Category: Breast Surgery
Candidate for Immediate Breast Reconstruction
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Mastectomy is a word that you hope you never have to hear. Unfortunately, it is a reality that far too many women face. A breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent mastectomy affect a woman’s physical and emotional well-being. And while cancer treatments and surgery can help with the physical aspects, many women are left with the emotional trauma of having to see themselves without their breasts.
Immediate Breast Reconstruction
Breast reconstruction is performed so that no woman has to deal with this reality. Breast reconstruction uses the flap method, where tissue is taken from another part of your body and molded to create a new breast, or tissue expanders and implants, which is very similar to breast augmentation. The doctor will discuss the pros and cons of each option at the time of your consultation.
Just as there are two options for reconstruction techniques, there are also two different timeframes for your reconstruction: delayed or immediate. Delayed breast reconstruction occurs sometime after your mastectomy. Immediate breast reconstruction is performed at the same time as your mastectomy. Although there are benefits to both timeframes, many women are interested in immediate reconstruction because, with this option, they do not have to see themselves without their breasts for an extended period. If you have recently discovered that a mastectomy is in your future and you are interested in immediate reconstruction, some prerequisites must be met.
What Are the Benefits of Immediate Breast Reconstruction?
Immediate reconstruction offers many benefits. Not only does it limit the emotional insecurities of losing your breasts, but it also allows for a better aesthetic appearance. When reconstruction is performed after your mastectomy has healed and scarring has occurred, it can be more challenging to achieve the same level of cosmetic results. Also, immediate reconstruction removes the need for an additional day of surgery and anesthesia. Combining the two procedures allows you to reduce your overall recovery period and is often more cost-effective because you are already in surgery and under anesthesia.
What Are the Benefits of Delayed Breast Reconstruction?
While many women find immediate reconstruction to be more advantageous, delayed reconstruction is not without its benefits. Delayed reconstruction is performed months or years after the initial surgery. This delay will allow you plenty of time to heal, recover, and improve your physical and emotional health before choosing the type of reconstruction you want. The main benefit of delayed reconstruction is, however, that it does not interfere with post-mastectomy cancer treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation. For women who have their surgery before radiation treatment, delayed reconstruction is often preferable, as radiation can affect your results and healing.
Are You A Candidate?
The only way to know if you are a candidate for immediate reconstruction is to talk with your oncologist, your mastectomy surgeon, and your plastic surgeon to make sure that everyone is on the same page. Additional cancer treatments, the stage your cancer is in, your current medical condition, and your lifestyle will all factor into which time frame is best for you.
For more information about breast reconstruction, contact Dr. Schlechter at Spring Ridge Plastic Surgery by calling (610) 678-9200 of by filling out our online contact form to set up a consultation.
Gain Comfort with Breast Reduction
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Excess glandular and fatty breast tissue creates physical discomfort for both women and men. This discomfort can range from minor to debilitating and can affect the quality of life for many individuals. Unfortunately, excess tissue and fat in the breasts do not often respond to diet and exercise, and for many individuals, surgery is their only option.
Breast reduction for women and gynecomastia surgery for men can ease breast-related discomfort and allow individuals to get back to the activities they love.
What Causes Discomfort?
Having excess breast tissue places a strain on the back, neck, shoulders, and chest. While this is more often seen in women with cumbersome breasts, it can also be experienced in men with a significant excess of tissue. Any excess tissue is extra weight, and as gravity pulls this tissue downward, additional pressure is placed on the surrounding areas. Women often have to change their posture to counteract the weight of the breasts; this can put their spine out of alignment and create further damage and discomfort.
In addition to the physical discomfort, both men and women experience unsightly and undesirable skin conditions due to their breasts rubbing together. As this happens, rashes and dry skin forms between and under the breasts. These rashes can be itchy or downright painful.
How Can Surgical Treatments Help?
Breast Reduction Surgery Women
Breast reduction surgery is performed on women who suffer from the effects of overly large breasts. Through incisions made around the areola and vertically down the breast, Dr. Schlechter removes excess glandular and fatty tissue that results in smaller, more compact, and lighter breasts.
