Breast Augmentation San Diego

1. SILICONE OR SALINE?

The first option a patient has is the choice between silicone breast implants or saline breast implants.

Silicone breast implants are softer and will feel more like natural breasts. But while silicone implants feel more natural, detecting a future abnormality or rupture would be more difficult: Silicone implants are self-contained units, so little to none of their content would quickly spill within the body in the unlikely event of an accident.

Saline breast implants are firmer and more rubbery than silicone implants. Made of primarily body-absorbable salt water, saline implants tend to grant a degree of additional safety and peace of mind over time, however, in the rare event one or both implants were to rupture, the affected breast would visibly flatten out within about 24 hours.

2. ROUND OR CONTOURED?

The second option a patient has is a choice between quite rounded implants, and fairly raindrop-shaped, contoured implants.

Round breast implants are the more popular of the two choices, their primary advantage being that because they are radially equivalent on all sides, even if they were to shift or rotate over time, that change would be unnoticeable.

Contoured or raindrop-shaped implants present more naturally, but their probable downside is that most patients seeking breast augmentation in San Diego also want the upward lift and upward volume better afforded by round breast implants. A contoured, or profiled, implant is also susceptible to shifting over time — though there are ways this can be preventatively addressed.

3. SIZE MATTERS: BUT HOW MUCH?

Breast implants are measured in cubic centimeters (CC) and come in nearly every size imaginable. Commonly used breast implant sizes range from 200 cc to 850 cc, with 200 to 400 cc being the most common. The selection of a size varies greatly from person to person and depends on an individual's beauty goals and personal preferences.

The best metric to use in choosing breast implants isn't cup size, but proportionality — how large or small relative to the rest of the upper body. Dr. Sadrian will help you settle on a size you are comfortable with, as well as help you envision what various sizes would be like. Though breast implants are semi-permanent, Dr. Sadrian will be able to give you a very good idea of the final outcome well before your San Diego breast augmentation procedure begins.

4. CHOOSE A PROFILE: LOW, MODERATE, OR HIGH

There are three choices of profile available. Profile refers to how much an implant projects forward, away from the chest, when a patient is standing up. Two implants of the same cubic centimeter size can have entirely different profile projections:

Low Profile Breast Implants are relatively flat in appearance and project the least off of the chest. Here is a good example of where a larger CC breast implant could still give a great look.

Moderate Profile Breast Implants are a mid-range implant and will tend to produce the most natural profile.

High Profile Breast Implants project the most off of the chest wall, while being quite narrow at the base. High profile implants will give the fullest, roundest result possible. Taken to extremes, this could end up looking unnatural, though Dr. Sadrian can help in finding a great combination of profile and size (CC) to produce results that match your goals as closely as possible for your San Diego breast augmentation.

5. ABOVE OR BELOW THE CHEST MUSCLES?

As to where the implants are physically located within the body, there are, again, two choices.

Breast implants can either be placed above or below the pectoralis muscle (chest muscle). Implanting below the chest muscle will give a higher rise and a slightly larger bust, and will reduce the likelihood of "capsular contracture" — scar tissue forming around the implant, which could make it less healthy and more firm than desired.

Implanting above the pectoralis muscle is less painful, and in this position the breast implant visually ages more naturally. Implants above the muscle can also tend to turn the nipples nicely upward — a “beckoning breast.”

6. SMOOTH OR TEXTURED?

The fourth decision in breast augmentation San Diego patients face is whether to use an implant with a smooth outer surface, or a lightly textured outer surface. Let's compare the two:

Smooth Implants

Smooth implants have a greater chance of moving around in the pocket they're nestled in, but tend to have a longer life and a lower rate of rupture.

Textured implants

Textured implants have a thicker outer shell that makes them feel more firm. Texturing is a later breast implant development, created for the purpose of reducing the risk of scarring (capsular contracture) and to allow the implant to better hold itself within the pocket it sits.

7. INCISION TYPE AND LOCATION

Here we have one of four choices to make: Inframammary, Periareolar, Transaxillary, or Transumbilical.

Inframammary

This is the most common breast implant incision type. Here Dr. Sadrian will place an incision in the crease under the breast, giving the greatest access when placing and positioning implants, and leaving the patient with an almost imperceptible scar line hidden by the breast.

Periareolar:

This is also an extremely common incision choice. The surgeon makes an incision near the lower half of the areola, which placement tends to hide the scar.

Transumbilical or Transaxillary:

The transumbilical incision is done in the naval area, at the top rim of the belly button. The transaxillary incision is done in the armpit area leaving no scar on the breast. These options are much less common and are only options when using saline implants. The empty shell of a saline implant would be inserted while empty and only filled once it is in its final position. Again, most San Diego breast augmentation patients opt for “Inframammary,” which requires a small incision in the crease under the breast.

With a large variety of options, it is very easy for a patient to settle on an implant size, type, and style that makes them most comfortable and Dr. Sadrian will be more than happy to discuss, suggest, and advise at each step of the decision process to help you closely reach the aesthetic body goals you have in mind.