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Do-It-Yourself Breast Implant Sizers
Monday, April 30th, 2012
Get a feel for the perfect implant size in the comfort of your own home.
If you’re considering enhancing your bust with breast implants, there is a question before you that you must answer: how big? Doctors can make recommendation, and there exists costly imaging technology that can help you answer that question. However, there is an inexpensive alternative. Just make some implants and try them out.
No, we’re not suggesting you go out and fashion silicone gel implants yourself. What we are suggesting is that with a few household items, you can make breast implant sizers, wear them under a sports bra, and see what size feels right for you.
You’ll need:
- Pantyhose
- Dry Rice
- Measuring Cups
- Scissors
Cut off the legs of the pantyhose about halfway down the leg. Measure out dry rice and pour it into the cut-off pantyhose legs. 1 cup of rice is equal to about 250 cc, ½ cup comes out to 125 cc, and ¼ cup is equivalent to 75 cc.
Once you’ve measured out the desired amount of rice, compress the rice to the bottom of the leg and shape it into a round shape. Tie off the remaining hose, and cut off the excess. Rinse and repeat to make a pair and voila! You’ve created your own sample implants!
This technique gives you a tactile sense of what to expect from your new implants, both in feel and appearance. Try out a few sizes and decide which one feels best for you.
If you require a visual aid, here’s a video of some sizers being made:
Tags: cohesive gel breast implants, implant sizers
Posted in Breast Augmentation, Breast Implants, How-To | Comments Off
The Silicone Breast Implant Turns 50
Wednesday, April 4th, 2012
The procedure that started it all, performed in 1962
This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the day Timmie Jean Lindsey, a mother-of-six from Houston, Texas, became the first recipient of the silicone breast implant.
It may be hard to fathom now, with breast augmentation being the second-most popular form of plastic surgery in the United States and abroad (after liposuction), but it all started with a single patient. And she was only there for a tattoo removal.
While at the hospital to get a tattoo removed from her breast, her doctors, Frank Gerow and Thomas Cronin, offered her the chance to volunteer for a new procedure they had invented to enhance her bust size. After haggling a bit and getting a free ear lift out of the deal, she agreed.
Two hours later, history was made.
Cronin and Gerow initially conceived of the silicone breast implant to help women who had undergone mastectomies, but they had no idea that they had just stumbled onto a plastic surgery revolution.
“Sure it was a little bit exciting, but if I’d had a mirror to the future I’d have been dumbstruck,” said Thomas Biggs, who worked with Gerow and Cronin as a junior resident in 1962.
When Cronin presented his implant to the International Society of Plastic Surgeons in 1963, his discovery was met with much ardor. “The plastic surgery world was absolutely set on fire with enthusiasm,” says Biggs.
There had been many attempts, non-surgical and surgical, to enhance busts in the past, but the silicone implant appeared to be the first viable solution, with minimal side effects. Fifty years later, updated technology has made the implant even safer.
Timmie Jean, now 80, still has those historical implants inside her body. While time and gravity have taken their effect on her body like it would any aging woman, she’s proud to have a piece of history inside her.
“It’s kind of awesome to know that I was first,” she says.
Tags: breast implants, silicone implants
Posted in Breast Augmentation, Breast Implants, In The News | Comments Off
New Breast Implant Monitoring Technology a Possibility
Thursday, February 23rd, 2012
Ultrasound System Might Save Time and Money
Monitoring your breast implants can be costly and inconvenient, but that may all change with the advent of new monitoring procedures that could make the process far more efficient.
The Aesthetic Surgery Journal, partially funded by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), has released a study that explores the potential use of new portable, high-resolution ultrasound imaging technology to monitor the status of silicone breast implants.
The report’s lead author, Bradley Bengston, MD, found that, “portable, surgeon-performed, high-resolution ultrasound is feasible for screening silicone gel breast implants, matching the capabilities of MRI in detecting shell failure.”
Keeping a close eye on the integrity of silicone gel breast implants is an important breast augmentation maintenance, because unlike saline-filled breast implants, silicone gel implant failure is not as noticeable, and the implant may even maintain its shape after springing a leak.
