Faulty French Breast Implants: Are American Patients at Risk?

News about the leak-prone breast implants that were made by a French manufacturer has raised concerns about implant safety among some American patients. (more…)

Aesthetic Complications after Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation surgery is considered to be an extremely safe procedure, as evidenced by the fact that it has been successfully performed on millions of women here in the United States. The patients that experience the best results typically do some research prior to undergoing treatment; (more…)

Silicone Breast Implant Makers Have Not Adequately Tracked Patients, FDA Says

An FDA hearing on the safety and effectiveness of silicone breast implants was held this week; although the FDA decided to keep silicone gel implants on the market, agency officials stated that the manufacturers of these products did not sufficiently track thousands of women who received silicone implants.  (more…)

Can Breast Augmentation Correct All of Your Breast Flaws?

Everyone knows that the breast augmentation procedure is capable of permanently enlarging the size of small breasts via the placement of implants. Millions of women have undergone the surgery since the 1970s, and the vast majority of those women are satisfied with the results of the procedure. Before women undergo the treatment, it is important that they discuss with their plastic surgeon what kind of results they can reasonably expect to see following surgery. For example, breast augmentation surgery can increase the size of the breasts and give them more shape; it does not reposition or surgically alter the shape of the nipple. Here are some common breast problems and the treatments that can be performed to correct them.

Asymmetry

Most people do not know that the majority of women have asymmetrical breasts, to some degree. For most women, the asymmetry is not that noticeable and does not bother them. But when one breast is half a cup (or more) larger than the other breast, it can be a major source of embarrassment. During breast augmentation, surgeons can even out the size of the breasts by placing two different-sized implants into each breast.

Tubular Breasts

Tubular breasts refer to breasts that have a smaller diameter and long, tube-like shape. The condition can be treated with the placement of breast implants, a breast lift, or a breast reduction procedure. The type of procedure that is performed depends on the size of the breasts, location of the nipple, and the patient’s cosmetic goals.

Sagging Breasts

Moderate sagging of the breasts can be corrected with the placement of breast implants. However, if the nipples have fallen below the fold of the breasts, breast lift surgery is required to reposition the nipple and produce a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. During breast lift surgery, the breast is lifted up, excess skin is removed, and the nipple is surgically repositioned.

Nipple Size

Some patients have large, asymmetrical, or discolored nipples that make them feel self conscious about the appearance of their breasts. The breast augmentation procedure does not address these nipple problems, it only increases the size and shape of the breasts. Patients that are unhappy with the appearance of their nipples may be good candidates for nipple surgery or a nipple tattooing procedure.

FDA Identifies Possible Link Between Breast Implants and ALCL

Silicone implants were cleared of their suspected association with breast cancer when the FDA approved them for use in women over 22 years of age in November of 2006.

However, last month, the FDA announced that they have detected a link between all types of breast implants and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), an aggressive and rare form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Only about 3 percent of lymphoma cancer patients have ALCL.

The FDA is aware of 60 cases of ALCL in women with breast implants that live throughout the world. It is estimated that five to 10 million women have undergone the breast augmentation procedure worldwide. Though breast implants may increase a woman’s chance of developing ALCL, it is still extremely rare. The FDA is currently seeking more information about the possible relationship between breast implants and ALCL.

American Plastic Surgeons See More Patients in 2010

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons released U.S. plastic surgery statistics for 2010, and the number of surgical and non-surgical procedures that patients underwent has increased. Patients underwent 1,555,614 cosmetic surgery and 11,561,449 non-invasive procedures in 2010, compared to 1,521,409 cosmetic surgery and 10,972,592 non-invasive procedures in 2009.

The top five cosmetic surgery procedures in 2010 include:

• Breast augmentation: 296,203 procedures
• Rhinoplasty: 252,261 procedures
• Eyelid Surgery: 208,764 procedures
• Liposuction: 203,106 procedures
• Tummy Tuck: 116,352 procedures

The top five non-surgical procedures of 2010 include:

• Botulinum Toxin Injections: 5,379,360 treatments
• Soft Tissue Fillers: 1,773,328 treatments
• Chemical Peel: 1,144,865 treatments
• Laser Hair Removal: 937,602 treatments
• Microdermabrasion: 824,706 treatments

There were a few cosmetic surgery procedures that a handful of patients underwent. Only 806 patients underwent butt augmentation, 418 had calf augmentation, and just 222 patients had pec implants placed.

