Many women wish to increase the
size and/or fullness of their breasts to make
them more proportional to the rest of their body.
Women of all ages come to our office desiring
to enlarge their breasts for a number of reasons.
Generally, women that have a genetic pre-disposition
toward small breasts tell us that they desire
to better fill out their clothes or bathing suits.
Women that have lost breast volume after weight
loss or breast-feeding typically tell us that
they want to regain their breast fullness and/or
cleavage. In all these cases, breast augmentation
is usually the optimal way to increase your breast
size, which can improve the way you look and feel
about yourself.
There are many surgical approaches
for breast augmentation, which include inconspicuous
incisions in the armpit, underneath the breast
(just above the crease), around the areola or
in the belly button. Dr. Mills can perform all
these approaches, but prefers the transaxillary
approach. Referred to as a TransAxillary SubPectoral
Augmentation (TASPA), this technique involves
making a small incision in the armpit to place
a breast implant beneath the chest wall muscle.
Dr. Mills feels that a TASPA generally yields
the most natural-looking result with minimal scarring.
• Learn about the Areola Incision Procedure in 3D
• Learn about the Armpit Incision Procedure in 3D
• Learn about the Under Breast Incision Procedure in 3D
During your consultation and other
pre-operative visits, you will select your implant
size and type. Dr. Mills will review all of
your implant options and provide you with pictures
and suggestions, but ultimately you will choose
which style and size that best fits your needs.
To aid you in the decision, you will be given
the time and opportunity to try on different ‘breast
sizers,’ which will give you a better
idea of how your new shape will fill out your
clothing and bathing suits. (We recommend
that you bring different types of shirts to
your initial consultation to try on with the
breast sizers and see your
“enhanced” look.) It can also be helpful for you to bring in pictures of breasts that demonstrate what your expectations are for the outcome of the surgery. Dr. Mills can review these with you and let you know if this would be a realistic result for you.
Breast implants will not last forever and will
likely need to be replaced with a subsequent surgery. The FDA approved silicone implants for breast augmentation surgery in November 2006, following years of controlled clinical studies called the Adjunct Studies. All women age 22 years and older have the choice of using saline-filled implants of silicone gel-filled implants.
Saline implants
are made of a silicone shell and filled with sterile
saltwater. Silicone gel-filled implants are made of a silicone shell and filled with a cohesive silicone gel. Silicone is a natuarlly occuring element found in sand, quartz and rock. Silicone can be manufactured in a variety of ways, including oils, gels and solids. Silicone products have been shown to be bio-compatible, reliable, flexible and easy to sterilize, making them an ideal choice for implantable and non-implantable medical devices. You can also talk with Dr.
Mills about the latest in implant research and
development, including the form stable cohesive gel implant.
If you have any implant-related questions or concerns,
Dr. Mills would be happy to discuss these and
provide you with information on the latest research.
Once you have chosen your implant
size and type and schedule surgery, you will meet
with our pre-operative patient coordinator. She
will review all of your pre-operative instructions
with you and make sure that you complete all the
necessary laboratory tests and health screenings,
based on your personal medical history and surgical
plan. If you are a smoker, you will be advised
to quit smoking at least two weeks prior to surgery
and not to resume for at least two weeks after
surgery. Additionally, there are certain medications,
herbs and potions that she will ask you to cease
taking from two weeks prior to surgery to two
weeks after your surgery. This appointment will
also be a time for you to ask any final questions,
so that you are physically and mentally ready
for surgery and have an optimal recovery period.
On your surgery day, you should
allow approximately 4 hours for pre-operative
surgical admission, surgical time and post-surgical
recovery. Our surgical team, including Dr. Mills,
a nurse anesthetist or anesthesiologist, a registered nurse and surgical
technician will be with you throughout your surgery
and recovery. We ask that you have a responsible
adult accompany you to and from the surgery center.
This individual should be accessible by phone
while you are in surgery and should be at our
facility when you are ready to be discharged.
After your surgery, you should have someone with
you for the first 24 hours.
You will have an office visit the
day following your surgery, as well as several
post-operative visits within the first week. These
appointments are extremely important and we encourage
you to come to our office regularly for the first
week or so, for additional help with your post-operative
regime. Your post-operative regime includes displacement
exercises to keep the breast pocket open, which
should result in softer and more natural-looking
breasts. Dr. Mills and his medical staff will
assist you in the displacement exercises during
these initial post-operative visits. (See
pictures below.)
