Many of my breast surgery patients come into my practice knowing exactly what they want out of their surgery: they want to fit in their clothes better, gain confidence when rocking a bikini top, or reclaim their youthful breasts that changed significantly after having children of their own. On top of that, they want their new breasts to look natural – because who wants to feel like they’re walking around with a neon sign pointing to their breasts saying “LOOK! Can’t you tell I got breast surgery?” Patients want change, per say, but not every patient wants an extremely noticeable change to their appearance when they undergo a breast augmentation procedure. That’s why it’s my philosophy to approach any plastic surgery procedure I perform with the goal of producing natural results. But exactly how does one go about getting natural looking breast augmentation results? With these key steps:
Do your homework on your plastic surgeon – the doctor you choose is important since not every doctor is equal in their credentials and expertise. You want a doctor who specializes in breast augmentation, not one that specializes in face surgery – these are two completely different entities and require different skill sets to produce the kind of results you deserve. Is the person handling your procedure a board-certified plastic surgeon, proving they’ve met all of the rigorous qualifications set by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons to prove they are the best at what they do? If not, then you’re risking not only your results but most importantly your health.
Consider all of your breast augmentation options –
Test drive your results – When a patient expresses that they want to change their physical appearance but in a way that nobody knows, this is a great start in deciding the best approach to getting maximum breast surgery results. During your consultation we actively work to decode what “natural results” mean to you and there are several tools we utilize during your private consultation to better hone in on how we can make that happen – as a team. I start by setting patients up in our TouchMD patient education interactive software system. What this lets us do is upload your personal before/after pictures, in a secure and private software system, to detail the surgical process in a visual way (because not everyone wants to just listen to expected results, they want to literally SEE them). Within your unique TouchMD profile we can examine previous breast augmentation patient results, details procedural techniques that will be used during your procedure through images and videos, and even use drawing tools to depict even the minutest details of your surgery.
In addition to TouchMD, we have an in-office try on set of breast implants that will give you an even better visual of what you can expect. After we explore the general size, shape, and look of the breasts you’re interested in, I will have you slip sample breast implants into a sports bra and under a fitted shirt for you to literally see the potential augmentation results you will have after your breast augmentation is complete. This lets patients feel the implants, compare one type to another (we use silicone, saline, and Gummy Bear implants in our office – each with different textures and shapes), and better visualize their actual results before they even enter the operating room.
The most important thing to remember when deciding to make the change of your dreams is to do what will make you the most happy. You want to walk away from your surgery with a positive change and if wanting a subtle change that looks organic and natural to the way your body is built is important, then don’t lose sight of that goal. Plastic surgery may be a personal choice but it’s a team effort that will ultimately help you get there! If you’re interested in learning more about the breast procedures performed at Southern Plastic Surgery, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 770-622-9100 to get started. Stay connected with me, Dr. David Whiteman, on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for more plastic surgery insider tips and news.