“For years implants were either selected because of the preferences of the plastic surgeon, or the wishes of the patient to be a certain cup size.”
Modern breast augmentation relies on more than cup sizes and glances. With an array of new tools, surgeons can offer accuracy and precision to breast augmentation patients.
By: Caroline A. Glicksman, MD
and Chris Knisley
ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com
Principles And Practices
Just as an architect relies on a detailed set of blueprints, so should a plastic surgeon. Glicksman explains that it is during her preoperative consultations that patient education is combined with informed consent. Patients learn how they will be sized, what will fit their body, and what will last.
Well-informed Patients make Better, Long Lasting Choices
Selecting an implant no longer needs to be a leap of faith. New 3-D technology allows patients to view their possible breast augmentation before they set foot in the operating room. For most patients the simulations are very accurate, and help to find the implant that works best for them.
With all of the choices in shapes and fills, there is no one “right implant”, but often a small range of implants that will work well. More information and more options are available to give patients the knowledge and control needed to make the best personal decision.
Do Your Homework
Glicksman is adamant that her patients be well-informed. She urges everyone looking into something as profound as plastic surgery to be well educated. Doing the research is not limited to just implant shapes and sizes. The planning and execution of the surgical procedure are just as important in obtaining long lasting, stable outcomes.
Lasting Youth
Assuming the patient and doctor have reached a decision on an implant together, Glicksman warns that many patients second-guess their size months later. For those moments when her patients wish they had gone a “little bigger”, Glicksman suggests an occasional fun push up bra.
“Implants last a long time now; you want to get a result that lasts just as long.”
Taking the right measurements and employing the right principles contribute to experiencing lasting, uncomplicated results.