Gynecomastia Surgery For Men
Gynecomastia is a condition characterized by excess breast tissue and fat in men. This creates both physical and emotional discomfort. Gynecomastia is treated through gynecomastia surgery. This surgery is typically a multistep procedure that uses both liposuction and surgical excision. Liposuction or Smartlipo™ is first used to remove any excess fatty tissue in the breast before breast tissue and skin are surgically removed.
For more information or to schedule up a consultation, please contact Dr. Schlechter at Spring Ridge Plastic Surgery by calling (610) 678-9200 or by filling out our online contact form.
Natural Breast Augmentation
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Saline or silicone implants are the most common form of breast augmentation. While these provide a safe and noticeable way to enhance the volume and shape of the breasts, implants are not right for every woman. Breast augmentation with fat transfer offers similar, natural-looking results with fewer risks.
Benefits of Breast Augmentation with Fat Transfer
Remove Unwanted Fat
Breast augmentation with fat transfer uses fat instead of implants as the augmenting material. During this procedure, liposuction removes unwanted fat from the abdomen, hips, thighs, or buttocks and transfers it to the breasts to increase their volume and shape. Fat grafting takes fat from an area where you do not want it, and moves it to one that you do, allowing you to treat two concerns at one time. Even with diet and exercise, many women struggle with losing the final pounds around the abdomen and thighs. Fat transfer removes these fat cells and puts them to good use. Enhancement of the breasts with fat transfer is dependent on the amount of fat that can be harvested. More than one treatment is sometimes necessary to achieve the desired result.
Reduces Implant-Related Risks
Scar tissue forms around any foreign object that is placed in the body, including breast implants. Occasionally, this scar tissue tightens and squeezes the implant, forcing it to change shape and causing a significant amount of physical discomfort. This is known as capsular contracture. Although capsular contracture does not always occur, it is the most common complication associated with breast implants today.
Since the fat injected is your own, it is not a “foreign” object, and therefore no scar tissue will form. No scar tissue means no capsular contracture.
Fat Does Not Have a Time Limit
Breast implants are long-lasting; however, they are not necessarily permanent. Implants are expected to last between 10 and 15 years. Some last longer, while others experience complications much sooner. Fat transfer does not have a time limit. The fat that is injected into the breasts is unlikely to be significantly absorbed or lost with time. This makes fat transfer a longer-lasting option for breast augmentation. Loss of volume from fat transfer can occur with significant weight loss.
Breast augmentation with fat transfer or implants can lead to satisfying results. To learn more about breast enhancement, or to set up a consultation, call Dr. Schlechter at Spring Ridge Plastic Surgery at (610) 678-9200 or fill out our online contact form.
What Bikini Body Do You Want? Bigger Boobs or a Bigger Butt?
Summer is here! This means sunshine, sandy beaches, and bathing suit weather. But are you ready to rock your bikini this year? Are you happy with how your figure fills out your suit? If you have concerns that your body lacks the volume and fullness necessary to look great in a bikini, cosmetic enhancements can provide you with a sleek, contoured figure that is sure to turn heads. Dr. Schlechter can perform breast augmentation and a Brazilian Butt Lift to enhance your figure and help you get the rockin’ bikini body you desire.
Breast Augmentation
If you are self-conscious about the shape or size of your breasts, breast augmentation is an effective way to enhance your figure. Its biggest benefit is that you can completely customize the procedure. That said, one of the most significant decisions you can make when researching this procedure is your implant type.
Implant Types
Saline Implants
Saline implants have a flexible silicone shell filled with a sterile saltwater solution after being inserted. Dr. Schlechter can make minor adjustments once he sees how the implants look after he fills them. Because he inserts the implants before he fills them, the incision is smaller.
Silicone Implants
Silicone breast implants have a flexible silicone shell that contains a silicone gel. These implants come pre-filled, which means that size adjustments are not possible after insertion. Additionally, the incision for silicone implants typically has to be larger than those made for saline implants. However, many women choose silicone implants because they look and feel more natural.
