Breast Augmentation results depend to a large part on what your breasts look like “before” surgery. Breast enlargement results frequently give women more attractive, fuller, bigger, and prettier breasts. The purpose of this educational writing is to help people understand some of the nuances or finer concepts of cosmetic breast surgery. I specialize in cosmetic breast surgery and plastic surgery of the breast. I work closely with patients to help them understand cosmetic operations. Patients from Media, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey and also distant states are encouraged to read this writing and other writings to learn about the surgery. Please also see the writing “Choosing Breast Implant Size in Delaware – Do Your Homework!.”
A frequent question is, “What will I look like after surgery?” Patients have seen the breast augmentation before and after photos. They also want to know, “What will I personally look like?” I describe the concept of soft tissue coverage to help people understand cosmetic breast surgery and this question. Soft tissue coverage is the skin, breast tissue, and the muscle that covers the breast implant. Soft tissue coverage is everything “soft” that covers the implant and helps “hide” the implant.
Soft Tissue Coverage
Soft tissue coverage is all the tissue on top of the implant that helps camouflage and cover the implant. A person can visualize soft tissue coverage better by thinking of a women with “bad” soft tissue coverage. Imagine a women who is six feet tall and has breasts that are as “flat as a board.” Now imagine her with huge Dolly Parton implants. You see her at the beach, and she looks like she has two basketballs sticking out. This is because she has poor soft tissue coverage. She has practically nothing but skin covering her implants. If you see her at the beach, you comment to friends about how fake she looks. Poor soft tissue coverage leads to breast implants that feel fake, look fake, and have higher complications.
The goal of the best breast augmentation results is to maximize available soft tissue coverage. This is why breast implants are almost always placed under the muscle. This is done to to increase soft tissue coverage. The muscle provides the best coverage of the implant and leads to a more natural feel, a more natural look to the breast, and lower complications. I believe the muscle coverage is essential and critical for the best results with cosmetic breast enlargement. This concept is important and underlies the latest techniques in the surgical placement of breast implants. I try to capture all the muscle a person has to best cover the implant. This is the most advanced aspect of this plastic surgery procedure. It is not that complicated to understand but extremely important!
The Results = A Bigger YOU
Soft tissue coverage will also determine what you will look like after the breast operation. Most people become bigger versions of their preoperative breasts. You become a “bigger you.” This will be discussed in more detail. Your anatomy, implant size, implant type (silicone or saline) are other factors that determine your look after surgery. It is the ratio of your soft tissue coverage to implant size that is the biggest factor in your shape after surgery. If you stretch out your soft tissue coverage too much, you will look fake and round. Most women with normal breasts and choosing natural sizes (B cup to D cup) will look natural and realistic after surgery. The women with very poor soft tissue coverage who pick big implants will look fake and round. As already stated, patients picking normal size implants will look like a “bigger you.” This means a natural appearance with a more attractive and full shape! Look at breast augmentation before and after photos. You can “match” the before photos to the after photos and you will see the similarities.
Realistic Expectations
Most women love their new appearance after cosmetic breast enlargement. However, this does not mean the operation makes everyone perfect. Realistic expectations are always important with plastic surgery of the breast. Slight differences in nipple shape or height often persist after surgery. Little differences often remain. One breast might be slightly lower or higher than the other. This can happen and is usually small and not a bother or problem. I strive to give the best breast results after cosmetic breast enlargement- measuring down to the millimeter- but despite this fact, people must have realistic expectations. Slight difference do occur, and this is normal and natural.
Many patients are fearful of breasts that are too far apart or spaced apart. This is determined by your preoperative distance between your breasts. Some women have very wide sternums or breast plates before surgery. Breast augmentation helps with this by making the breasts bigger and hence closer together. However, there are limits to this. Breast implants have to go where your breasts are located on your chest. Otherwise, you would have four breasts! Implants definitely help with widely spaced breasts but can not completely correct the condition. Most women have very attractively spaced breasts after cosmetic breast surgery and do not have to worry about this problem or appearance.
I am a board certified plastic surgeon who practices exclusively cosmetic surgery. I use a “Pain Buster” to help patients recover after the operation and to minimize the pain after the operation. This works great! If you have been wanting to do breast surgery but are scared about the pain, this has made a huge difference for many women! Please come in for a complimentary consultation to learn about your choices and options!
