Breast Augmentation Naples, FL (Breast Implant Surgery)

Through thoughtful consultations with his breast implant patients in the greater Naples & Fort Myers areas, Dr. Holmes makes it a priority to understand each woman’s specific goals and desires for breast enhancement.

WHAT IS BREAST AUGMENTATION?

Breast augmentation (commonly referred to as breast implant surgery or “boob job”) is a popular plastic surgery procedure that is performed to enhance the size and/or shape of the breasts. 

Synthetic implants, filled with either saline solution or silicone gel, are surgically inserted to boost the size of the bust and enhance their overall appearance. Breast implants are designed to look natural and come in all shapes and sizes to suit the preferences of different patients.

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If you’ve always been dissatisfied with a small cup size, or you’d like a better contour for your breasts, breast augmentation might be a perfect solution for you. Most women who undergo the procedure find that they have more confidence and self-esteem once they have recovered from the surgery.

Why Choose Breast Enhancement?

Many roads may lead a woman to choose to have a breast augmentation, and each is personal. Whether it be to feel better in clothing, achieve symmetry, or restore breast volume (breast asymmetry) after pregnancy or weight loss, Dr. Holmes designs a unique surgical plan for each of their patients.

Breast augmentation can help resolve a number of different problems, including:

• Small breasts 
• Elongated or asymmetrical breast shape
• Volume loss in the breasts after pregnancy, weight loss, or aging

Breast Augmentation Good Candidates

If you’re considering breast augmentation, then you’ll need to ensure you are a good candidate for the procedure before you proceed.

If you are uncomfortable or self-conscious in clothing or a swimsuit, notice changes to your breast post-pregnancy, or have undergone major weight loss, breast augmentation may be right for you. There are a few things to keep in mind, however.

Patients should be healthy adults whose breasts are fully developed. While many young women reach full breast development by the age of 17, it’s important to keep in mind that some women experience growth spurts into their early 20s.

Women who become pregnant and breastfeed will also experience fluctuations in breast size. This is why choosing the right time for your breast augmentation can be difficult (preferably once you’ve finished having children and breast feeding them).

Prospective patients should have realistic expectations about the results and should be prepared to follow all after-care instructions provided by our Naples surgeons, to help facilitate healing and prevent complications. 

Patients must also be non-smokers or have quit several months before surgery for their own safety and optimal healing. During your consultation, your surgeon will go over your medical history to ensure you are healthy enough for breast augmentation surgery.

Breast Augmentation Consultation

Breast augmentation surgery is a great way to enhance your appearance and boost your confidence. During a consultation with Dr. Holmes, he will discuss the different options for breast augmentation including fat transfer, silicone implants, saline implants, gummy bear implants and tear drop implants. Dr. Holmes will address the best placement for your implant (pros and cons of breast implants above the muscle vs under the muscle), and discuss any risks of capsular contracture or silicone implant rupture signs. As an example, benefits of placing the breast implant under the muscle are more upper pole fullness and less possibility of visible rippling. But there are many other factors involved, and they are patient specific. Our expert breast surgeon, Dr. Casey Holmes, is seasoned at performing breast augmentation surgery and removing and replacing breast implants.

During your consultation, Dr. Holmes will evaluate your anatomy, discuss your goals, and design a unique surgical plan that will safely and effectively meet your breast enhancement goals. This is the time you can discuss any concerns you may have before surgery, such as:

The types of breast implants used

Popular breast implant types include saline, silicone, or gummy bear implants. Other methods of augmenting the breasts, like fat transfer (or fat grafting for breast enhancement) can be discussed with Dr. Holmes.

How do you determine the right size for breast implants?

Your implant size is a very personal decision, and not something to take lightly. You should “test” different sizes by adding rice to a bag and placing them in your bra to get an idea of how different sizes will look. In our office, Dr. Holmes will let you try on different sample implants to see what meets your aesthetic goals.

Should my implants be placed over or under the muscle?

Generally, patients who will be receiving saline implants, have naturally small breasts, or have a family history of breast cancer may want to opt for under the muscle placement. Patients who want silicone implants, or those who have more starting natural breast tissue may benefit from over the muscle placement. The surgical technique that is best for you, however, will depend on your surgeon’s evaluation.

Where will the breast implant incisions be placed?

There are several locations where incisions can be placed, depending on the implant being used and the patient. The most common are around the areola (nipple area), through the armpit, or in the fold below the breast. Any incisions made will be carefully placed to minimize the appearance of any scarring.

To achieve the best results from breast enhancement surgery, the patient and the plastic surgeon should communicate openly and work together to achieve realistic goals.

During a consultation, we find patients ask the following question; “how painful is breast augmentation recovery?” Breast augmentation recovery depends on the specific technique chosen by the patient & surgeon.

For some, the idea of getting breast implants can be unappealing. In such a case, a patient may consider breast augmentation with fat transfer (or fat grafting) to restore volume in the breasts. Other techniques can be used, but all can be discussed during your one-on-one with Dr. Holmes.

The Breast Augmentation Procedure

The breast augmentation surgery is simpler than most patients realize. For a few weeks prior to surgery, you may be required to stop taking natural supplements and some over-the-counter medications, to prevent complications during the surgery.

On the day of the procedure, general anesthesia is typically used to keep patients safe and comfortable during the surgery. 

A small incision is placed in one of several locations near the breast, allowing the implant to be inserted either above or below the pectoral muscle. Once both sides have been completed, the incisions are closed and the surgery is over.

This process typically takes about an hour. Patients generally return home the same day of the procedure.

The Breast Augmentation Recovery and Downtime

Recovering from surgery is never comfortable, but you will be prescribed pain medication to control your discomfort, and help you get through the first few days following the procedure.

Initially, your breasts will be wrapped with gauze, and you’ll wear an elastic bandage or support bra following the procedure. You will be given specific instructions on how to care for your breasts for optimal healing, which you should follow to the letter. These instructions may include everything from special massages to perform to which positions you should sleep in. 

Most patients feel well enough to return to work and light, normal activities within a week or two, but it’s important to rest and recover at your own pace. A support bra should be worn constantly during the initial healing phase, to support the breast tissue.

You will need to postpone exercise and other vigorous activity for several weeks. Our surgeons will let you know when it is safe to resume these activities.

Swelling will gradually subside, and your sensations will change throughout the healing process. After a few months, you should be able to see the full results of the procedure.

After Breast Asymmetry Procedure

After undergoing breast implant surgery, you may feel that you have had breast augmentation unevenly. However, it is common to have uneven swelling after breast augmentation, and it may take a few months to normalize. Swelling of any part of the body can happen at different rates, and your breasts are no exception. If you feel that one breast is bigger than the other immediately after breast augmentation, remember that you are still in the post-operative recovery stage. This can happen after any breast surgery, including after breast reduction. A breast implant hematoma should be ruled out by visiting your surgeon. What to expect after breast lift and augmentation surgery is that your breasts will be swollen and bruised for about two weeks, and you will likely feel pain and soreness.

If you find your breasts are uneven after healing is complete, you should speak to your surgeon on how to fix uneven breast implants and what your best option is. Options may include changing implant size, fat transfer for breast augmentation, or breast reduction on one breast. When performing breast reduction surgery to reduce the size of large breasts, our surgeons may be able to correct unevenness by removing different amounts of breast tissue from each breast. Please contact us at 239-594-9100 for your personalized consultation.