Augmentation with Fat Transfer
A breast augmentation with fat transfer is an excellent solution if you want to enhance the size of your breasts naturally and avoid implants. Your breast size increases with the addition of fat injections that originate from your body. This procedure offers a two-in-one benefit: in addition to increasing your breast size, you can also remove some stubborn fat from other places on your body, which will further enhance your curves. Fat is removed from your body using a liposuction procedure. The fat is collected into a sterile fat transfer system and is strategically injected into your breasts. Depending on the size you wish your new breasts to be, you may need multiple procedures.
Brazilian Butt Lift
To address your flat buttocks, Dr. Schlechter brings his expertise and advanced training to the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) procedure. A BBL procedure will increase the curves of your buttocks, giving your lower half a shapely figure. The procedure is also performed by way of a fat transfer, similar to breast augmentation with fat transfer.
Procedure
Dr. Schlechter will determine an appropriate liposuction procedure and then extract fat from your thighs, abdomen, hips, or other location on your body that has more fat than you desire. The fat is purified before being injected into your buttocks. This is where Dr. Schlechter’s expertise comes in. He knows how to strategically and precisely inject the fat to make your buttocks look naturally full.
If you’re looking to dramatically change your figure and achieve a bikini-ready body, then undergoing breast augmentation and/or a Brazilian Butt Lift can help give you the shapely curves and contours you’ve always wanted.
If you’d like more information or to see if you would be a good candidate for either breast augmentation or a Brazilian Butt Lift, contact our office to schedule a consultation with Dr. Schlechter. Call us today at (610) 678-9200, or fill out our online contact form. We look forward to helping you look and feel your best!
Mommy Makeover Pros and Cons
The addition of children to your life can be a whirlwind. You may not have time to regain your pre-baby figure with the added responsibilities of caring for children, and your ability to exercise may be more limited than before. Pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding can also make weight loss more difficult. Between changes in your skin laxity and additional fat deposits, exercise alone may not be enough. A Mommy Makeover can help where exercise cannot. Comprised of a customizable set of surgical procedures, the Mommy Makeover tightens and tones your body to achieve your personal goals.
Benefits of a Mommy Makeover
A Mommy Makeover is an entirely customizable procedure, tailored precisely to your individual needs. Realistically, you can include almost any procedure in your Mommy Makeover, but the most common ones are a breast lift, breast augmentation, liposuction, and tummy tuck.
Breast Lift
Pregnancy and subsequent breastfeeding can leave your breasts sagging. A breast lift will elevate your breasts to a more youthful position. Dr. Schlechter will tighten the tissues to lift your breasts higher on your chest and remove any excess skin. A breast lift will reshape your breasts and restore their natural appearance.
Breast Augmentation
Women often lose breast volume after pregnancy and breastfeeding. If you want to do more than just fix the sagging left behind by your pregnancy, a breast augmentation can give you that something extra. Often performed with a breast lift, a breast augmentation with implants or breast augmentation with fat transfer will provide you with a larger cup size. If you’ve always wanted to enhance your appearance, a breast augmentation is a perfect way to do that.
Liposuction
If there are areas of your body with pockets of fat that are resistant to exercise and healthy eating, Dr. Schlechter will perform liposuction to permanently remove the unwanted fat cells. Using a small cannula allows Dr. Schlechter to be very precise so he can provide you with subtle, natural contours wherever you need them.
Tummy Tuck
The skin of the stomach stretches during pregnancy, and it doesn’t always return back afterward. If you find that you have excess skin that sags around your midsection or loose abdominal muscles, a tummy tuck will help you regain your pre-baby belly. Dr. Schlechter will tighten the underlying muscles and remove any excess sagging skin to help you achieve a more toned and attractive abdomen.
Things to Consider
Recovery Time
A Mommy Makeover requires you to be serious about your recovery. The length of your recovery will depend on the number of procedures you have and the extent of correction needed. Following your procedure, the surgical areas will be wrapped, and you may be required to wear a compression garment. You will experience swelling and bruising temporarily, but these will subside after a few weeks. You should take one to two weeks to recover at home, and you should avoid strenuous activities or exercise until Dr. Schlechter clears you (typically around six weeks).
