Breast augmentation surgeries performed at our Austin, TX, practice today have changed significantly since I began as a plastic surgeon. Thanks to advancements both in the technology of making breast implants and surgical techniques such as “no-touch” breast augmentation, the procedure is safer and more effective than ever before.
Earlier in time, women who wanted to enhance their breasts had limited options when choosing implants, which made it difficult for surgeons to truly customize results to fit each woman’s individual needs. Over time, that has all changed. In this blog post, I’ll explain the changing world of breast augmentation and how patients benefit from those new product options and advanced surgical techniques.
Breast Implant Options
A little more than 10 years ago women who wanted larger breasts were limited to 1 product option: saline breast implants. That changed in 2006 when the FDA approved silicone-filled breast implants for breast augmentation. Now patients have a range of choices, as we explained in an earlier blog post that compares saline with silicone implants. Additionally, the choice of silicone gel implants has expanded significantly during the past 12 years. To put it simply, silicone gel implants now hold their shape better, so they won’t wrinkle or ripple like saline implants ca. They also feel more like natural breasts. That’s why about 85% of breast augmentation patients in the U.S. choose silicone gel implants.
Surgical Techniques
Plastic surgery is one of the most innovative fields in medicine, and dynamic changes occur often. All of the plastic surgeons at Synergy are at the forefront of the latest surgical techniques used in breast augmentation, including:
- “No-touch” augmentation: Using the Keller Funnel® to insert silicone gel breast implants at our Austin practice prevents the implants from touching the patient’s skin. This breakthrough device significantly minimizes the risk of infection, which has been linked to the development of capsular contracture (the primary breast augmentation complication). The Keller Funnel also reduces trauma and shortens recovery time for most patients.
- Fat transfer: Women looking for natural breast augmentation without implants may benefit from using their own fat to enhance the size of their breasts. This is an option for patients who want a modest increase.
- Dual-plane placement: Rather than placing breast implants completely behind or in front of the chest muscle, this technique creates the best of both worlds for many patients.
- Correcting breast asymmetry: Many of our patients get breast augmentation to make the size of their breasts the same.
The advanced techniques we use are designed to reduce bruising and bleeding and shorten a patient’s recovery time.
Breast Implant Sizing
We use the Mentor® Volume Sizing System to give our patients a way to visualize potential results based on different sizes of implants. This innovative system helps women actually “see” what implant size will create the results they desire.
As the techniques and products used for breast augmentation continue evolving, we are committed to staying at the forefront of those changes. If you’re considering a breast enhancement procedure, please contact us using the online form or call us at either (512) 244-1439 (Austin) or (512) 244-1444 (Round Rock) to schedule an appointment.
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