Columbia Plastic Surgery K. Dwayne Fulks, M.D. 38401

BreastAug

Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation is a very commonly performed cosmetic surgical procedure performed on women with a wide range of age, body build and socioeconomic backgrounds. Generally, patients have a high degree of satisfaction with their choice. Patient pre-operative appearance can certainly affect their outcome and also can impact choices of how the procedure is performed, implant size and implant placement. Dr. Fulks will discuss this procedure at length to assist in educating each individual patient concerning the best choices for their individual case. Incision choices, Implant choices and above/below the muscle choices require significant thought by patients to understand or participate in the decision. There is no clear right or wrong choices that can be applied to each individual patient. Understanding the factors that go into the decision concerning size is also a frequent concern of patients. Helping patients understand the factors that go into the determination of implant size is a major emphasis of patient evaluation.

It is our practice philosophy to educate. Understanding the "lifetime" nature of this operation is essential to making a good choice.

Who is a Candidate?

Women who desire larger breasts.
Women with a moderate degree of breast sagging and smaller breasts, whose problem can be solved by enlargement.
Women who have one breast that is noticeably smaller than the other.

Procedure Description

The procedure is done on an outpatient basis under general anesthesia. There are multiple incisions available to do this operation. This decisions is made on an individual basis. Likewise, implant placement can be "above the muscle" or under the muscle and that decision is made on an individual basis based on each individual's situation. There is no one right choice. The "Saline vs. Silicone" choice is a important choice and Dr. Fulks will spend a great deal of time explaining the advantages and disadvantages to this choice. It is our philosophy to educate our patients concerning these choices and to remove the "mystery" from this process.

Recuperation and Healing

The patient goes home in a bra. The bra helps hold the breasts in the correct position and we will tell you what type of bra you will need.
Initial discomfort is controlled with oral medication. This discomfort improves rapidly after 4 days.
Sutures are absorbable.
Light activities can be resumed as tolerated. Aerobic activities can be started in about 3 weeks. However, will advise you about your case based on multiple surgical situations.

The specific risks and the suitability of this procedure for a given individual can be determined only at the time of consultation. All surgical procedures have some degree of risk. Minor complications that do not affect the outcome occur occasionally. Major complications are rare. Additional information will be discussed at your initial consult.