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Breast augmentation surgery, to achieve a beautiful outcome, must be performed with meticulous surgical technique. With many, many types and sizes of implants available, a selection of the right size, shape and projection, along with a custom surgical plan, can help you have the beautiful figure you have always wanted.
A female double board-certified plastic surgeon with a reputation for surgical excellence, Dr. Kim specializes in breast enhancement procedures, including breast augmentation at her private, luxury practice in The Woodlands, Texas.
Women choose to undergo breast augmentation surgery for various personal reasons, including the desire to:
Women considering breast augmentation, who visit from Conroe and Spring, TX, and beyond, are often interested in more than increasing the size of their breasts; they want to enhance their self-confidence as well. It can be distressing to feel that your breasts are too small, uneven in size, or disproportionate to your body. Dr. Kim, as a woman surgeon, has a deep, personal understanding about how women feel about their bodies, and will work closely with you to achieve your personal vision for your body.
Breast augmentation using implants is one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures worldwide, and women of almost any age, background, and body type can be candidates for the procedure. Some of the most common candidates for breast augmentation are:
Silicone breast implants are comprised of an outer silicone shell filled with a cohesive gel, also made of silicone. The cohesive silicone gel has a gummy bear-like texture, which many women and plastic surgeons alike feel better resembles the feel of natural breast tissue.
Silicone breast implants are the top choice for the majority of women who have breast augmentation. In particular, women with naturally small breasts who do not have an ample amount of natural breast tissue to provide coverage for the implant can benefit from the natural feel of silicone implants.
Because the gel that is used to make the filling for silicone implants is cohesive, these breast implants do not deflate in the rare event of a rupture. This means that a breach in the implant shell is not always obviously detectable. The FDA recommends that women with silicone implants have an MRI every three years in order to detect any issues. However, most women with silicone implants can enjoy their breast augmentation results for many years without complications.
Silicone implants offer the following advantages:
Saline breast implants are comprised of an outer silicone shell filled with a sterile saline solution. Saline implants have a firmer feel than their silicone counterparts and often are used to create a high, rounded look.
Saline implants may be more prone to rippling than silicone implants. Rippling is the folds of the implants that can sometimes be seen through the skin. In the event of a rupture, the liquid filling of saline implants makes rupture immediately noticeable, as the implant deflates right away. Saline implants are a popular choice for a wide range of women.
The advantages of saline include:
There are many ways to perform breast augmentation, and your procedure will be customized to match your body type, how much natural breast tissue you have, and your individual vision for enhancement. After Dr. Kim has helped you decide on the type and size of implants that are best for you, the two of you will discuss every detail when planning your augmentation, including:
Depending on the implants you select, as well as your individual anatomy, the incisions could be placed in the breast fold (called an inframammary incision), along the lower edge of the areola (called a periareolar incision), or in the armpit (called a transaxillary incision). Although each incision location has pros and cons, inframammary incision is usually preferred. It poses lower risk of causing nipple sensation loss, scars to breast tissue, or infection. You and Dr. Kim will discuss your best incision options during your consultation.
Dr. Kim will place your implants either on top of the chest muscle, called subglandular placement, or beneath the chest muscle, called submuscular placement. For most women, a submuscular placement creates more natural-looking results and a better, longer-lasting surgical outcome. Ultimately, Dr. Kim will consider your lifestyle, your goals, the quantity of existing breast tissue, and other factors when determining which placement will create a superior result. The implants are placed in a surgically-created pocket.
The incisions, typically in the breast crease, will be carefully and correctly sutured (stitched). The care with which this part of the procedure is performed makes a difference in the appearance of scars. As an incision has been made, a scar will remain, but typically appears to be a thin, white line, hidden within the breast crease, where it is invisible in even the most revealing clothing.
Some women who consider breast augmentation surgery may be candidates for a breast lift in conjunction with augmentation. If you’re interested in achieving fuller breasts while also creating a more youthful, lifted breast location, this combination of procedures can achieve the fresh, plump, lifted look you envision. Many women undergo breast augmentation as one aspect in a custom mommy makeover to restore the body to its youthful, pre-baby firmness.
The cost of breast augmentation in the Houston area starts at $7,500, depending on the type of implants being used, any special promotions, and what is needed in your custom surgical plan. The price includes the cost of the anesthesia, the surgery center fee, the surgical bra, and a tube of scar cream.
The vast majority of women who have undergone breast augmentation will have no problem breastfeeding children. Today’s surgical techniques leave the glands and ducts intact, so there should not be any impact on nursing. However, it is important that you inform Dr. Kim if you plan to breastfeed in the future, so a periareolar incision (around the nipple) is avoided, just to be safe. There is no evidence that breast implants affect the quality of breast milk in any way.
For a very few women with minor sagging, adding breast implants can “take up the slack” and restore a perky appearance to their breasts. The more common scenario, however, is that the weight of the breast implants will actually make sagging worse. Since there is extra skin which has lost much of its elasticity, the implants pull sagging breasts down farther. This is why we commonly perform breast augmentation along with a breast lift.
The typical rule of thumb is to wait six to eight weeks before wearing a push-up or underwire bra. The underwires can irritate the incisions, ultimately preventing them from healing properly. These bras also push the breast implants upward, which can displace the implants, affecting the beauty and symmetry of your results.
Dr. Kim uses the Natrelle brand breast implants, which come with a lifetime warranty for implant ruptures. The cost of the implants, both saline and silicone, is always covered by Allergan in the event of a rupture or deflation. Regarding the silicone implants, if the implant rupture occurs within ten years of implant placement, Allergan will reimburse the patient up to $3,500 towards the surgical costs. Allergan also provides a 10-year warranty against capsular contracture on their silicone breast implants.
Dr. Kim is a dedicated, board-certified plastic surgeon who listens carefully to each woman’s expectations and hopes for her breast augmentation procedure. Her extensive experience in performing breast augmentation makes it possible to create plump, rounded breasts that appear youthful and natural.
Dr. Kim strives to create beautifully proportionate and flattering results by selecting breast implants that complement your natural figure. In your initial one-on-one consultation with Dr. Kim, she will determine whether you are a candidate for breast augmentation and will craft a custom surgical plan designed to meet your breast appearance goals. As an Allergan Black Diamond provider, Dr. Kim is among the top one percent of Allergan breast implant providers nationwide.
Ready to get started? Dr. Kim is ready to help. To learn more about your Woodlands breast augmentation and implant options, request a consultation online or call our practice today at 281.315.3188.
Sugene Kim, MD
Plastic Surgeon
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