At first, these exercises may be a little
difficult, but we will take as much time as you
need to feel comfortable with the exercises. It
is often helpful to have a friend or spouse assist
with the exercises, so we encourage you to bring
them to your follow-up visits. Dr. Mills strongly
feels that these exercises are critical to yielding
the best result, while minimizing potential complications.
At your first post-operative visit,
Dr. Mills will remove your surgical bra and wrap
before assisting you with your exercises. Dr.
Mills will determine what post-operative garment
you should wear at this time. After this initial
visit, you will be able to shower. You will usually
have two sets of sutures, which will be removed
at post-operative days 7 and 14, respectively.
You will be advised not to use deodorant for the
first 2 weeks, but can use a non-scented liquid
deodorant after that time, treating the suture
line with care. In the first couple of weeks,
Dr. Mills will continue to monitor your progress
and advise you in your post-operative regime and
instructions. It is exceptionally important that
you come to all recommended post-operative visits
in order to minimize post-operative risks and
and achieve optimal results.
The most common complication associated
with breast augmentation is capsular contracture.
This condition, which involves a tightening of
the scar tissue around the implant, may result
in varying degrees of breast firmness, pain and
change in breast appearance. While the national
average for capsular contracture is 10%, Dr. Mills
has maintained an average rate of 5.9% since the
start of his practice. Other risks include implant
rupture or leakage, changes in nipple or breast
sensation (both temporary and permanent), and
adverse reactions to anesthesia.
Within a short time following surgery,
you will be able to resume your normal routine
and enjoy your new shape. If you want to show
off your new shape by summertime, we recommend
that you schedule your surgery in the spring (or
before). Springtime is the busiest time of the
year in our office for that very reason.
We look forward to meeting you in consultation
to develop a surgical plan that best suits your
needs. In the meantime, feel free to email our
patient coordinator through our
contact us page with
any specific questions that you might have. When you speak with our patient coordinator she can direct you to view the Breast Augmentation Video Consultation online.
Dr. Mills wants this to be a great experience
for you and his staff will do everything we
can to serve you.
| Breast Augmentation
Post-Operative Information |
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You can expect: |
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To drive after you are completely off your
pain medications, which is usually about
5 days. |
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To resume normal activities after about
a week. |
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To avoid strenuous and/or upper-body workouts
for the first 2-4 weeks after surgery. |
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To visit our office frequently for the
first month to monitor your progress. |
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To visit our office post-operatively at
one month, three months, six months and one
year. (We also recommend annual follow-up
visits.) |
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To perform your displacement exercises
5 times per day for the first 6 months, then
1 time a day thereafter (for the lifetime
of your implants). |
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To perform monthly self-breast examinations. |
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To see your final results at about 6 months,
after your skin and muscles have relaxed. |
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To avoid wearing any underwire bra for
the lifetime of your implants. Underwire
bras will change the look of the breast and
make the nipple appear to point downward. |
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To take prophylactic antibiotics when any
dental work is done to protect the implant
from infection. |
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To eventually replace your implants with
a subsequent surgery. |
| How
much time should I take off of work? |
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| While recovery time may vary, you should
generally expect to take one week off for
an administrative or desk-type job. |
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| Does
having breast implants increase my risk of
breast cancer? |
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| Breast augmentation does not increase nor
decrease the risk of breast cancer. Dr. Mills
prefers to place the implants under the chest
muscle and breast tissue because it does not
interfere as much with mammogram readings. |
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| Can
I breast feed after surgery? |
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| Since Dr. Mills prefers to place the implants
through an armpit incision under the muscle,
breast augmentation surgery should not interfere
with breast-feeding. Dr. Mills only recommends
breast-feeding for the first three critical
months in the baby’s development because
breast-feeding can cause infections in your
breasts (e.g. mastitis). |
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| Can
Dr. Mills do a breast lift and augmentation
at the same time? |
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| Dr. Mills prefers to do these surgeries
at separate times to allow for better wound
healing and minimize the appearance of scars. |
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| For more information about Breast Augmentation in Southern California, Contact Orange County Plastic Surgeon Dr. Dan Mills MD and schedule your consultation today. |
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