If you are interested in undergoing plastic surgery, contact the practice of Mark Deuber, MD, today.

Breast Implant Sizes

Women that wish to undergo breast augmentation surgery generally play an important role in making decision about the type of implant that will be placed during the procedure.

For many, the most important choice they make is the implant size. Although this decision is usually made with the help of a plastic surgeon, selecting the appropriately sized implant is not an exact science. Some women may have difficulty conveying their goals, some women may change their mind after surgery and wish that they had gone larger or smaller, and some women may need two different sized implants placed in each breast.

In order to decide which size is right for you, patients should spend time discussing their aesthetic goals and perceived flaws with their surgeons. Women should also spend some time trying on different sized implants in the doctor’s office so you can see which sizes feel comfortable and provide the desired appearance. Finally, if your breasts are asymmetrical, your surgeon can determine how to balance out the breasts by choosing two implants of different sizes.

Breast Implant Profiles

When patients undergo breast augmentation surgery, the procedure can be personalized to the women’s cosmetic goals and physiology.

The implant that each woman has placed will vary based on the type of filler, size, shape, and profile that she chooses. Breast implant profile refers to the forward projection of the implant. The breast implant manufacturers, Allergan and Mentor Corp., offer breast implants in the following profile sizes:

• High Profile: high profile implants have more forward projection than moderate and low profile implants. High profile implants are ideal in small-framed women that want large implants.
• Moderate Plus Profile: moderate plus profile implants are only offered by Mentor Corp., and offer a profile that projects more than the moderate profile, but less than the high profile implant.
• Moderate Profile: moderate profile implants are the standard profile implant that have been available to consumers for decades.
• Low Profile: low profile implants are ideal for women that want to fill out their breasts but do not need much forward projection.

Common Reasons for Breast Augmentation in Teenage Patients

Although the FDA restricts use of breast implants in women that are not yet over the age of 18, plastic surgeons do perform the procedure on a small number of teenage patients. According to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2,953 breast augmentation surgeries were performed on patients under the age of 18 in 2009. This accounted for less than 1 percent of all breast augmentation procedures performed that year. In about 40 percent of patients, plastic surgeons performed bilateral breast augmentation solely for cosmetic reasons. In the remaining cases, plastic surgeons performed breast augmentation to correct certain breast conditions.

• Severe asymmetry: 24 percent
• Severe underdevelopment: 12 percent
• Tubular breast deformities: 10 percent
• Poland’s syndrome (congenitally absent breast): 10 percent
• Other reasons: 4 percent

Many women suffer from breast asymmetry (the condition in which the breasts are two different sizes), tubular breasts (the condition in which the breasts have a tubular shape), and underdevelopment. These issues can cause self-confidence problems for young girls and teens. Poland’s syndrome is a rare birth defect in which an individual is born without the pectoralis muscle in one breast. All of these breast conditions can be corrected with breast augmentation surgery.

Breast Implant Size Ranges

Breast implants come in various sizes, projections, shapes, and textures; this allows surgeons to select an implant that will best fit the patient’s body type and cosmetic goals. The two major medical companies that manufacture FDA-approved implants for U.S. patients, Mentor Corporation and Allergan’s Natrelle, offer implants in standard sizes ranging from about 100 cc to 800 cc.

Because breast implants are measured in cc (cubic centimeter) units, it is difficult for many women to determine which size they need to achieve an A, B, C, or D cup. Further, a 350 cc implant in one woman may result in a small C cup while the same implant placed in another woman may result in a full C or small D cup. That is why it is so important to consult a qualified plastic surgeon that can guide you in choosing the implant that is right for you.

According to a study published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal in 2009, the most popular implant sizes are 300 cc to 400 cc implants. About 80 percent of patients choose implants in this size range, which typically results in a small C to large C cup.