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BEFORE AND AFTER GALLERY
23 year old woman with bra size 32A and breast asymmetry, underwent breast augmentation

Breast Augmentation in NYC

Breast augmentation amplifies or restores breast size, increasing the volume and projection of your bust line. One of the nation’s most requested plastic surgery procedures, breast enhancement with saline or silicone implants can give women a subtle adjustment or dramatic change, depending on the size chosen.  Whether you want to increase your cup size, correct asymmetry or regain the voluminous shape lost after breastfeeding or major weight loss, breast augmentation offers fantastic results when performed by a skilled plastic surgeon.

Dr. Preminger is known for her artistic vision and methodical surgical technique, both of which are paramount for achieving the most beautiful and natural-looking results.  Breast implant type, size and placement are all carefully considered for each patient, ensuring aesthetic expectations are met if not surpassed.

Procedure

Under the care of Dr. Preminger, breast augmentation is performed on an outpatient basis. During pre-op consultations, the implant type, size and placement will have been decided. Incisions can be made within the crease of the breast fold, along the lower border of the areola, or within the underarm fold (transaxillary). Dr. Preminger will factor in patient preference and anatomy when deciding which type of incision to use.

The procedure generally lasts from one to two hours and is performed using general anesthesia. After the breast implants have been correctly positioned, the incisions are closed with sutures, and then covered with surgical bandages. A sports bra and compression band is also used right after the operation to help keep the implants stable during the recovery process.

 

BEFORE AND AFTER GALLERY
23 year old woman with bra size 32A and breast asymmetry, underwent breast augmentation

Breast Augmentation Procedure Videos

 
 

Quick Facts

Procedure Length

1-2 Hours

Anesthesia

General

IN/OUT Patient

Outpatient

RISKS

Pain, bleeding, infection, asymmetry, capsular contracture, implant rupture

SIDE EFFECTS

Temporary swelling, muscle tightness, bruising, some pain

RECOVERY

Back at work in 4-7 days
Resume light exercise at 2 weeks
Resume strenuous activity at 6 weeks
8-12 weeks for swelling to resolve

DURATION OF RESULTS

Years

Preparing for breast augmentation

close up of breasts in gray bra
Preparing for breast enhancement entails a good deal of planning. Dr. Preminger will assess your motivations for breast augmentation surgery, review your medical history and preexisting health conditions and take measurements to determine a baseline for desired fullness. Ideal candidates for breast augmentation are patients in good health with realistic expectations about how the surgery can help them both physically and emotionally.

Pre-operative consultations are in-depth, allowing Dr. Preminger to develop a detailed surgical plan that suits the patient’s lifestyle, anatomy and goals. After being educated on the pros and cons of silicone versus saline breast implants, and choosing your implant type, a customized treatment is designed. Considering breast surgery risks is another component of the planning process.

Implant placement and technique will also be evaluated. Women who are naturally small-chested may do better with the implants placed beneath the chest muscle, rather than directly under the skin. In general, Dr. Preminger prefers this approach since the muscle provides added coverage for the implant and allows for a more natural shape. Other advantages of this technique include less risk of capsular contracture, and fewer difficulties with mammograms.

When women are considering breast augmentation surgery, one of the biggest decisions is whether to choose saline, silicone, gummy bear, or IDEAL breast implants. Each has distinct advantages and appeal. Dr. Preminger will discuss your aesthetic goals in light of your current cup size to help determine which implant will create a breast profile in proportion with your body.

Ideal Implants

Next-generation implants designed by a plastic surgeon, IDEAL IMPLANTS give you one of the best of both worlds – a beautiful look and natural feel but with the safety of saline. After more than a decade of research and studies lead by Board-Certified plastic surgeons, the FDA has approved IDEAL IMPLANTS for use in patients ages 18 or over. Women all over the country are choosing IDEAL IMPLANTS because they do not have to compromise beauty and a natural look for the safety of their implants.

IDEAL IMPLANTS have a much lower capsule contracture risk, compared to silicone implants. Plus, the incision needed to place these revolutionary new implants is smaller than what is required for placing silicone implants.

There are many other advantages to IDEAL IMPLANTS including:

  • Lower rupture rate
  • Less likely to rupture due to the higher strength of the implant
  • Easy to remove
  • Only saline inside so it is safe
  • Saline can be absorbed by the body without posing any risks
  • No MRI scans needed to detect ruptures, just look in the mirror to tell
  • No silent ruptures and worrying about your health

Gummy Bear implants

gummy bear breast implantGummy Bear implants are the latest newcomers to the market, made with a “form stable” or highly cohesive gel that maintains its shape over the years. Proponents of the gummy bear implant say that it looks and feels even more like natural breast tissue than traditional silicone implants, thanks to its revolutionary high-strength gel that defies gravitational forces.

Besides its gummy bear-like feel, this implant is the only one designed with a tear drop shape. Approved by the FDA a couple of years ago, these implants have a good safety record, with a lower risk of capsule contracture as well as lower reoperation rates. Preliminary studies have also shown they are less likely to ripple or leak due to the viscous, almost solid-like, nature of the gel. These implants are an excellent option for primary breast augmentation, revision augmentation and total breast reconstruction.

