Breast Enhancement Surgery

This is one of the most common procedures performed by plastic surgeons. It is used to enlarge breasts in patients who seek to enhance their appearance. A breast implant is typically inserted immediately underneath the breast tissue or the underneath the pectoralis major muscle. The more common incisions are at the edge of the areola or underneath the breast. There are many factors to consider with breast augmentation and we feel that it is not a surgery that should be chosen or planned at a single visit. Typically, an initial consultation in the office focuses on listening to your thoughts and wishes about implant size, type, and other factors. Often at a second visit, we suggest that part of your time is spent with our patient educator, Jen, who is trained in sizing and implant selection techniques. This portion of the decision is very important. Armed with a more thorough set of information, you can return with any decisions about surgery and often additional questions. This way you are making a highly informed choice prior to surgery with Dr. Scott.

What to expect: During the office consultation you will discuss all aspects of the procedure with Dr. Scott in order to establish a thorough and well-informed plan. Your procedure will begin after consulting with Dr. Scott and your anesthesiologist or anesthetist. Dr. Scott will mark and measure your breasts prior to surgery according to the plan discussed with you. Typical incisions are placed either at the edge of the areola and breast skin, or in the fold beneath your breast. These incisions are typically sized according to the implant used. From these incisions the pre-selected implant is placed either under the breast tissue or immediately under the lower portion of the pectoralis muscle. An individually tailored plan for you is created in clinic with Dr. Scott and staff depending on your wishes and the circumstances.

The recovery: The breast will have some bruising and swelling that improves over several weeks. Your postoperative course is monitored in the clinic by Dr. Scott and the staff. Local anesthetic and pain medication are often used to manage any discomfort you might have after the operation. We ask that you avoid wearing an underwire bra, but a camisole or other soft bra is usually safe.

Some of the unlikely complications: Infections, fluid collections, or bleeding can occur following any type of breast surgery, and may require surgical drainage or rarely removal of the implant. Changes in nipple sensation can occur. Some asymmetry in breasts is expected before and after the operation. Very rarely, the nipple or areola can be changed or damaged. A more complete discussion of the risks, benefits, and alternatives will always be included at your visit. As always, our efforts are directed at minimizing the risk of these complications and optimizing your safety.

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This is a common procedure used to raise and reshape the aging or "drooping" breast. This operation places the nipple and areola into a more youthful position. This lift can be combined with breast augmentation to further improve the appearance of the breast, depending on the patient's wishes and individual circumstances. There are many techniques used to accomplish these goals. The techniques tend to differ with regard to the skin incisions used as well as the positioning of the breast tissue. Most of the techniques are similar to techniques used in breast reduction. Underneath the skin, the surgeon must be careful to preserve the blood supply to the nipple. Some of the more common techniques utilize a scar around the areola and vertical scar that continues to the fold underneath the breast. An additional transverse scar underneath the breast is sometimes used and can vary substantially in length depending on the circumstances.

What to expect: During the office consultation you will discuss all aspects of the procedure with Dr. Scott in order to establish a thorough and well-informed plan. Your procedure will begin after consulting with Dr. Scott and your anesthesiologist or anesthetist. Dr. Scott will mark and measure your breasts prior to surgery according to the plan discussed with you. Typical incisions are shaped so that they result in a vertical scar extending from around the edge of your areola down to the fold underneath your breast. From these incisions, your skin and breast tissue are reshaped in order to raise the breast and position of the nipple and areola. Additional techniques such as liposuction might be added to complete the individually tailored plan for you, depending on your wishes and the circumstances.

The recovery: The breast will have some bruising and swelling that improves over several weeks. Your postoperative course is monitored in the clinic by Dr. Scott and the staff. Local anesthetic and pain medication are often used to manage any discomfort you might have after the operation. We ask that you avoid wearing an underwire bra, but a camisole or other soft bra is safe.

Some of the unlikely complications: Infections, fluid collections, or bleeding can occur following any type of breast surgery, and may require surgical drainage. Some asymmetry in breasts is expected before and after the operation. Very rarely, the nipple or areola can be damaged by poor blood supply. A more complete discussion of the risks, benefits, and alternatives will always be included at your visit. As always, our efforts are always directed at minimizing the risk of these complications and optimizing your safety.

