Are you thinking about getting abreast augmentation surgery? Year after year, breast augmentations continue to be among the most commonly desired aesthetic procedures, as well as being among those with the highest rates of patient satisfaction. Dr. Soto has had extensive advanced training in breast procedures, due to the good fortune he had of training with some of the nation’s experts on these techniques. Because of his rigorous training in breast surgery, we asked Dr. Armando Soto to answer some of the most common breast augmentation questions for us. We hope that his knowledge will ease your mind and make it easier to make decisions on desired cosmetic procedures. So let’s get started.
Is there any way to get implants but keep natural looking breasts?
Absolutely. I think a lot of times there is a misconception that having implants is going to necessarily make it look like you have implants, but that’s not necessarily the case. There is a wide range of outcomes that are possible for any individual patient- so understanding what you want to look like is an important part of the consultation process. You don’t have to look like you have implants to have them.
Can you explain the difference between silicone and saline implants?
I get asked this question all the time. There are differences that have to do with how much the implants cost, the outcome you can expect, and the maintenance. One thing that needs to be said right off the bat is that they are both safe. There is no difference in the safety between silicone or saline implants. There is no reason to be worried about your health over the long term, whether you choose silicone or saline. So the differences have to do with how much they cost, the outcome you can expect, and how much follow up is involved. I do think that the average patient will have a better cosmetic outcome if they decided to choose silicone implants. They do cost a little more and also involve more follow up. That decision is something you should talk about with your surgeon.
I’ve done my research online and I read some articles about profiles and textures, can you tell me more about that or should I be worried?
No, there are a lot of different choices when it comes to implants. There are lots of different shapes, sizes, textures, and surfaces. The information can be overwhelming to a patient. The bottom line, (whether it comes to the texture of the implant or the shape of the implant or how much is in the implant), is you shouldn’t really spend that much time worrying about that. I tell my patients when they ask me these questions from the internet that you should spend all of your time and energy thinking about and researching who is going to do this procedure; finding a surgeon who is going to keep you safe and make you really happy and give you what you wanted. Don’t waste any time doing research on the decisions that should really be made by your surgeon. If you choose a good surgeon and they know what they are doing, and you chose that surgeon for the right reasons, they will do a good job on helping you sort through all that information. If you get ideas in your head about what kind of implant your going to want before even meeting with your surgeon, you might complicate your care and compromise the ability to be happy.
What will my breasts feel like after surgery?
Here’s the thing. That is going to depend a lot on the consistency and texture of your own breast tissue, how much skin you have, and also on what type of implant we are going to put in you. So in other words, saline implants can often (especially in women that have a very small amount of their own breast tissue) to feel a little bit firm or a little bit like a water balloon under the skin, which is not ideal. Now, if patients have more breast tissue available to camouflage the implant then a saline implant might feel a bit more natural. Silicone implants usually feel very natural, very soft, very warm, a lot more like a real breast then a saline implant does. From the perspective of the feel of the breast, the silicone implant is really superior, especially the smaller your breasts are.
How long after surgery should I wait before I can get back to my spin class and regular exercise routine?
Upper body exercise is not allowed at all for a few weeks after surgery, depending on your surgeon’s preferences. If we are putting implants under the muscle, I usually don’t like my patients doing upper body exercise the first 4-6 weeks, depending on how they are doing when they come to see me. Now, if you’re on a recumbent bike where you’re not really leaning forward and not putting pressure on your upper chest and arms, you can go back to that a little bit sooner. Usually I don’t want you doing upper body muscular exercise for a few weeks.
Why do you recommend putting breast implants under the muscle?
There are a lot of reasons why I think it is in the patient’s best interest to have the implants placed under the muscle. Honestly, putting them on top of the muscle is easier for me because it requires less work and the operation can go faster. The downside is that the implants will not look as natural so there is a cosmetic compromise, and they will not feel as nice – but the worst part is that when they are on top of the muscle, the only thing holding the weight of the implant is the skin and the thin connective tissue of the breast tissue. Over time it will end up looking like you have a bowling bowl in a pillow case and no woman likes that. That can be difficult to fix after the fact. It’s usually a lot better from a cosmetic point of view to put them under the muscle but there are also long term risks that are lowered if the implants are under the muscle such as the risk of them becoming hard, mammograms not being as definitive.
The main thing is to spend your time and energy on choosing your surgeon properly. Choose based on the surgeons experience, education, training, their outcomes, their total body of work, and whether or not their patients are happy. If you choose a surgeon properly, the other decisions will fall in line based on the good advice you will receive from them.
Want to learn more? Tune into our YouTube channel for more helpful tips atwww.YouTube.com/drarmandosoto
Or visit our website for more information on other cosmetic procedures atdrarmandosoto.oyova.com