An augmentation mammoplasty near Rockville, otherwise known as a breast augmentation, enhances your silhouette by increasing the size and shape of the breasts with implants. However, the procedure is more complex than simply enlarging the breasts, and determining the personal details of your procedure—such as breast implant type, profile, and placement—can feel like a challenge without proper medical guidance.
Through meticulous care and decades of experience, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Brent Faulkner listens first to understand your unique goals. Then, with a clear image of your ideal results, he crafts a plan to achieve flattering, natural-looking enhancements. He provides clarity to every step of the process, taking the time to answer your questions and address any concerns you may have so you can feel confident in your decision.
Continue reading for answers to some of the most frequently asked questions Dr. Faulkner hears about breast augmentations. Ready to schedule your consultation? Call the Faulkner Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics front desk to get started.
What Is an Augmentation Mammoplasty?
In an augmentation mammoplasty near Rockville, Dr. Faulkner uses implants to increase the size and shape of the breasts. Often referred to as a breast augmentation, this procedure makes the breasts appear fuller to enhance your upper profile.
Dr. Faulkner recommends breast augmentations to patients who want to increase the size of their chest. A breast augmentation can also correct asymmetry, which occurs when one breast appears larger than the other. Additionally, patients often use breast augmentations to restore their breast size after significant weight loss or pregnancy.
How Can I Personalize My Breast Augmentation?
Breast augmentations are a highly customizable procedure. Whether you envision significant enhancements or subtle results, Dr. Faulkner can tailor your breast augmentation to suit your aesthetic preferences.
Patients can choose from the following options to personalize their augmentation mammoplasty.
Breast Implant Type
Breast implants are artificial devices inserted into the breast pocket to increase breast size. Dr. Faulkner can help you choose between saline, silicone, and gummy bear implants for your augmentation mammoplasty near Rockville.
Silicone Implant
Silicone breast implants contain a silicone gel. Once inserted, this cohesive gel material closely mimics the texture of real breast tissue, with many patients describing the implants as having a natural feel.
The FDA has approved silicone breast implants for women over the age of 22, and recommends patients with silicone implants receive ultrasound or MRI screenings every 2 to 3 years, starting 5 to 6 years after the breast augmentation surgery, to detect any complications with the implants, such as rupturing.
Saline Implant
Conversely, saline implants are filled with a sterile salt water solution and encased by a protective outer shell. Should the implant leak, the implant collapses on itself and the body naturally absorbs the saline solution.
Dr. Faulkner recommends saline breast implants to patients who want a firmer, more uniform feel. Saline implants are FDA approved for patients 18 years and older.
Gummy Bear Implant
“Gummy bear” implants are made of a gel-based material that holds its shape better than traditional options. These implants are tear-drop shaped, creating more natural-looking results and breasts that are soft to the touch.
Gummy bear implants are less likely to rupture compared to other implants. If you choose gummy bear implants, Dr. Faulkner may recommend regular MRI screenings to ensure they remain intact.
Breast Implant Placement
Patients can choose to have their implant placed in front of or behind the breast muscle, depending on their desired results.
Over-the-Muscle Placement
A subglandular placement, or over-the-muscle placement, positions the breast implant between the chest muscle and existing breast tissues. This placement limits implant movement during physical activity and minimizes discomfort immediately after the procedure.
Under-the-Muscle Placement
Submuscular placement inserts the breast implant underneath the chest muscle. Dr. Faulkner recommends this placement to patients who hope for a more natural-looking result from their augmentation mammoplasty near Rockville. Under-the-muscle placements also allow for more accurate mammograms during routine testing.
Breast Implant Profile
A breast implant’s profile refers to how much it projects, or sticks out, from the chest wall. This level of projection is determined by the width of the implant’s base. Implants with a smaller base provide greater projection, while implants with a wider base appear more subtle.
Low-Profile Implant
Low-profile implants project minimally from the chest and appear relatively flat. Dr. Faulkner primarily recommends low-profile implants to patients with a wider chest.
Moderate-Profile Implant
Implants with a moderate profile provide more projection than low-profile implants, but do not stick out as far as high-profile implants. Moderate-profile implants are best for patients who hope for more natural-looking results, as well as women with a smaller chest.
High-Profile Implant
High-profile implants provide significant projection, featuring a narrow base to create more rounded results. These implants best suit petite patients with a smaller chest wall.
How Do I Determine If a Breast Augmentation Is Right for Me?