Currently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the primary method of assessing the integrity of silicone implants. However, MRIs are costly, impractical, and can take time to book an appointment for a scan. This new ultrasound technology would offer comparable results to the MRI, but would be less expensive to use, and could be done in a doctor’s office.
According to Felmon Eaves, Clinical Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and co-author of this study, the technology could be used for more than just implant screening.
“This office-based technology may also have broader applications, such as hand and facial fracture identification and treatment, vein surgery and ablation, visualization prior to shaped implant rotation, identification and management of seroma, and general breast evaluation,” said Eaves.
The study is still ongoing, and will focus on calibrating the sensitivity of the technology, as well as ways to improve breast implant designs.
Tags: breast, breast implants, MRI, new technology, silicone implants, ultrasound
Posted in Breast Augmentation, Breast Implants | Comments Off
Hugo Chavez Criticizes Venezuela’s Latest Enemy: Breast Implants
Thursday, March 17th, 2011
Venezuela’s recent breast enhancement boom has not escaped the notice of the country’s leader Hugo Chavez, who now adds to his long list of complaints the work of plastic surgeons performing cosmetic breast surgery, which Chavez calls a “monstrous thing.”
According to a New York Times article, Chavez appeared on state television last weekend to denounce Venezuela’s burgeoning breast enhancement market, criticizing the amount of money spent on cosmetic procedures and shaming plastic surgeons who Chavez says “convince some women that if they don’t have some big bosoms, they should feel bad.”
Leading Venezuelan plastic surgeon Dr. Ramon Zapata disagreed with Chavez’s take on cosmetic breast surgery, saying, “I don’t think there should be any type of discrimination against these aesthetic procedures.”
El Nacional, an opposition newspaper, unsurprisingly also contested Chavez’s comments, comparing the Venezuelan leader to Libyan leader Muammar el-Qaddafi and saying, “Now comes this antiquated, militaristic, coarse, repressive attitude on the freedom of women to do what they want with their bodies.”
Regardless of whether one agrees with Chavez’s comments, they are well-timed in their delivery. Billboards in the country’s capital advertise loans for plastic surgery, gossip blogs teem with talk about cosmetic enhancement and the Venezuelan Society of Plastic Surgeons estimates that between 30,000 and 40,000 Venezuelan women seek breast implants each year.
Although Chavez has questioned the motives of breast augmentation patients, asking, “What is this, friend?!” he has not yet taken any action to prevent the thousands of Venezuelan women who desire bigger breasts from seeking plastic surgery, nor Venezuelan plastic surgeons from offering the procedure.
Tags: breast implants, plastic surgeons
Posted in Breast Augmentation, Breast Implants, In The News, Plastic Surgery | 153 Comments »
Plastic Surgery Organization Predicts Fat Melting, Facial Rejuvenation Hot in 2011
Tuesday, December 28th, 2010
When it comes to plastic surgery, consumer interests tend to change very little year-over-year, however the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery’s (ASAPS) recent press release suggests that new, non-invasive body shaping technologies are poised to gain more popularity in 2011, along with tried-and-true surgical procedures designed to address the customized needs of this generation of cosmetic surgery consumer.
Plastic Surgery
Facial rejuvenation surgeries, such as facelift, brow lift and short-scar facelift, or mini lift, procedures are expected to become increasingly popular in 2011, as many consumers rebound from economic hardship and seek treatments for sagging skin and wrinkles they’ve been putting off for the past year or two.
ASAPS anticipates that increased awareness of obesity risks and dramatic weight loss awaits many patients in 2011, thus ushering in the need for more body lift, thigh lift, arm lift and tummy tuck procedures, as well as others designed to remove loose, excess skin after weight loss.
Buttocks augmentation procedures such as the Brazilian butt lift, which is designed to give patients a plumper, shapelier posterior a la Kim Kardashian or Beyonce, will also continue to increase in popularity in 2011, according to ASAPS.
In addition, baby boomers with aging breast implants are also likely to need maintenance procedures, such as implant replacement surgery to exchange aging implants and breast lift surgery to lift drooping or sagging breasts.
