you should continue to rest at home, but do not sleep again until bedtime.
Start taking the prescribed antibiotic within two hours of arriving home, and then follow the instructions on the bottle. A good time to take your first dosage is after your nap. Make sure you eat something substantial at this time. You should not have to worry about nausea from the anesthesia. This would occur in the first few hours after surgery while you are napping.
Before going to bed, it is important to lie on your breasts and put your full weight on them for about 15 minutes. This should be done for four to six weeks. To get up afterward, simply roll to your side and sit up.
Showering & Dressings
Once you feel comfortable moving after your nap, take a shower. The shower will help loosen things up and wipe away the fog from anesthesia.
When getting into the shower, remove the horizontal tape and the white gauze pads that the tape is holding onto your skin. Below this, you should see vertical paper Steri-strips. Leave these strips intact. They can get wet.
After your shower, pat the Steri-strips dry. If you have any drainage or leakage, put some more gauze pads over the Steri-strips. Otherwise, they do not need to be covered.
There are no special dressings needed after surgery. A sports bra is frequently the most comfortable thing to wear, but it is not necessary.
Over the long term, a bra is always recommended to support the breasts. However, immediately after a breast augmentation, you should wear whatever is most comfortable to allow for maximum movement.
The Morning After Surgery
When you wake up, eat breakfast and take 800 mg of ibuprofen. Wait 30 minutes and then take a warm shower. After your shower, place your arms above your head in a slow jumping jack motion.
Keep the arms straight out all the way up and touch the back of the hands to each other. Repeat this motion five times. Do another set of five every hour.
You should get out of the house and do something – drive a car, run errands, go to the grocery store. Normal movement is essential to promote proper healing. You will most likely run out of energy around mid-day, so plan ahead to ensure that you will be home to rest.
After your nap, get up and start moving around again. The more you move, the better you will feel. You may feel tighter and more swollen at the end of the day. This is normal and temporary.
Breast Augmentation Post Op Instructions (Rapid Recovery)
Additional Considerations
It is normal to hear squishing or sloshing sounds after surgery. This is caused by air and fluid trapped underneath the skin. This is normal and will be absorbed by your body within the first week after your operation.
You may experience sharp or burning pains on the sides of your breasts. This is due to nerves that have been put under significant stretch. Massage the area that feels uncomfortable in a circular motion for a few minutes until the burning goes away.
It is normal for the implants, particularly saline implants, to appear slightly high on the chest. As your skin stretches out and accommodates the breast implants, they will drop. This should occur during the first two weeks after surgery. The final shape and position of the implants usually is not seen until about three to six months after surgery. It is also normal for saline breast implants to feel very firm right after an operation. They will soften up over the first weeks to months.
Remember, we are here to help you. Please call our Northern Virginia and Alexandria plastic surgery office sometime during the day after surgery and let us know how you are doing. If you have any questions or concerns during the recovery period, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Considerations
If you have been researching and deliberating about using a breast augmentation procedure to increase your chest size, there are a few essential factors to understand and consider.
First, you should evaluate whether any factors might impact the results of a breast augmentation procedure. Additionally, you should consider the risks of the surgery and understand when you might need to replace breast implants. To further discuss considerations for breast augmentation in Northern Virginia and Alexandria, schedule a consultation with Dr. Desman today. His knowledgeable team can answer questions, address concerns, and help you prepare for your operation.
The Risks Associated With Breast Augmentation
Meanwhile, there are a few risks that Alexandria and Northern Virginia patients should understand when considering whether a breast augmentation is right for them. First, there is always a minimal risk of bleeding, infection, anesthesia complications, and poor scar healing.
Then, there can be risks associated with the breast implants themselves. For instance, some women might experience a condition called breast implant illness.
With this illness, patients might notice joint aches, muscle pains, or similar symptoms. While this condition is currently being further studied, Dr. Desman has noticed it in some patients.
Finally, there is an incredibly small risk of developing a form of cancer known as BIA-ALCL (Breast Implant Associated – Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma), which can form on the scar tissue surrounding a breast implant. Thankfully, Dr. Desman can inform patients about risk considerations and perform a breast augmentation with the utmost care.
What Factors Could Impact the Results of a Breast Augmentation?
Several factors might influence or lessen the results of chest augmentation. The most obvious is that pregnant women or women who are actively breastfeeding are not eligible candidates for this procedure.
Second, smoking before this procedure can considerably increase the chances of a post-operation infection. Therefore, prospective Northern Virginia and Alexandria patients must avoid smoking before their breast augmentation procedure.
Finally, not following Dr. Desman’s recovery instructions and being too active can disrupt delicate stitching, which might alter results. Anyone with questions about these breast augmentation considerations should meet with Dr. Desman.
Do Breast Implants Need to Be Replaced?
Prospective patients need to understand that breast implants do not last indefinitely. Instead, the average lifespan of an implant is around 15-20 years, depending on the type of augmentation pursued. Generally, implants do not need to be replaced until they start to do poorly.
If a local patient uses silicone implants in their augmentation, they should pursue an MRI or ultrasound around three years after surgery. This will inform them about any potential leak and whether or not their implant might need to be replaced. Meanwhile, Dr. Desman should always replace saline breast implants after they leak.
Capsular contracture, which refers to the hardening of scar tissue around the breast, can be fine as long as it is mild and there are no serious complications with the development of that tissue. Sometimes the capsular contracture can distort the breast or become painful, and in those instances, further surgery is necessary.
Considering whether to redo the work of a previous breast augmentation can be a challenge, but Dr. Desman can help Alexandria or Northern Virginia patients make informed decisions and maintain their results as effectively as possible.
Discuss Considerations for Breast Augmentation in Northern Virginia Today
While there are some risks, side effects, and essential things to know about chest augmentation procedures, you should not be worried if you are interested in this option. When you come in for a consultation about considerations for breast augmentation in Northern Virginia, you can expect to have your questions answered and your personalized needs addressed. Call today to get started.