Breast augmentation is a common operation to improve the appearance of the breast. There are two types of breast implants-saline and silicone. The most common implant in our practice is the silicone gel mammary prosthesis. The outer shell of each implant is exactly the same-it is a silicone elastomer. What is different about each implant is what goes on the…
Capsular contracture is an exaggerated response of the body’s normal healing process. It is the thickening and or contracting of the lining that normally develops around an implant. This can happen around any medical device placed in the body, a breast implant, a plate on a wrist fracture, a pacemaker, etc. When the device is soft such as a breast…
Breast augmentation is a common procedure to enhance the appearance of the breast. One complication that we try our best to avoid in breast implant related procedure is capsular contracture. There are many reasons why a patient might get capsular contracture. One common philosophy is the “biofilm” mechanism where an indolent bacteria enters the breast implant pocket and creates inflammation.…
Breast reduction is a common procedure with a high satisfaction rate. There are many reasons why a patient would choose to undergo a breast reduction. The more common reasons tend to be neck, back, and shoulder pain from the weight of the breasts pulling down on these anatomic structures. Other common reasons are difficulty exercising and rashes in the breast…
Breast reduction surgery is a common surgery that has a high satisfaction rate. There are often several reasons that patients seek breast reduction surgery: 1. Neck or back pain 2. Persistent skin rashes in the crease of the breast 3. Difficulty exercising 4. Trouble sleeping 5. Impaired self-esteem/tough on themselves with regard to body image It is important prior to…
The latissimus myocutaneous flap is an effective flap to help close mastectomy defects or to improve the overall quality of the overlying mastectomy skin. One challenge with mastectomy breast reconstruction is the durability and quality of the mastectomy skin. Skin that has been radiated or skin that is thin is more prone to cellulitis, wound dehiscence, and other complications. When…
There are many reasons that patients can have breast asymmetry. Breast feeding can make one breast grow significantly larger than the other, radiation can make one breast contract, previous infections can shrink the breast volume, and surgery of the breast can affect development if surgery is performed at young age. Previous surgery, infection, and radiation can all cause the nipple…
Breast cancer reconstruction is a challenging component of Plastic & Reconstructive surgery. Breast cancer reconstruction is frequently performed in several stages. The first stage of reconstruction involves placing a tissue expander at the time of mastectomy. I usually prefer to place a minimal amount of volume of saline at the time of mastectomy as this often minimizes pain post-operatively. Minimal…