Non-surgical Cosmetic Treatments
Injectable wrinkle relaxers and fillers, such as Botox, Juvederm, Restylane and Radiesse, became some of the most popular cosmetic treatments in 2010 and will continue to be widely used in 2011, according to ASAPS. The organization also noted that injectable treatments will continue to evolve over the next year, as scientists bring new wrinkle smoothing treatments to the U.S. market.
Non-invasive and minimally invasive cosmetic treatments will continue to increase in popularity as doctors and pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing companies work to give consumers new body contouring and skin rejuvenation options that don’t require surgery in 2011.
ASAPS predicts non-surgical fat-zappers such as Zerona and Zeltiq CoolSculpting will only continue to increase in popularity over the next year, and technological improvements will likely make these and other non-invasive fat reduction procedures more effective.
However, the organization reminds consumers that for the foreseeable future, minimally invasive surgical liposuction will remain the most effective method for permanent fat reduction.
It is unlikely most consumers will shy away from body shaping just because non-surgical procedures cannot yet produce the same results as liposuction, especially now that liposuction is less invasive than ever with the advent of super slim cannulas (fat suctioning tools) and other devices like lasers (SmartLipo), ultrasonic technology (VASER Lipo) and water jet technology (Body Jet Lipo).
Tags: body jet lipo, botox, breast implants, coolsculpting, injectable fillers, liposuction, liposuction alternative, plastic surgeons, smart lipo, vaser lipo, zeltiq, zerona
Posted in Breast Implants, Facial Plastic Surgery, Injectable Fillers, Liposuction, New Technology, Plastic Surgery | 132 Comments »
Controversy Over Heidi Montag Plastic Surgery Obsession Re-Ignites After Surgeon’s Death
Tuesday, December 7th, 2010
The untimely death of Dr. Frank Ryan, the celebrity plastic surgeon known for facilitating Heidi Montag’s plastic surgery obsession, has re-ignited public scrutiny of the reality TV star’s multiple cosmetic surgery procedures and the ethical questions they raise.
The most widely criticized aspect of the 10-procedure surgical makeover Dr. Ryan performed on Montag wasn’t the pair of nose jobs, liposuction or mini brow lift the then-23-year-old had done, but rather the gigantic G-cup breast implants Dr. Ryan gave her after surgically-enhancing her breasts for the first time about two years prior.
Heidi Montag has publicly denounced her obsession with plastic surgery and cartoonish new breasts since undergoing multiple plastic surgery procedures for the second time in November 2009, however before his death Dr. Frank Ryan expressed shock and surprise that Montag was experiencing buyer’s remorse.
“When I asked him how he could have been so foolish as to operate on someone like [Montag], he mentioned he was completely taken aback when she went public in such a negative fashion,” a source close to Dr. Ryan told Joan Kron in the December 2010 issue of Allure.
Dr. Steven Hoefflin, another colleague and friend of Dr. Ryan’s, said of the situation, “Frank said he had expected Heidi Montag would get publicity, but he was surprised at the tone and concerned about his reputation.”
While some surgeons defend Frank Ryan’s decision to perform the breast implant revision surgery and more on Montag, others feel it was unethical, especially given Montag’s notorious attention-seeking behavior and outlandish cosmetic goals. In fact, many plastic surgeons agree that ensuring good plastic surgery outcomes and avoiding post-procedure regret is largely dependent on patient selection.
“Plastic surgery obsession is a danger made all too real by television reality shows, Hollywood tabloids and glamour magazines,” says Indiana breast augmentation specialist Dr. David Robinson. “One warning sign I always look for is a patient with unrealistic expectations. It is very important for a plastic surgeon to distinguish between what a patient desires and what is realistically achievable.”
According to Dr. Robinson, trouble and patient dissatisfaction typically follow situations where plastic surgeons don’t first consider patient safety and ethics. In fact, Dr. Robinson shares the sentiments of many plastic surgeons who feel that it is better to decline to perform breast revision surgery rather than move forward with a procedure that may unnecessarily increase surgical risks and jeopardize aesthetic results.