Silicone implants

silicone breast implantAllergen, Mentor and Sientra manufacture several types of silicone implants that are approved by the FDA for breast augmentation in women aged 22 and older. Silicone implants are pre-filled with a thick, silicone gel that looks and feels much like real breast tissue. Many patients prefer the look of silicone implants since the gel gives a more natural sloping appearance to the upper breast. One unique advantage of silicone implants is that their outer edges

are difficult to detect visually or by touch, even when placed over the muscle. Since silicone implants are already pre-filled, they do require a slightly larger incision, which is best placed in the inframammary fold for less conspicuous scarring. There is also less risk of folds and rippling compared with saline implants. Generally speaking, gel implants may be better suited for very thin women with a small bust line. The FDA recommends that patients with silicone implants get regular MRIs every three years to assess the integrity of the device and ensure the shell has not ruptured.

Saline breast implants

saline breast implantAs their name implies, saline implants are filled with a sterile saltwater solution. The outer shell is made of a smooth or textured silicone. Some implants are pre-filled with saline solution, while others are filled with saltwater at the time of breast augmentation surgery, allowing for a much smaller incision. The FDA approved saline implants for breast enhancement surgery in women aged 18 and older, as well as for breast reconstruction in patients of any age.

While scars are smaller, saline implants may not feel quite as natural as their silicone counterparts, and tend to ripple more. On the other hand, scar formation and capsular contraction is much less common in saline implants compared to their silicone counterparts. For optimum results, appropriately sized implants will be placed under the chest muscle, with sufficient soft tissue coverage. Since saline implants can be filled during surgery, your surgeon can easily correct any breast asymmetry.

Risks & complications of breast implant surgery

  • Adverse reactions to anesthesia
  • Bleeding or blood clots
  • Breast pain
  • Capsular contracture, where tissue around the implant hardens
  • Infection
  • Changes in nipple or breast sensation
  • Chest wall deformity
  • Implant rupture
  • Rippling of the skin over the breast implant

"Breast augmentation should never be oversimplified. All decisions must be carefully considered and tailored to each patient's individual body and goals."

- B. Aviva Preminger, MD

Recovery and Preserving Results

Most breast augmentation patients feel sore and tired for at least two or three days after the surgery. Patients should expect swelling and bruising, which should gradually fade over the following weeks.

To help speed up the recovery process, patients should abstain from exercise or rigorous activity, and wear the special sports bra provided for the first week. Light activity can be resumed by week two, when most patients feel well enough to return to work. The sutures will dissolve over time, and residual inflammation should dissipate completely within eight to twelve weeks.

Patients can expect to see the final results of their breast augmentation approximately two to three months after surgery. All recovery instructions will be carefully outlined prior to the operation, and Dr. Preminger will follow-up with post-op appointments during the first weeks and months.

Breast Augmentation in New York

The results are considered permanent. To maintain the placement of your new breast implants and prevent sagging, wear a good supportive bra at all times. Dr. Preminger may also suggest breast massage and compression exercises to help avoid capsular contracture — scar tissue — from developing around the implants.

Among the most respected of Manhattan plastic surgeons, Dr. Preminger strives to meet your vision and breast enhancement expectations with careful planning and communication. To learn more about breast augmentation in New York City, please call 212.706.1900 or fill out our online form to schedule a private consultation.

 

Video Transcription:

[Dr. Preminger] The most important thing that you need to know about breast augmentation is that it’s safe and that you have a lot of options. Those include implant size and the type of implant. So these days, we have lots of different options. And those include the traditional saline implant, silicone implants and new gummy bear implants.

We also have newer shaped devices. So one of the questions patients always have for me is, “Are silicone implants safe?” In 1992 the FDA actually pulled silicone implants off the market. The data that was used to pull them off the market, was found to not be valid. And so now we have silicone implants back on the market since 2006. We have the newest, cohesive 5th generation gels that have shown to be completely safe.

When we talk about breast implants the other questions that come up are incision placement– where do we put the implant in from? There are different options as far as that’s concerned as well. And those include the underarm, the area underneath the breast and the areolar or the pigmented area underneath the nipple.

[Patient] I wanted to have breast implants done because I felt I needed to be a little bit more proportionate. I had always spent a lot of time in the gym and worked on my body and I just felt that that was one area where I couldn’t really exercise or fix on my own. I started to look into the procedure and I decided it was something I wanted to do.

I chose Dr. Preminger because when I met with her, I felt really comfortable. I had researched a really long time and wanted someone very knowledgeable in the area– that specialized in that area. I also felt really comfortable that she was a woman and she just gave me the time to make the decision. I didn’t feel rushed into anything.

[Dr. Preminger] In this case, the patient actually has an asymmetry or a size difference between her two breasts. Her left breast was larger than her right. And that’s actually not at all uncommon. In fact, most womens breasts are not exactly the same size. I like to tell women that they’re more like sisters than twins. In order to accommodate and compensate for this difference, I actually used two different size implants. So I used a larger implant on the right side than the left to accommodate for the fact that her left breast was actually larger than the right.

So the hardest part about breast augmentation is actually all of these choices. Once we’ve made these decisions, the recovery and surgery itself is actually quite easy. People are amazed by how quickly they’re back to their activities. They’re back at work within a week usually. They’re very, very satisfied with the results.

[Patient] The recovery was perfect. I was in less pain than I thought I would be in. I was up the next day walking around. I was out that weekend. I felt very minimal pain. I was back in the gym a little while after that. The recovery process was extremely smooth.

I would definitely recommend Dr.Preminger for this procedure because she just made me feel very comfortable. And like I was the one making all the decisions and she displayed all possible options.

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