Childcare
Due to the nature of the surgical procedures, it will be unlikely that you will be able to care for young children for up to two weeks after your procedure. You will need to make sure that you have someone to help you if you have young children that need to be carried or assisted throughout the day. Your results are dependent on how well your body recovers. Ensuring you engage only in light activities during your recovery will increase your chances of beautiful, long-lasting results.
To discuss which procedures will bring you one step closer to your goals, schedule your consultation with Dr. Schlechter today. Contact us today by calling (610) 678-9200. We look forward to hearing from you!
Best Age for Breast Lift Surgery
For women concerned about the drooping and sagging of their breasts, breast lift surgery can be a great solution. Before deciding whether or not you want to undergo breast lift surgery, it’s important to determine the degree of sagging, or ptosis, you are experiencing. There are three grades of breast ptosis:
- Grage I: mild ptosis
- Grage II: mild to moderate ptosis
- Grage III: severe ptsosis
If your nipple is directly in front of the inframammary fold (the crease at the bottom of your breast), you may have mild ptosis. Mild to moderate ptosis is characterized by the nipple falling 1 to 3 centimeters below the fold. When the nipple is more than 3 centimeters below the fold, you may have severe breast ptosis.
Causes of breast sagging include aging, pregnancy, significant weight gain or loss, large breasts, or cigarette smoking. These can occur at any age, which means women do not have to wait until a certain age to consider breast lift surgery. Dr. Schlechter will determine the breast lift procedure that is best for you once he verifies the severity of your ptosis.
Breast Lift Procedures
Traditional Breast Lift
This procedure is best for correcting severe sagging. The incision is made around the areola, down the breast, and across the crease. The scarring typically fades over time. This procedure provides the most distinct results in patients who might not respond well to less invasive techniques.
Circumareolar Breast Lift
This procedure works to correct mild ptosis. Scarring is almost invisible as the incision is made around the perimeter of the areola. Dr. Schlechter will reduce the size of the areola and move it higher on the breast. Excess skin will also be removed, and many times, implants are placed at the same time.
Crescent Breast Lift
This is a great option for patients who want very minimal scarring; however, it is only appropriate in patients with very mild ptosis. Dr. Schlechter makes an incision on the top edge of the areola, removing a crescent shaped piece of skin. He then sutures together the remaining skin.
Vertical Breast Lift
This procedure is best for women who have mild to moderate ptosis. It is very similar to a traditional breast lift, but there is no incision made across the base of the breast.
To learn more about which breast lift procedure is right for you, contact Dr. Schlechter for a consultation. Please call us at (610) 678-9200 to schedule your appointment.
Out With the Old and in With the NEW!
Here at Spring Ridge Plastic Surgery, we are excited about the new generation of Gummy Bear breast implants by Natrelle®. Allergan, the makers of Natrelle® gel implants, is phasing out a number of different styles and profiles of their breast implants and replacing them with their new INSPIRA® Collection. Their rationale is that each woman is unique with regard to her shape, body structure, and where she is in her life. The INSPIRA® Collection features three different gummy gels designed for the look and feel that is most important to the patient.
Gummy describes the consistency of the silicone gel in the Natrelle® Inspira breast implants. The gummy-like gel in the implant sticks together to hold its shape. The reason they are called Gummy Bear implants is that, like a gummy bear, if you slice the implant in half, the cohesive gel inside does not ooze out. Each of the three implant styles in the collection has a different level of gel gumminess or squishiness.
- Natrelle INSPIRA® implants are gummy and the squishiest.
- Natrelle INSPIRA® SoftTouch implants are gummier and less squishy.
- Natrelle INSPIRA® Cohesive implants are the gummiest and least squishy.
The best way to determine which style suits you is to come in for a consultation so that you can try on the Natrelle® implants and get a feel for which one is best for you. Does this mean that because there is a new generation of implants that those of us with the last generation have to rush out to replace our breast implants? Absolutely not! But, if you are interested in changing the size or profile of your existing implants, you may want to come in for a consultation and feel for yourself if the implants from the Natrelle® INSPIRA® Collection are right for you. Afterall, in the years since you first had your breast augmentation, your shape, body structure and stage in life may have changed.