“In terms of how I would address a patient presenting to my office to discuss a revision on a procedure I felt achieved a successful result, such as a breast augmentation patient who wanted to go much larger, I would review the discussion and expectations we had during her two preoperative visits. If the patient remained insistent on wanting to proceed with the revision, I would decline reoperating on the patient and offer them a referral to another plastic surgeon,” says Dr. Robinson.
Tags: breast implants, brow lift, liposuction, plastic surgeons, revision surgery, rhinoplasty
Posted in Breast Augmentation, Breast Implants, In The News, Plastic Surgery | 3 Comments »
Botox May Offer Breast Reconstruction Patients a Solution for Pain
Friday, November 19th, 2010
The popular wrinkle-relaxer Botox may have yet another use, according to Vancouver breast surgeon Dr. Allen Gabriel. Dr. Gabriel recently discovered through clinical trials that Botox injections can be used for pain management in patients suffering from discomfort after mastectomy and breast reconstruction.
Chris Durst, a 58-year-old breast cancer survivor and participant in Dr. Gabriel’s study, reported feeling zero post-operative pain following Botox injections to her chest.
“They’d [medical professionals would ask] say, ‘On a scale of one to ten?’ I’d said, ‘I’m a zero.’ Then they’d say, ‘You’re kidding?’ and I’d say, ‘Nope, I’m not, I’m just completely comfortable,’” said Durst.
Dr. Gabriel looked to Botox to help mastectomy patients who choose to have their breasts reconstructed using tissue expanders and breast implants, as the process of stretching the skin and muscles of the chest can be quite painful.
“As you’re pressing against a very thick muscle that’s very active on a daily basis, that’s when the pain and discomfort occurs,” said Dr. Gabriel.
During the trials, which included 30 breast reconstruction patients, Dr. Gabriel administered Botox injections to the chest muscles of a test group and injections of saline solution to a placebo group. The test group was reportedly more comfortable and experienced less pain after surgery than the placebo group.
“It’s been very exciting to see something that we read online; thought that it was a problem and now we have a solution,” said Dr. Gabriel.
As the millions of patients who have sought Botox injections for wrinkle reduction, excessive sweating and migraine treatment already know, Botox cost is not insignificant, especially when several units of the product are needed to achieve pain relief.
However, given the fact that the cost of Botox injections is often covered by insurance when used for FDA-approved pain management purposes, it is likely that Botox used for breast reconstruction pain management would also be covered if the procedure gains FDA approval.
“It is important for us to remember, unfortunately we are taking away part of their femininity; that’s how people look at it and [so we need to] do everything we can to support what’s going to make them [the patient] happy,” said Dr. Gabriel.
Tags: breast cancer, breast implants, breast reconstruction, mastectomy
Posted in Botox, Breast Implants | 14 Comments »
Raffles and Contests: Why Some Plastic Surgeons Don’t Participate
Friday, September 24th, 2010
A new reality series on E! is said to offer plastic surgery procedures as prizes for soon-to-be brides prior to their 
wedding day. The show, “Bridalplasty” is the latest television program to feature plastic surgery, and some say it presents the “most shocking” premise yet.
via ABC news:
Each week, a group of women competes head-to-head in such challenges as writing wedding vows and planning honeymoons. The winner receives the chance to choose a plastic surgery procedure from her “wish list.” She’s given the procedure immediately, and results are shown at the start of the following week’s episode.
Is it ethical to give away plastic surgery as a prize? Professional organizations such as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons say it is not and prohibit their members from participating in a raffle or contest in which the prize is a plastic surgery procedure (a treatment requiring an incision). The ethical objections stem primarily from the possibility that a winner of the contest would not be a suitable or safe candidate for surgery.
Some medical practitioners are not governed by such ethical principles, especially outside the United States. It’s becoming more and more common to see contests and raffles for procedures that have a broad public appeal, such as breast augmentation for example.
In Venezuela, a political candidate running for office in the National Assembly is raffling off breast implants in an attempt to raise funds for his campaign. According to Reuters news, the candidate went on record saying that the raffle was nothing more than a “financing mechanism.”
Although the winner of such a contest could achieve good results from surgery, raffles and contests are not acceptable replacements for proper patient selection. If you’re considering breast augmentation, seek out a board certified plastic surgeon who is practicing in accordance with a specific and reputable code of ethics.
