Dr. Wendy NgPlastic Surgery 714-988-6330

Breast augmentation, breast lift surgery in Orange, Anaheim, Newport Beach, Irvine in Orange County and in Long Beach

Breast enlargement surgery, also known as breast augmentation or augmentation mammaplasty surgery, involves surgery to increase the size of the breasts. Women who have naturally small breasts who desire more fullness and cleavage, or women who have asymmetry of the breasts, or women who have had deflation of the breasts after childbearing or breastfeeding are often candidates. In this procedure, breasts are made larger by implants that are placed either below or above the muscle, depending on your anatomic characteristics and goals. Breast augmentation differes from breast lift (mastopexy) surgery in that a breast lift repositions the breast mound and the nipple-areolar complex in a sagging breast, although these procedures can also be performed in conjunction with one another depending on your needs.

Silicone or saline are the two types of breast implants that are most commonly used in augmentation mammaplasty. Silicone implants feel more like natural breasts than saline ones. However, if a saline implant ruptures, saline is naturally absorbed by the body, whereas if a silicone implant has an extracapsular rupture (a rupture to the outer capsule), silicone filler leaks into the body, With modern implants, the silicone filler usually stays within the area of rupture.

Allergan, a breast implant manufacturing company, recalled textured implants in July 2019. Dr. Ng has not placed any textured implants in patients to date, but if you are considering removing or replacing textured implants, please book a consultation. Dr. Ng is skilled at removing breast implants, as well as the capsular tissue that surrounds implants.

If you are aiming to replace your textured implants due to the recall, Dr. Ng can replace them with smooth implants. If you no longer desire the larger volume of an implant anymore, Dr. Ng can remove your implants and perform a breast lift or mastopexy to restore more youthful-looking breasts.

Breast implants are placed behind the breast, either underneath the breast tissue itself or under the muscle of the chest wall called the pectoralis major. The procedure lasts 1 to 2 hours, and is typically performed under general anesthesia. The skin incision is usually in the crease on the underside of the breast or around the areola to minimize scar visibility. The breast tissue is then lifted, and Dr. Ng creates a pocket into which the implant is carefully placed with precision and skill.

The answer depends on your anatomy and your goals. When an implant is placed behind the pectoralis muscle, there is some risk of visibility of implant movement with muscle contraction, but the advantage is more soft tissue coverage. For patients with very little breast tissue, this can mean that placement behind the muscle is advantageous. For other patients who have more substantial natural breast tissue, placement above the muscle may appear more natural. To discuss which options are best for you, schedule a consultation with Dr. Ng.

The size and shape of your breast implants depends on your desired look. In order to give a rough estimation of the size of breast implants that you would like, Dr. Ng recommends trying the "rice test". In this at home test, cut a length of pantyhose and tie a knot on one end (do not use the foot part of the pantyhose). Add varying amounts of rice and then tie the open end somewhat loosely so that the rice will conform reasonably to your breast shape while in clothes and when placed inside your bra. Try this on and make a note of the amount of cups of rice (or mL of rice, or cubic centimeters of rice) that give you the contour and size you are wishing for. Bring this information to your consultation!

After breast augmentation, you are immediately placed in a post-surgical bra to help protect your new shape. This surgical bra offers support and coverage for your incisions. You will have a postoperative office visit in about a week, and you should limit yourself to light activities. Dr. Ng encourages you to walk around. Sutures are absorbable, and small tapes are placed over your incisions for extra support. It takes a year for scars to fade to their final form, and breasts start off swollen but settle into their new positions with time over a matter of months.

A breast augmentation with a breast lift, also called as a mastopexy-augmentation, involves increasing the size of the breasts while also repositioning the nipple areolar complex to a higher, perkier position that still appears natural. For the mastopexy portion of this procedure, this often includes removing excess, saggy breast skin in order to use remaining skin and tissue to hold the breast implants up in a more youthful, aesthetically pleasing position. Scars are usually hidden around the nipple-areolar complex or as a vertical scar on the undersurface of the breasts. To find out if this is the best option for you, schedule a consultation with Dr. Ng.

Depending on the reasons as to why you wish for your breast implants to be removed, the exact procedure varies from breast implant removal alone to capsulectomy (removal of the scar tissue around the implant) to en-block capsulectomy with implant removal (removal of the breast implant along with all of the scar tissue around the implant in one unit). The size of the incision that is made, which is typically on the undersurface of your breast, depends on these options. If your breast implant has resulted in sagging or stretching of your breast tissue, sometimes Dr. Ng may recommend a breast lift or mastopexy, either at the time of breast implant removal or a few months after breast implant removal in order to allow your breast tissue to retract/tighten up again naturally. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Ng about explant surgery at her Orange County office.

The procedure for revising breast implants depends on your reason for wanting implant revision surgery. Please bring your medical records from your previous surgeries to your consultation with Dr. Ng. Dr. Ng may use a variety of techniques to help you achieve the result you desire. Sometimes, this involves removing or altering scar tissue from your previous surgery, replacement of your breast implants to a different shape or size or in a different plane, or a breast lift surgery.

For the first 48 hours, you may apply an ice pack to your surgical areas; 20 minutes on, then 20 minutes off. Do not apply the ice pack directly onto your skin – use a towel in between. You may shower 48 ours after surgery. It is fine for the Steri-strips to get wet, just pat them dry afterwards. Do not soak in any hot tubs, pools, or ocean. You should make an appointment to see Dr. Ng within a week of your surgery, or sooner if you have any earlier concerns!