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Correcting Breast Malformations with Cosmetic Surgery

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One of the many things I’ve learned throughout more than 30 years as a board-certified plastic surgeon is that there are countless reasons why patients seek breast surgery. Some patients are dissatisfied with the size or position of their breasts, but for others, they’re taking a step toward correcting a malformation that has plagued their self-esteem for years. While every woman’s breasts are unique, some women have breasts that, whether naturally or as a result of weight fluctuations, pregnancy, or breastfeeding, are abnormal enough to make them feel self-conscious. Below, I explain a few of the more common breast irregularities and how they can be corrected with breast surgery.

Infographic 04.06.15Tubular Breasts

Tubular or tuberous breasts occur when the bottom of the breast is significantly shorter than the top of the breast. While it’s somewhat common, this condition can still cause a woman much embarrassment. Because tuberous breasts are often small and underdeveloped as well, a breast augmentation procedure which also corrects any other manifestations of the condition can often effectively address the problem.

Asymmetrical Breasts

Experts estimate that the majority of women have some degree of breast asymmetry, which is not medically harmful, but for women whose breasts are significantly different in size, height, nipple placement, or shape, their appearance can have a strong effect on their self-confidence. Depending on the way in which the patient’s breasts are asymmetrical, she may benefit from a breast augmentation (if one breast is smaller than the other and she prefers the size of the larger breast), breast reduction (if the breasts are different sizes and she prefers the size of the smaller breast), or a breast lift (if the breasts differ in shape, position, or nipple placement).

Elongated Breasts

Most women experience some degree of sagging breasts as they age, but depending on genetic factors and life events like childbearing or dramatic weight loss, some women find that their breasts become unappealingly elongated, in some cases causing the nipples to point downward. These women typically see significant and satisfying results from a breast lift surgery, which removes excess skin, reshapes the breast, and lifts it to a higher position.

Enlarged Areola

While the size of the areola is often related to breast size, for some women, the areola can become exceptionally enlarged and be a source of embarrassment, especially as swimsuit season draws near. While each patient’s procedure is customized to meet her needs and aesthetic goals, areola reduction can be included in many breast procedures.

Many women feel that their breasts are a core part of their appearance and their femininity, so malformations can have an especially strong effect on their self-esteem. Fortunately, plastic surgery has made significant progress in helping women have breasts that make them feel beautiful and self-assured. To learn what type of procedure can give you the best results toward your cosmetic goals, schedule a consultation or join me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for daily updates and information about the procedures I offer.

Is a Mommy Makeover Right for Me?

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As a board-certified plastic surgeon, part of what makes my job so enjoyable is being able to work with such a wide variety of patients. From patients who are experiencing the unwelcomed effects of aging, to those who have always felt insecure and unhappy with their appearance, plastic surgery can help many kinds of people to improve their self-confidence. One of the most common types of patients that I work with, however, is women who have had one or more children and want to return to their pre-pregnancy figure. Pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding have a profound effect on many areas of a woman’s body, and a common solution is to combine multiple procedures into one comprehensive surgery, called a mommy makeover. To help guide patients who are deciding whether or not a mommy makeover is what they’re looking for, I’ve compiled a few questions for patients to ask themselves when considering this procedure.

Do you want to see improvement in multiple areas of your body?
A mommy makeover is different for every patient, but it simply refers to combining a cluster of procedures that intend to help a woman counteract the ways that pregnancy has changed her body. Most women benefit from the combination of a breast procedure, a tummy tuck, and liposuction. Because every woman’s body responds differently to pregnancy and/or breastfeeding, some women desire a breast augmentation to restore volume that has been lost, while others are left with enlarged breasts and prefer a breast reduction, but most women need a breast lift in order to restore a more youthful shape and position, which can be combined with an augmentation or reduction as well. While a tummy tuck can serve multiple purposes by removing excess fat and loose skin in the midsection as well as tightening the stretched abdominal muscles, liposuction is used for areas that only need fat removal, such as the hips or thighs. For patients who would like to see results in more than one area of the body, a mommy makeover can be a more satisfying choice.

Would you benefit from minimized recovery time and surgical costs?
By combining multiple cosmetic procedures into one surgery, a mommy makeover provides several bonus benefits to the patient. First, the recovery time is minimized. While it’s true that it often takes patients longer to recovery from a mommy makeover rather than a simpler procedure, like a tummy  tuck alone, the total recovery time for three procedures is lowered dramatically when everything is done in one surgery, as illustrated by the graphic below.

Mommy makeover atlanta alpharetta georgia

A mommy makeover can also significantly lower costs. The total price of plastic surgery includes a number of different costs, from surgeon’s fees and the anesthesia to the surgical facility to the medications used. By only using the surgical facility and anesthesia once, having one longer surgery as opposed to three more brief procedures can lower several of these costs.

