Breast Augmentation

A surgical procedure that will change the
shape and fullness of your breasts using implants

Breast enlargement is one of our most popular procedures at our practice. Our surgeons can help you achieve the size and shape you have always wanted or restore your pre-childbirth breast size.

At Gawley Plastic Surgery, it is our goal for breast augmentation patients to achieve a size that is natural and proportionate to their body.

Am I a Good Candidate
for Breast Augmentation?

Breast enlargement may be right for you if you are looking to enhance the size, shape, fullness of your breasts. A good candidate should be over 18 years old; are not pregnant or nursing; are in good physical and psychological health; are not planning a major weight change such as massive weight loss or pregnancy; have little or no sagging.

Patients should also able to withstand general anesthesia used during surgery, be a non-smoker, and have realistic expectations about what a breast enlargement procedure can accomplish.

Women who are not good candidates for breast augmentation usually have other options. If your breasts sag, a breast lift may achieve your desired results. If you are expecting to lose a great deal of weight or if you are planning to get pregnant, it is best to wait until after the major body-changing event.

Benefits of a Breast Augmentation

A breast augmentation can balance and improve body proportions and boost your self-esteem. Over time, our breast can lose their shape and tone due to age or pregnancy; a breast enlargement can restore your breast size and shape. This is also a great option if you’re looking to correct asymmetrical breasts.

Breast augmentation may be performed alone, in combination with a breast lift, as part of a mommy makeover, or along with fat grafting to achieve optimal results.

Breast Experts

Both Dr. Gawley and Dr. Geoghegan are cosmetic and reconstructive experts when it comes to breast surgery. They are passionate about helping patients achieve both the look they desire and long-lasting, natural results. During your consultation, your surgeon will take a unique approach and work with you to select the right implants for your body and desired outcome.

Complimentary Procedures

Fat Grafting

Transfer of fat to the breasts is a natural solution to achieve more fullness and enhance the results of breast procedures. This is also used if a patient does not have enough breast tissue to achieve their desired outcome.

Using the patient’s own fat cells, a fat graft, or fat transfer can be used in combination with implants, or to achieve fullness without implants when removing implants or going through reconstructive surgery. By using your own natural fat cells, a subtle enhancement is achieved for long-lasting, natural results.

Breast Lift

A breast lift does not add volume to your breasts, but it can make your breasts appear larger by bringing the breast tissue together. Shape, firmness, and placement can be improved. The benefits of a breast lift include:

  • Removing excess skin
  • Lifting sagging breasts
  • Firmer breasts
  • Improved shape
  • Reduce areola size

 

A breast lift may be needed when performing a breast augmentation depending on the patient’s desired results.

Tummy Tuck

Tummy Tuck

A tummy tuck, or abdominoplasty, removes unresponsive fat and excess skin, and tightens muscles.

Abdominoplasty is not a replacement for a healthy lifestyle, but it can correct the problems which are beyond your control by:

  • Removing stubborn pockets of fat
  • Removing excess skin
  • Diastasis recti after pregnancy

Liposuction

Liposuction

Liposuction is a very popular body sculpting procedure. Stubborn pockets of fat that do not respond to diet and exercise can be removed from most areas of the body, giving you smoother, more desirable contours. Gawley Plastic Surgery recommends tumescent liposuction to qualifying patients.

Breast Augmentation Options

You will have many choices to make about the look, shape, and feel of your breasts. Our surgeons will work with you to determine which implant, incision and placement options are best for you and your body.

We carry both silicone and saline implants, but specialize in Natrelle INSPIRA® Gummy Bear Silicone Breast Implants to achieve a natural result.

Implants also come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and profiles. Our surgeons consider skin elasticity, existing breast tissue, height, weight, the width of the chest and the curvature of the ribcage when selecting the right implants.

Implant placement is also important; they can be placed either in front of or behind the muscle. 

Incision options include inframammary crease (under the breast where it meets the chest wall) or transaxillary endoscopic breast augmentation with a transaxillary incision (in the armpit). Our surgeons specialize in and recommend an inframammary crease, as the scar is not visible and the same scar can be used in a future implant exchange if needed. Implant exchanges cannot be done through a transaxillary incision.

Every patient is unique based on their age, body type, activity level, desired outcome and more. Our surgeons will help you determine what the best options are for you.

Recovery & Results from Breast Augementation

After your breast augmentation procedure, you will be sent home with bandages around your incision sites to help reduce swelling and minimize bleeding. Your surgeon will give you specific instructions for what you can and cannot do immediately after surgery and in the weeks to come.

The recovery process varies from patient to patient based on the extent of the procedure and your ability to heal. In general, you will need to avoid strenuous activity for a few weeks, although many patients begin to feel like themselves a few days after their procedure.

For many breast augmentation patients, it can take a few months for all the swelling in the breasts to subside. This is just a natural part of healing for many women and you should not be worried if it has been a month and your breasts feel hard or look swollen.

You can see what our surgeons have achieved for other breast augmentation patients by browsing our before-and-after photos to get an idea of what this procedure could mean for you.

Envision Your
Natural Results

Breast Augmentation FAQs

Absolutely! We use almost exclusively Allergan smooth implants as they have the best warranty. Enrollment is free and automatic. Silicone implants are covered against rupture (for the lifetime of both implants) and capsular contracture (for the first 10 years) While rare, these complications can happen and we want to be sure that you are covered. Saline implants are also covered against rupture for the lifetime of the implants. Warranties vary by implant company and implant type, so be sure to ask your surgeon for full details.

Rarely, implants can cause pain years after surgery. The most common reason is a capsular contracture where your body produces excessive scar tissue around the implant. This is covered by the warranty in the first 10 years after surgery and occurs in less than 1% of cosmetic breast augmentations.

Implants do not actually expire, however, they will not likely last you a lifetime. The current gummy bear implants have a rupture rate that is less than 10% at 10 years. By thirty years, that number is likely much higher. The best way to ensure your implants longevity is to work with one of our surgeons and follow all of the postoperative instructions.

Fat transfer for breast augmentation essentially uses fat from one part of the body where you don’t want it and inject it into your breasts. This option is best for women looking for a relatively small increase in breast size and prefer a natural result. It can also be combined with implants to create even more volume while still maintaining a natural result.

Insurance will not cover the cost of cosmetic breast enhancement surgery (augmentation, lift, or a combination of the two). It will cover breast surgery in the setting of previous breast cancer. By law, all insurance companies have to cover both the breast that had cancer and surgery needed on the other breast to make them more symmetric (matching surgery).

While breast augmentation can affect breastfeeding, it is usually still possible to breastfeed after surgery. Be sure to discuss your desire to breastfeed with us before surgery as there are options that help to ensure you can breastfeed after implants. For example, using an incision underneath the breast (IMF incision as opposed to at the nipple or areola).