Women may decide to undergo plastic surgery to enlarge or reduce their breasts, to achieve a balance in size or shape of their breasts, or to reconstruct one or both breasts after mastectomy. Men may also seek to reduce breast size. Whatever the motivation, breast surgery is safer and easier now than ever before.
Dr. Hunsaker Performs The Following Breast Procedures:
A breast augmentation, also known as an augmentation mammaplasty or a breast enlargement, is a cosmetic surgery that increases breast size or fixes breast asymmetry. Breast augmentation enlarges breasts using implants or by fat transplantation. Unless done in conjunction, augmentation mammaplasty is not a substitute for a mastopexy, which is a breast lift that corrects significant sagging.
A breast lift, clinically known as mastopexy, has the goal of returning the breasts to a higher position on the chest. To accomplish this, excess skin and sometimes fat is removed, tissue is repositioned, and the nipples and areolae are usually repositioned higher on breasts. If the patient feels she has lost too much volume, the breasts can easily be augmented during the procedure by placing implants.
Women with large breasts who are unhappy with their appearance or have medical complications due to their breasts may benefit from breast reduction surgery. This procedure, also known as a reduction mammoplasty, removes fat and glandular tissue from the breast while tightening skin to produce smaller breasts that are more comfortable and in a healthier proportion to the rest of the body.
The overdevelopment of male breasts, also known as gynecomastia, affects an estimated 40 to 60 percent of men. This condition may be caused by a hormonal imbalance, side effects from drugs, or may occur for no particular reason at all. But despite the cause, the condition is significant and may pose a serious problem in a man’s life.
What Can I Expect After Breast Surgery?
Your recovery may be slightly unique based on the type of breast surgery you have done. In general, recovery from breast surgery requires at least a few days off work. The more physically demanding your job is, the more days off you may need before returning. You can expect some bruising and swelling that last a few weeks or longer. Furthermore, you'll most likely rely on prescription pain medication for at least a few days after your procedure.
Your post-op instructions may include directions regarding physical activity (no heavy lifting or strenuous exercise), when you can bathe, and what to avoid, such as hot tubs and swimming pools. During the first week after your surgery, your primary focus should be rest. Listening to your body for this initial stage of your recovery will serve to facilitate optimal tissue healing and the return of your normal energy level.
Should I Get Breast Augmentation Or A Breast Lift?
Breast augmentation and breast lift procedures can both enhance your appearance but in different ways.
Breast augmentation is a great option if your primary concern is that your breasts are smaller than you'd like. The careful selection and placement of saline or silicone implants can also correct asymmetry. What breast augmentation does not do is restore the appearance of perkiness and firmness in cases of more significant breast ptosis (sagging).
Breast lift surgery is done to correct moderate to severe sagging. The objective is to lift the natural breast mound to return it to a more youthful, shapely height on the chest wall. While the breasts may appear slightly fuller and definitely perkier, there is no increase in volume that occurs with a breast lift. Only breast augmentation can achieve this.
Keep in mind that whether or not you should get breast augmentation or a breast lift is not a "this or that" question. Many women determine that the best approach to getting their ideal surgical outcome is to combine these two techniques. During your consultation for breast surgery, Dr. Hunsaker will listen carefully to your concerns and goals and will combine that information with the data collected through a thorough examination of your breasts.
Is Male Breast Reduction Worth It?
Men who live with enlarged breasts often go through a lot to try to disguise their shape. If your breasts are large, puffy, and shaped more like a woman's breast, you may wear very loose clothing. You may wear a binder of some sort. You may work out excessively in hopes that you can tone your breasts into shape. Chances are you'd do just about anything to avoid being seen without a shirt on. The issue with male breast enlargement, referred to as gynecomastia, is that it isn't a "fat" issue. There is extra fatty tissue in the breast area because there is also extra glandular tissue. This cannot be exercised away. It must be removed by an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon.
Male breast reduction permanently removes the tissue that is causing your breasts to look larger and less masculine than they should. It restores your male contours and, in doing that, can have a massive impact on your level of confidence in your body. We dare say that's worth it!