Tags: contest, free plastic surgery
Posted in Breast Implants, In The News | No Comments »
Lessons Learned From Botched Boob Jobs
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
Sheyla Hershey with 38KKK silicone breast implants
Botched boob jobs are constantly making headlines, but the stories seem to do little more than pique the casual interest of shoppers stuck in checkout lines or entertain salon clients as they sit under hair dryers.
However, an article in the Orange County Register pointed out that many recent high profile breast implant disasters serve as cautionary tales and teach valuable lessons to prospective breast augmentation patients.
Buyer beware breast augmentation
The article starts by outlining the story of Kenyatta Brown, a mother of four who went to an Atlanta eye doctor in hopes of getting discounted breast implants. The surgeon was obviously practicing outside his specialty, which is ophthalmology, and nearly caused Brown to bleed to death during surgery.
Unsafe breast augmentation goals
The second botched boob job tale is decidedly the most “high profile” of the three, as it involves the 38KKK bustline of Sheyla Hershey, owner of the world’s largest breast implants.
Unable to get the gigantic breast implants she desired in the U.S. due to legal restrictions, Hershey traveled to Brazil to have her most recent breast surgery, after which she developed a near-fatal staph infection that forced her to have the new silicone breast implants removed. Hershey may also lose her natural breasts in whole or in part due to the infection.
Traveling abroad for breast surgery
Finally, the article concludes by describing the story of Nicola Stratton who flew from the UK to Los Angeles to undergo 30 hours of plastic surgery, including breast augmentation, for the British Extreme Makeover TV show.
After one of Stratton’s saline breast implants deflated and she developed a common scar tissue problem called capsular contracture, Stratton needed breast revision surgery but didn’t have the means to travel all the way to her original surgeon in L.A. for follow up or pay the necessary $5,000 hospital fee for the revision surgery.
Choosing the right breast augmentation surgeon
These stories of breast surgery gone bad primarily point out what patients should avoid when seeking breast enhancement and illustrate the importance of choosing a New Jersey breast augmentation surgeon who:
- Is certified in plastic surgery by the American Board of Plastic Surgery or Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
- Adheres to U.S. and Canadian health care laws and ethical practice guidelines
- Is located in an area that you can afford to travel to for follow up and breast revision surgery, if needed
- Will help you set realistic expectations and achieve healthy cosmetic goals
Tags: plastic surgeons, revision surgery
Posted in Breast Augmentation, Breast Implants, In The News | 144 Comments »
French Breast Implant Recall May Mean Revision Surgery For Thousands
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
According to a guidance issued by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, an estimated 50,000 British women may need to have their breast implants removed if rupture is detected, due to the recall of French-made Poly Implant Prostheses (PIP) breast implants.
The guidance was issued in response to an inquiry by the French Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, which found that the PIP implants were filled with an unapproved silicone gel that had not undergone safety tests and were not equipped with an essential protective barrier, making them prone to rupture.
Breast implant ruptures are uncommon in the FDA-approved breast implants used in the U.S., but when ruptures caused by implant malfunction or breast trauma occur, it’s important to know how to detect the rupture, as well as your options for correction.
In saline breast implants, ruptures are usually easy to detect because the implants deflate and noticeably lose volume. In cohesive silicone gel breast implants, ruptures are not as obvious and require an MRI for detection.
Many women who experience a rupture in one or both breast implants choose to exchange their implants for new ones via breast augmentation revision surgery, while other women choose to simply undergo breast explant surgery, or implant removal, and do not have their implants replaced.
When breast implants are removed and a breast augmentation revision is not pursued, a breast lift may be performed to remove skin stretched by the breast implants. Some women may even choose to forego revision surgery when ruptured breast implants do not cause problems with breast appearance or health.
If you discover your breast implants have ruptured, it is important to remain calm, as there is no immediate health risk. Consult an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon who can show you before and after pictures of their breast revision surgery patients and help you decide whether breast augmentation revision or breast explant surgery, with or without a breast lift, is the right choice for you.
Tags: cohesive gel breast implants, revision surgery
Posted in Breast Implants, In The News | 52 Comments »
