Breast Augmentation
in Irvine, CA
If you’re a healthy, happy Southern California resident but you’re dissatisfied with your breasts, it’s natural to consider doing something about it.
After all, our climate and culture invite us to engage in a variety of activities, wear stylish clothes and lead energetic outdoor-oriented lives. An appealing shape just reflects good health and vitality. These are just some of the reasons Dr. Andrew Smith performs breast augmentation in Orange County. As a breast enhancement specialist, he is qualified and experienced in helping women achieve the look they desire through breast augmentation surgery.
Using breast implants, he can help you have larger, firmer and fuller breasts. Southern California women choose Dr. Andrew Smith for their breast augmentation in Irvine and Corona, CA for his skill and dedication to achieving excellent results. The best way to decide what’s right for you is to request a surgical consultation with Dr. Smith using his online form or call his office at (949)-653-7000. When you choose Dr. Smith, you’re choosing a breast specialist who:
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When you choose an experienced surgeon such as Dr. Smith, you may find he can enhance not only the size but the shape of your breasts. Breast implants can be placed using a variety of techniques to create the shape you desire.
Implants may also be used to correct differences in breast sizes (asymmetry) or may be combined with a breast lift to correct sagging. And with the growing number of choices for FDA-approved silicone gel implants, breast implant options are better than ever. When you come in for your consultation, Dr. Smith will have a thorough discussion with you regarding your goals, and he’ll treat you according to your individual needs and requests. He explains a number of factors to consider regarding breast augmentation, including cost, the location of incisions, and whether you want the implants placed above the pectoral muscles or behind them.
Dr. Smith creates a customized surgical plan based on these factors, along with completing a physical examination. Dr. Smith also uses your consultation to discuss various risks and complications, such as capsular contracture and implant rupture, which are very rare among his breast augmentation patients. In fact, Dr. Smith is one of the leading specialists in Southern California for breast implant revision surgeries when patients experience complications after surgery elsewhere. These procedures require advanced techniques and extensive experience.
To help you decide which implant size is right for you, Dr. Smith uses VECTRA® 3-D imaging, an innovative technology that lets you virtually “try on” different sizes to see how they suit your body type. You can read more about advantages of different implant types and your breast implant options below.
Dr. Smith creates a surgical plan for your breast augmentation based on your body and your aesthetic goals. Together, you will decide on several details, including the incision location and implant placement.
Dr. Smith performs most of his surgical procedures at his Irvine Plastic Surgery practice.
The center is a private facility offering a state-of-the-art environment with the highest levels of safety, comfort, and privacy. Dr. Smith's Irvine office is located on Endeavor near the intersection of Irvine Center Drive and Laguna Canyon Road, just minutes from the 405 and 5 freeways.
Dr. Smith uses a short incision (approximately 1 inch) for most breast augmentation procedures, and he can place it in 1 of 3 locations:
Regardless of your choice, the resulting scars generally heal very well and are often nearly invisible. Everyone heals differently, however, and scars are unpredictable. If a scar heals with a slightly undesirable appearance, there are several methods for improvement. If a significant breast lift (mastopexy) is done at the same time, additional incisions may be necessary.
After making the incision, Dr. Smith creates a pocket where he inserts the implant. The location of the pocket is either above the pectoral muscle and behind the existing breast tissue (subglandular), or behind the pectoral muscle (submuscular):
General anesthesia is Dr. Smith’s preferred choice for breast surgery, though he discusses all options. All anesthesiologists are board-certified and experienced in outpatient surgery.
Depending on the choices you make, the breast augmentation procedure itself lasts approximately 60 to 90 minutes, and you’ll spend about 2 hours in recovery before going home.
During the first 2 days following your procedure, you can expect moderate discomfort you should be able to control with prescribed medication.
You may notice pain when you use your arms or get up from a lying or sitting position. You may also see some bruising and swelling. It is important to limit your activity during this time to ensure a smooth recovery.
Dr. Smith will want you to come in for a post-operative visit the first or second day following surgery. Your dressings will then be removed and you’ll be fitted with a bra to wear for a few weeks. Most patients feel they are able to return to light work within just a few days. You can expect to tire more easily than usual for several days and you should refrain from strenuous activity. After several days you should find your swelling much improved and feel able to resume a normal routine.
Following breast augmentation, we do all we can to help you enjoy your exciting results as quickly as possible. Once the healing process is over, you can resume an active lifestyle without restrictions.