How Weight Loss Affects the Breasts
One of the concerns many women have when they are attempting to lose weight is how weight loss will affect their breasts. While weight loss can improve their health and lead to countless benefits for women who are overweight or obese, it can also cause breast volume loss, loose skin, and ptosis (sagging). When the breasts are significantly altered by moderate to major weight loss, a breast lift and/or breast augmentation can restore the shape, appearance, and firmness of the breasts.
Losing Weight
Because of anatomical differences, all women do not lose weight the same way, at the same rate, or in the same ratios from the same areas. Some may experience a noticeable reduction in breast size before seeing any slimming in the waist, and others may notice that their pants fit better before observing any other changes. Because women can gain and lose weight everywhere on their bodies, weight changes may be more noticeable in certain areas than others.
Losing Breast Tissue
The breasts are composed of fat, glandular tissue, and other types of tissue. When you are dieting or exercising to lose weight, the first tissue the body converts to energy is typically fat. Since women have different percentages of fatty tissue in their breasts, the loss of fat in the breasts can mean a more noticeable reduction in breast size for some women than for others. Weight loss (especially major weight loss) can have a significant impact on the appearance of the breasts. It is not unusual for women to have sagging, shapeless breasts with loose skin and volume loss after they have lost weight.
Restoring the Breasts After Weight Loss
After weight loss, breast surgery can help restore a woman’s breasts. Dr. Schlechter may not recommend breast surgery until a woman’s weight is stable because losing even just 10 pounds can change breast volume and skin quality. The best time for a woman to pursue breast surgery after weight loss is after she has maintained her stable goal weight for at least three to six months. When the timing is right, a woman can get a breast lift to tighten, lift, and reshape her breasts so that they are more flattering, feminine, and youthful. If volume loss is substantial, breast implants can restore some of the lost volume and augment breast size. Dr. Benjamin Schlechter can help you decide whether to undergo a breast lift, breast augmentation, or both to rejuvenate and enhance your breasts after weight loss.
How Our Fitness Culture Is Affecting Breast Augmentation
Breast Implants and Physical Fitness
Breast implants can have a profound effect on a woman’s experience while exercising. Some women who take up running discover that their breasts are so heavy that they bounce uncomfortably during the activity, making it an unpleasant or even painful experience. Strength training can be difficult, as certain upper body moves or exercises may not be possible with larger implants. Larger breasts can limit maneuverability, cause discomfort or pain, affect breathing, and reduce the quality and speed of many types of exercises. Larger breast implants can shift your center of gravity and exert more force on your spine, which creates additional issues for fitness-minded individuals.
Changing Body Ideals
Our cultural interest in fitness is accompanied by changing body ideals. There is a growing trend toward embracing the natural appearance, which has affected everything from makeup choices to hairstyles to breast augmentation. Today’s athletic women are less inclined to want the “fake” look of breast implants on their bodies. Instead of the round, prominent bustline that was so desirable in previous years, more women are interested in keeping their natural shape and softness. Society is celebrating a wider diversity of body types, which helps women feel freer to accept their natural appearance.
Breast Implant Removal or Downsizing
Women who wish to embrace the fitness culture and changing body ideals may downsize or remove their breast implants. Breast revision surgery can exchange larger implants for smaller ones to restore a more natural appearance. Dr. Schlechter can also perform implant explantation with breast revision surgery. With this approach, Dr. Schlechter will completely and permanently remove the implants to recreate a natural appearance. Depending on how long a woman has had her breast implants, various techniques (such as a breast lift with tissue removal) may be employed to produce optimal results.
Natural-Looking Breast Augmentation
While some women are downsizing or removing their implants, many others desire breast augmentation while maintaining a natural look. Breast augmentation with fat transfer can provide a subtle boost in breast size for women who desire breast enhancement without getting implants. For this procedure, Dr. Schlechter will extract fat via liposuction from another area of the body and then inject it into the breasts. This technique provides a natural enhancement with results that are more compatible with current cultural trends.