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Breast reduction surgery is designed to carefully reduce and re-shape a woman's breasts. This common procedure also tends to raise and reshape the aging or "drooping" breast, in addition to making the breasts smaller. There are many techniques used to accomplish these goals. The techniques tend to differ with regard to the skin incisions used as well as the positioning of the breast tissue. Most of the techniques are similar to techniques used in mastopexy. Underneath the skin, the surgeon must be careful to preserve the blood supply to the nipple. Some of the more common techniques utilize a scar around the areola and vertical scar that continues to the fold underneath the breast. An additional transverse scar underneath the breast is often used and can vary substantially in length depending on the circumstances. This involves the placement of scars on the breast in order to accomplish the reduction, but the length and position of these scars can be chosen according to your individual circumstances. The more common technique is known as a "Wise-Pattern" or "Anchor incision" technique to reshape your breast, resulting in an anchor-shaped scar. Another technique, the vertical reduction, uses only the vertical portion of the incisions. Dr. Scott can perform each of these different types of breast reduction and will discuss with you the various options and which type is likely the most appropriate for you.

What to expect: During the office consultation you will discuss all aspects of the procedure with Dr. Scott in order to establish a thorough and well-informed plan. Your procedure will begin after consulting with Dr. Scott and your anesthesiologist or anesthetist. Dr. Scott will mark and measure your breasts prior to surgery according to the plan discussed with you. Typical incisions are shaped so that they result in a vertical scar extending from around the edge of your areola down to the fold underneath your breast, with or without a horizontal scar underneath the breast. From these incisions, your skin and breast tissue are reduced and reshaped in order to both reduce the size of the breast and raise the breast and position of the nipple and areola. Additional techniques such as liposuction might be added to complete the individually tailored plan for you, depending on your wishes and your specific circumstances.

The recovery: The breast will have some bruising and swelling that improve for several weeks. Your postoperative course is monitored in the clinic by Dr. Scott and staff. Sometimes small drains are used after the surgery and are removed at the clinic visit. Local anesthetic and pain medication are often used to manage any discomfort you might have after the operation. We ask that you avoid wearing an underwire bra, but a camisole or other soft bra is safe.

Some of the unlikely complications: Infection, fluid collection, or bleeding can occur following any type of breast surgery, and may require surgical drainage. Some asymmetry in breasts is expected before and after the operation. Healed incisions can sometimes be raised or wide regardless of the technique used. Very rarely, the nipple or areola can be damaged by poor blood supply. A more complete discussion of the risks, benefits, and alternatives will always be included at your visit. As always, our efforts are directed at minimizing the risk of these complications and optimizing your safety.

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This is the creation of a new breast after cancer removal by using tissue taken from another part of the body such as the abdomen or back, or by using an implant, or a combination of these techniques. Each of these processes relies on multiple stages to achieve the best possible result. The various options to consider are normally discussed thoroughly at the first visit, including tissue-based reconstruction and implant-based reconstruction. This gives the patient time to consider her options and return with questions. Often non-surgical cancer treatments such as radiation are used and this affects the type of reconstruction chosen and quality of reconstructive results that are possible.

It is sometimes possible to insert a tissue expander in place of your breast at the time of breast cancer surgery, depending on the circumstances. This is known as "immediate" reconstruction. "Delayed" reconstruction refers to placement of the expander at a separate operation after mastectomy. If you have chosen to proceed with implant-based reconstruction, then the tissue expander is expanded in the office at one or two week intervals. This is followed by a period of 1-2 months of healing. Finally, your tissue expander can be removed and replaced with your selected breast implant, which might be saline or silicone, depending on your discussion with Dr. Scott and your preferences. At the same time, if desired, a matching procedure can be done by Dr. Scott with the other breast. This overall process typically takes 3-6 months, but can sometimes take longer or shorter, depending on your circumstances. The final stages are typically office-based procedures to create a nipple and to create an areola with tattooing sessions.

What to expect: During the office consultation you will discuss all aspects of the procedure with Dr. Scott in order to establish a thorough and well-informed plan. Your procedure will begin after consulting with Dr. Scott and your anesthesiologist or anesthetist. Dr. Scott will mark and measure your breasts prior to surgery according to the plan discussed with you. For implant-based reconstruction, the pre-selected tissue expander is placed partly beneath your muscle tissue and partly beneath your skin, in order to set the stage for the expansion process. Next, the process of healing for several weeks begins, followed by expansion for several weeks, and finally exchange of the tissue expander for an implant.

The recovery: The breast will have some bruising and swelling that improves over several weeks. Your postoperative course is monitored in the clinic by Dr. Scott and staff. Sometimes small drains are used after the surgery and are removed at the clinic visit. Local anesthetic and pain medication are often used to manage any discomfort you might have after the operation. We ask that you avoid wearing an underwire bra, but a camisole or other soft bra is safe.

Some of the unlikely complications: Infection or hematoma (blood collection) can occur following any type of breast surgery, and may require surgical drainage. More rarely, tissue loss or damage can occur. Skin loss can require wound care or revision surgery. A more complete discussion of the risks, benefits, and alternatives will always be included at your visit. As always, our efforts are directed at minimizing the risk of these complications and optimizing your safety.

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