By: Andrew Smith, MD

Secondary breast augmentation is a complex and technically demanding procedure, but it is also an art. Here are a few of the many factors that I typically need to address in an Orange County revision breast enlargement procedure, and ways you can help prevent those problems from recurring with your breast implants.

Restoring Symmetry

Although breast asymmetry has many different causes, Orange County plastic surgery also offers a number of ways to address this concern. For implants that have become imbalanced due to breastfeeding, mastopexy (breast lift) is a popular solution, and for implants that have shifted position over time, implant replacement is typically the most effective option.

Correcting Capsular Contracture

Orange County breast enlargement patients will develop a bit of scar tissue around their implants, and normally this is thin enough not to be seen or felt. In some instances, however, it can thicken and create an uncomfortable “capsule” around the implant.

Surgeons today know more about the causes of capsular contracture than they used to, and many now offer surgical techniques and suggested recovery activities that help prevent this problem. When capsular contracture occurs, it is typically necessary to remove both the implant and the surrounding scar tissue to create the desired breast appearance. Because this second surgery requires the doctor to remove some breast tissue, the implants will generally need to be replaced with slightly larger ones. Sizing is very important to this process, as the surgeon will need to evaluate the breast shape very carefully during surgery to ensure a balanced result.

What to Focus On:

Before you meet with your surgeon at a plastic surgery center in Orange County, you should have in mind some specific questions to ask to make sure you get a good idea of whether the surgeon is right for you. Ask about:

• Experience and training: Where and for how long did your surgeon train? Ask about board certification, specifically, and find out how long your surgeon has been performing breast enhancements.
• Options: You should leave your surgeon’s office feeling that you not only know what options are available, but why a given approach makes sense for your shape.
• Good reputation: Some surgeons offer ways for new patients to connect with other women who have already received breast enlargement from their offices. Touch base with them to find out what their experience was like.

By: Scott Green, MD

Liposuction complications are rare, and when your surgeon is skilled and you are a good match for the procedure, you have reason to be confident in your expectations for good results. However, in some cases – whether because the surgeon was less capable, or because the patient experienced significant physical changes that altered their results – a patient will decide to undergo revision liposuction in Sacramento. As a board-certified plastic surgeon, I see a fair number of these patients who want to correct unsatisfactory results that they have received from another surgeon because, for one reason or another, their first procedure did not create the results they wanted.

Secondary Liposuction – Causes and Corrective Options

To understand these patients’ options, you need to know the factors that create less-appealing results in the first place. A great liposuction result is smooth, firm-looking, and flatters the patient’s other body contours, but due to a variety of factors loose skin or a “lumpy” look can develop that compromises your results. Typical causes – and solutions – for sub-par results:

1. The surgeon’s approaches did not promote healthy healing: Today, Sacramento plastic surgeons use laser or ultrasonic energy along with a liquid solution to help liquefy fat before removing it. Without these, the surgeon has to break up the fat using just the liposuction wand, creating tissue damage, which leads to fluid collection, scarring, swelling and other problems that damage results. Sometimes, a surgeon using more up-to-date techniques can refine these results and hide some of the signs of the other surgeon’s procedure.
2. The patient was very thin to begin with: Good liposuction candidates are at a stable, healthy weight – not overweight or very thin. Unfortunately, some plastic surgeons in Sacramento offer tummy tucks or liposuction for very thin women who do not need them. In these cases, liposuction may remove the thin layer of fat that normally supports skin and gives it a firm look, so the result may look less smooth and even. Fat transfer using body fat taken from the buttocks can often help correct this problem.
3. The patient’s weight changed significantly due to pregnancy or health habits: My liposuction patients are typically more than happy to eat right and exercise in order to maintain their results. In some cases, though, patients who do not take care of themselves as well will find that significant weight gain can make the tiny, normally-invisible liposuction scars appear to stretch as the skin expands, and reveal new problem areas of patchy fat that were not noticeable before, but may now require weight loss and additional liposuction to correct.
4. The patient’s skin quality or general health made them a poor candidate for the procedure in the first place: After surgery, skin needs to shrink to fit your new shape smoothly. In the vast majority of cases, this is not a problem because good liposuction candidates in Sacramento eat right and exercise frequently, so their tissues are more elastic. However, some surgeons perform procedures for patients with very thin or inelastic skin, which can create less-smooth results. Typically, these can be corrected in the process of additional procedures such as thigh lifts or abdominoplasty (tummy tucks) in Sacramento, but these are not always perfect solutions and not appropriate for every patient.

The Bottom Line

While I can often refine or even correct another surgeon’s unsatisfactory liposuction, this is certainly a case where prevention is the best “cure.” Research your procedure, find a Sacramento liposuction surgeon whose credentials are sound and whose techniques and philosophy of care you trust, and you will be much more likely to meet your expectations with beautiful, long-lasting results.