The best way to determine if an augmentation mammoplasty near Rockville suits your aesthetic goals is to schedule a consultation with Dr. Faulkner at Faulkner Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics.
During your consultation, Dr. Faulkner will listen carefully as you describe your ideal outcomes for your procedure. He also asks about your medical history and any medications you take. This information helps him determine your most effective surgical plan.
Next, Dr. Faulkner will conduct an examination of your chest to determine what results are possible given your anatomy. He will also have you try on a few different implant sizes so you can gain a better understanding of what you want out of surgery.
If you and Dr. Faulkner determine that a breast augmentation can properly address your concerns, you will work together to create your procedure plan. Every detail of this plan is carefully tailored to your needs, including the breast implant type, placement, and projection required to achieve your goals.
How Do I Prepare for a Breast Augmentation?
In the 6 weeks leading up to your breast augmentation, you must quit smoking and using tobacco products. Smoking increases your risk of infection and inflammation, which can slow down the healing process. Dr. Faulkner can provide you with resources to help you quit smoking during your initial consultation.
Dr. Faulkner also recommends avoiding alcohol in the 48 hours before surgery. Alcohol can interfere with your body’s blood-clotting abilities and the anesthesia’s effects, increasing your risk of complications during your surgery. You should also avoid alcohol while taking any prescribed pain medication throughout your recovery.
You must fast for at least 8 hours before your breast augmentation to avoid aspiration during surgery. Aspiration occurs when something other than air, including food and water, gets into your airway. Though this is a rare complication associated with all surgical procedures, not eating or drinking before surgery greatly reduces your risk of occurrence.
Shower and wash your skin the evening before or the morning of your breast augmentation procedure. Thoroughly sanitizing your skin, particularly the breast area, reduces your risk of infection.
One the day of surgery, be sure to wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing that allows for easy access to your chest. Avoid wearing anything that needs to be pulled over your head that could potentially disrupt your stitches and incision site.
What Happens During a Breast Augmentation Procedure?
To begin your augmentation mammoplasty near Rockville, Dr. Faulkner will administer general or local anesthesia. General anesthesia puts you in a sleep-like state for the duration of your procedure, while local anesthesia is applied to the skin to numb only the breast area. Dr. Faulkner will help you determine which type of anesthesia best suits your needs during your initial consultation.
Once you’re fully numbed, Dr. Faulkner will make an incision along the crease underneath your breast, around your nipple, or under your arm. This incision allows him to insert the breast implant underneath or in front of the chest muscle. If you selected saline implants, Dr. Faulkner will insert the empty implant into the breast pocket before filling it once it is in place.
To finish your procedure, Dr. Faulkner will close your incisions with sutures before applying bandages and a surgical support bra.
Most breast augmentations take approximately 4 hours to complete. Your timeline may vary if you are combining your breast augmentation with another procedure, such as a breast lift.
What Does Recovery Look Like After a Breast Augmentation?
Immediately after your breast augmentation, you will be moved to a recovery room to be monitored as your anesthesia wears off. Be sure to arrange a ride home from your procedure, as the lingering effects of anesthesia make it unsafe for you to drive.
You must rest and avoid strenuous activity for the first few weeks after your procedure. Do not lift your arms above your head or perform any upper-body exercises, as these activities can put strain on your incisions.
Bruising, swelling, and soreness are all common after a breast augmentation. Dr. Faulkner will prescribe you pain medication to help you manage any discomfort.
Be sure to wear your surgical support bra at all times, aside from when bathing, to reduce swelling. You will need to keep your incisions clean and dry throughout your recovery to decrease your risk of infection.
Attend all follow-up appointments as scheduled by Dr. Faulkner. These check-ins help monitor your healing progress and ensure no complications arise. Dr. Faulkner may clear you for more intense physical activity 6 weeks after your breast augmentation procedure.
Schedule Your Breast Augmentation Consultation
For many patients at Faulkner Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics, an augmentation mammoplasty near Rockville has given them the confidence they need to take on each day as the best versions of themselves. Dr. Faulkner is proud to be your trusted, board-certified plastic surgeon, and is available to answer any questions you may have about the procedure process.
Request your initial consultation to learn how a breast augmentation can help you achieve your aesthetic goals.
Interest in revising a previous silicone breast implant procedure? Want to learn more about breast lifts? The Faulkner Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics beauty journal has all the information you need to know about breast and gynecomastia procedures.