Are you planning to have more children?
Understandably, many women are eager to return to their pre-pregnancy figure as soon as possible. However, I always recommend that patients wait until they are finished having children before pursuing a mommy makeover surgery. While plastic surgery can help to remedy the effects of pregnancy, it cannot prevent the same effects from occurring after future pregnancies, so patients can find themselves experiencing the same aesthetic concerns after having another child. The patients who will see longer-lasting and more satisfactory surgical results are those who wait until they’re ready to stop having children.

Has your body not returned to what it once was despite being in good physical health?
While many women do have added fat to lose after pregnancy, “losing the baby weight” is not always that simple. While diet and exercise can help new mothers maintain or return to a healthy weight, pregnancy can also cause loose skin and stretched muscles that cannot be resolved with a healthy lifestyle. As we continue to see women waiting until later years to have children, this is especially true for more mature mothers, as aging has made their bodies less able to “bounce back” than the bodies of younger mothers. Candidates for mommy makeover surgery should be in good health and should be seeking plastic surgery to improve the effects of motherhood that have been resistant to diet and exercise, rather than to take the place of a healthy lifestyle.

Pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood require a lot from a woman’s body, and they should be a source of pride. However, we live in an age where women can be mothers without having to give up their career, their interests, or their social lives, and thanks to cosmetic procedures like the mommy makeover, mothers don’t need to give up their figure either. To start setting up a plan to restore your body’s pre-pregnancy youth, schedule a consultation with me, Dr. Franklyn Elliott, and join me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ in the meantime to start learning more about the procedures I offer.

Rejuvenation from the Neck Down

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One of the common reasons patients seek cosmetic surgery is to combat the signs of aging. With all the information we have about staying healthier for longer, many patients find that even though they still feel young and energetic, their outward appearance does not match. Most people work to resolve this by trying to minimize the impact that aging has had on the face. This is an understandable approach—after all, our face is often the first thing that others notice about us, and it is frequently exposed regardless of what we wear. However, all it takes is a dissatisfied look in the mirror to remind us that aging happens to our entire body, and that having an appearance that matches how we feel involves paying attention to what’s below the neck as well.

happy couple (small)One area where gravity tends to take a toll is the underside of the upper arm. Between the loss of skin elasticity with age and weight fluctuations throughout life, many patients find that their arms have loose and sagging skin that hangs down from the upper arm. For these patients, an arm lift procedure can take years off their appearance and help them to once again feel more confident in their appearance—especially while wearing short sleeves during the summer months. There are 3 general ways to improve the upper arms, depending on the physical findings as well as patient’s desired results—liposuction only, skin excision only, or a combination of both. In some patients who have minimally sagging skin, only liposuction is needed to improve the contour of the arm. For those with more skin to be removed, an incision either in the armpit or down the back of the arm may be indicated, depending on the amount and location of the skin to be removed, the amount of scarring a patient allows, and the amount of enhancement the patient wants. In many patients, I use a combination of liposuction and skin excision to create a more contoured and toned shape. In all of these cases, the goal is to achieve a balance between the amount of scarring, the physical findings and the desired result.

For both men and women, the chest is another area of concern that can make patients feel that their body looks older than they feel. For women, a breast lift procedure can restore a more youthful appearance to the chest. While some patients choose to implement breast augmentation with their breast lift, this procedure most often does not involve a change to the size of the breast, but simply raises the breast to a more youthful and “perky” position. For men, excess fat and lax skin in the chest area can create the appearance of breasts. Male breast reduction surgery can remove the unwanted tissue to give the chest a more contoured and rejuvenated shape.

Finally, the abdomen is a third area where patients are affected by aging. The loss of skin elasticity and muscle tone can occur naturally with age, and for some women, the tummy area is further affected by pregnancy and weight fluctuations. For these patients, a tummy tuck can provide significant rejuvenation for the midsection. This procedure varies based on the individual patient’s needs, but can involve a combination of liposuction, muscle repair, removal of excess skin, and tightening the remaining skin, a tummy tuck can give the abdomen a firmer and younger appearance while only leaving a scar that can be easily concealed by normal undergarments.

As a board certified plastic surgeon, I am honored to have worked with many patients to help them achieve a younger appearance that matches their fresh and energetic feel. Each patient has unique needs and concerns, and for some, the best way to achieve their aesthetic goals is through a combination of the procedures above or other plastic surgery options. The first step is to consider scheduling a consultation with me, Dr. Franklyn Elliott, to discuss how you would like to enhance and rejuvenate your appearance, and stay up-to-date on our procedures and technologies through Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

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