When Is Breast Reduction Recommended?
Most plastic surgery procedures have primarily aesthetic benefits. As they enhance the appearance, they are often accompanied by additional benefits such as improved self-confidence and quality of life. However, there is one procedure that may be recommended for reasons other than aesthetics. This procedure is breast reduction, and it is often recommended for patients with the following needs. With its incredibly high patient satisfaction rate, breast reduction can greatly improve quality of life as well as your appearance.
Reasons to Consider Breast Reduction
Breast reduction may be recommended for you if your oversized breasts are responsible for the following:
Chronic Pain or Irritation
If your breasts are unusually large, they may contribute to shoulder pain, back pain, neck pain, and headaches. These aches may be chronic and may worsen each day as the time passes. Excess breast tissue can also lead to skin irritation or even rashes beneath the breasts because the breast skin rubs against the skin of the upper abdomen. Overtaxed bra straps can leave grooves in the shoulders that can also be irritated or painful.
Shortness of Breath
The weight of oversized breasts can feel especially burdensome on the lungs. The pressure of the breasts on the lungs can lead to shortness of breath. Some women that struggle to find a sufficiently supportive bra may wear bras that are too small, which can further constrict the lungs. Shortness of breath can be compounded for women that also have asthma or other respiratory issues.
Premature Sagging
Overly large breasts tend to sag more quickly than smaller breasts. Gravity pulls the heavy weight of the breasts downward, leading to premature sagging. Even with a good bra, premature sagging can be difficult to disguise and can create the impression that you are older than you are.
Can’t Find Clothing That Fits
Women who have large breasts may constantly struggle when shopping for clothing. It is not uncommon to see that clothing either does not fit at all, or it fits in the bust but not anywhere else on the body. Because most clothing styles are made to fit a particular body type, and also because few clothing items are made to fit women with large breasts, this can severely limit clothing options.
Difficult or Painful Exercise
Exercise is supposed to challenge the body and make it stronger, but not at the expense of your breasts. Heavy, oversized breasts can make exercise both challenging and painful. Some women may experience excruciating pain due to bouncing when attempting high-impact activities such as running. It is also common to be restricted and less mobile due to the obstacles that large breasts can be. More than one professional athlete has undergone breast reduction surgery and has been able to improve comfort, mobility, speed, and confidence as a result.
Psychological or Emotional Distress
Having oversized breasts can also lead to psychological or emotional distress. Amid dealing with chronic pain, discomfort, and other effects, women may attract unwelcome attention. This can result in emotional distress and psychological trauma, which may further impact the quality of life.
Poor Self-Esteem
Feeling confident in one’s own skin can seem like a foreign idea to a person with body image issues. Women with disproportionately large breasts may feel trapped or caged by their appearance. They may feel that others only see one part of them and that they cannot love their bodies. This prevents affected women from developing a strong sense of self-esteem and confidence, which can lead to a downward spiral in quality of life and limit real-life successes.
How Breast Reduction Surgery Can Help
Breast reduction surgery can resolve all of these issues and more. Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Benjamin Schlechter will discuss your needs with you and determine the perfect technique to help you accomplish your goals. For the surgery, excess tissue will be removed from the breasts to make them a more comfortable and attractive size. After a short recovery period, you will be able to enjoy the lighter and more balanced look and feel of your breasts. Typically, women experience a variety of benefits as a result of breast reduction surgery, including a reduction or elimination of chronic pain, improvements in self-esteem and well-being, and even the freedom to adopt a more active lifestyle. An additional benefit is that since some of these issues are a genuine health problem, qualifying candidates can undergo a medically necessary breast reduction in which a portion or all of the procedure is covered by medical insurance.
If you experience one or more of these problems associated with having overly large breasts, breast reduction surgery could be right for you. To discuss your options, schedule your personal consultation with our expert plastic surgeon, Dr. Benjamin Schlechter. Call (610) 678-9200 or contact us online to request your complimentary consultation today.
