Breasts & Body
Breast Enhancement
Breast enhancement, also known as
breast augmentation,
is one of the most frequently performed cosmetic surgery procedures in the U.S. and certainly one of the most common operations performed by our board certified surgeon. Breast enhancement involves the placement of silicone or saline breast implants behind the breast tissue and pectoralis muscle for improvement in the size and appearance of the breasts. Common patients are of all ages and sizes and have many reasons for enhancement. Patients desire breast augmentation for many reasons, including recovering breast size lost after pregnancy and breast feeding, trying to gain volume and fullness to breasts which are naturally small, issues related to poor self esteem, and correcting imbalance or congenital assymetry.
Dr. Vega also specializes in secondary or Re-do breast augmentation for cases where the patient has undesireable outcomes, asymmetry or poor balance. Although challenging to correct, patients can have the surgery done safely as a Re-do and be very happy with their newer more natural breasts.
Breast Lift or Mastopexy
Over time, the effects of gravity along with the loss of the skin’s natural elasticity, combined with pregnancies and nursing, will often cause the breasts to lose their youthful shape and firmness. A breastlift, or mastopexy, is a surgical procedure to raise and reshape sagging breasts. The procedure can also reduce the size of the areola (the darker skin surrounding the nipple).
Breast implants can be inserted along with a mastopexy which can enhance the fullness and appearance of the lifted breast. Dr. Vega also performs his lift through a short scar or vertical technique which can reduce scarring and give a very natural shape to the breast.
Breast Reduction
Women with very large breasts frequently experience symptoms of back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, grooving in the shoulders from bra straps, areas of rash under the breasts and difficulty performing athletic activities and finding the right clothing. For many women, especially younger girls in teenage years, this also leads to problems with self esteem.
Breast Reduction or Reduction mammaplasty is a technique that reduces symptomatically large breasts by surgically removing glandular breast tissue, fat and skin. This results is a lighter, smaller and more firm breast which is better shaped and proportional the entire body. The typical breast reduction incisions are in the shape of an anchor or inverted T, with moset incisions hidden under the breast. Another type of reduction is the short scar or vertical scar technique which results in fewer incisions and potentially longer lasting lift and roundess to the breast.
Tummy Tuck
Abdominoplasty, more commonly known as a “tummy tuck”, removes excess fat and skin from the abdomen and tightens the abdominal wall muscles. The best candidates have pockets of fat or loose skin that haven’t responded well to diet and exercise. Women with stretched or pooched abdominal areas due to previous pregnancies can also benefit considerably from abdominoplasty, although they should have completed their childbearing.
Individuals who have had weight loss or have experience excess skin from aging can experience dramatic improvement in their abdominal area. The procedure can potentially reduce or even eliminate a protruding abdomen, especially in the thin patient who has little abdominal fat and works out frequently. It is important to let potential patients know that a tummy tuck will leave a permanent scar stretching between the hips low on the abdomen, although this should be very low and easy to cover with a swim suit or underwear.
Brachioplasty
Brachioplasty is surgically recontouring the arms. The procedure is usually reserved for the patients who have excess arm skin that hangs from the upper arm, especially after major weight loss. Two types of brachioplasty are performed in our office. The hidden incision technique hides the scar under the arm in the armpit, but results in only a moderate improvement to the arm contour. The traditional incisions run from the elbow to armpit along the arm and although easy to see with short-leaved shirts, can make a dramatic improvement in the arm contour.
We attempt to hide the incisions as much as possible by putting them on the inside and backside of the arm. Patients who have this incision are willing to forego an incision for an improvement in the hanging skin which follows every move of their arm.
Liposuction
Liposuction, or surgical removal of fat by suction using fine cannulaes, is now one of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures. Also known as “lipoplasty” or “suction lipectomy”, liposuction sculpts the body by removing undesirable fat from areas around the thighs, buttocks, waistline, hips, abdomen, back, chin, neck and upper arms.
The tumescent technique and the super-wet technique are among the various techniques used to provide precise results. Liposuction is not a substitute for a healthy diet and exercise, but the procedure can eliminate areas of fat that are unresponsive to typical weight-loss methods.