One of the things most women enjoy after getting breast implants is clothes shopping and buying new bras. It’s a good idea to buy only a few bras about a month after the operation because the size of your breasts may still change. Six months is a good interval to wait before replacing your wardrobe and bras. Once your implants “settle” into place, you can enjoy your new, feminine contours for years to come.
There are many options for breast implants available to Orange County women considering breast augmentation, including those filled with cohesive silicone gel or with saline.
You can work with Dr. Andrew Smith to determine the right combination of size, placement, and filling to give you the look and feel that achieve your unique goals. Women in Orange County considering breast implants can request a surgical consultation with Dr. Smith to learn about their choices. Or you can call his office at (949)-653-7000 to schedule an appointment.
One decision that often seems challenging for women to make is how big they want their breasts to be after the procedure. After women decide to move forward with breast augmentation, many worry about looking too big. Others would like to choose large implants but fear they might not look natural.
Dr. Smith is very experienced in helping make this decision. During your consultation, he’ll evaluate your body and skin type and take those into consideration. He’ll have you try on bras with various implants inside and he’ll have pictures to show you. In addition, Dr. Smith will use VECTRA® 3-D imaging, which creates 3-D simulations of how you would look with various implant types and sizes.
Breast implants can be placed either under the chest muscle (submuscular) or above the muscle (subglandular). There are advantages in either case.
Submuscular implants tend to create a gentle sloping of the chest wall that some patients believe looks more natural. With subglandular implants, the chest muscles tend to recover more quickly from surgery and cause less discomfort. Again, your individual body characteristics are key to looking and feeling your best following breast enhancement surgery. You and Irvine breast augmentation provider Dr. Smith will discuss implant placement when you meet.
Many plastic surgeons around the country greeted the FDA approval of silicone gel breast implants with enthusiasm, believing that the implants are not only safe but that they offer a superior natural look and feel as well.
The cohesive material used in today’s silicone implants holds together if the implant shell ruptures and is not likely to migrate outside the breast. The latest, highly cohesive gel implants, sometimes called “gummies,” retain their shape even when cut in half.
If you are interested in silicone gel implants, you should know that the FDA recommends periodic MRI tests to check that the implant is still intact. Saline implants have the advantage of being filled with a solution that’s completely compatible with the human body. If a saline implant ruptures, the liquid is absorbed and the implant deflates right away. The chief disadvantages of saline implants are related to look and feel. They are more likely to cause rippling and wrinkling under the skin and some patients aren’t content with the way they feel.
Both saline and silicone gel implants come in the traditional round form or a teardrop shape called anatomical or simply “shaped.” Round implants are used to achieve more fullness in the upper breast, but can still look extremely natural.
The shaped implants more closely mimic the shape of a natural breast, with a slope and increased fullness in the lower breast. Dr. Smith can achieve excellent results with both round and shaped implants and will help you make this selection based on what is best for your body and your goals.
Implant profile refers to how far the implant projects from the base. Some implants are wider and somewhat flatter, and these are considered low profile. At the other end of the spectrum are implants with a narrower base and significant projection; these are high or even ultra-high profile.
There are numerous different profiles that fall in between the two extremes. Implant profile is one of many options women have for customizing their breast augmentation results. The profile that is right for you will depend on your frame and your goals, and Dr. Smith will help you make an educated decision.
Dr. Smith does not use the same type of breast implant for all of his patients. Silicone implants are best for some women; saline implants work well for others. The same is true of implant shape and profile – there is no single “best” implant for everyone. When you visit him for your consultation, he will discuss the pros and cons of all options with you, and you and he will make the choice together.
If you have saline breast implants and you’re unhappy with the results, this is a great time to have breast implant replacement. You may decide to switch to a silicone gel implant, or you may choose to go with a different saline model or a different placement.
Some women who have silicone implants are unhappy with the placement of older silicone implants above the muscle and many of these older silicone implants are ruptured. Dr. Smith can determine whether you can expect a better result with a revision. You already know that breasts droop over time for all women; there’s no getting around it. It’s a natural consequence of gravity and aging. For best results, you may decide to have a breast lift with augmentation or with your revision procedure.
Contact Andrew Smith, MD FACS Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Irvine, Orange County to schedule your consultation.
18 Endeavor Suite 102, Irvine, CA 92618
