Category: Breast Reduction Surgery

3 Minute Read: 

Breast reduction is a common plastic surgery procedure with one of the highest satisfaction rates. While many patients do it for cosmetic reasons, others seek the surgery to relieve themselves of chronic pain and other debilitating symptoms of having large, heavy breasts.

If you have surgery planned or are looking to undergo breast reduction, you are probably excited to finally take the weight off your shoulders and have breasts that are more comfortable to live with.

It is important to plan ahead and spend some time getting certain aspects ready before going for surgery. Here are some tips for preparing for your breast reduction.

1. You May Need to Lose Excess Weight

If you tend to carry extra weight, your plastic surgeon may recommend you lose the extra weight to reduce the risk of complications and ensure the most optimal results. Losing weight later can affect the results of your surgically reduced breasts (such as creating sagging breasts which may require an additional breast lift). You want to achieve a steady, healthy weight before the surgery.

2. Get Your Health in Order

Optimal health is necessary to be a candidate for a breast reduction procedure. Before your breast surgery, you may be asked to complete various lab tests to gauge your overall health or get a mammogram to ensure a baseline for future testing. You will be advised on what you can and cannot take medication-wise.

More importantly, patients are advised to maintain a healthy lifestyle by increasing their level of exercise, eating healthy, taking vitamins and supplements, hydrating, and cutting down on alcohol.

3. If You Smoke, It Is Time to Quit

If you are a smoker, you will have to quit the habit before and after the surgery. Your surgeon may recommend that you quit at least six weeks before your surgery. Smoking restricts blood vessels leading to reduced blood flow, which can delay healing. It also increases your risk of complications, so it is important to stop to ensure you have the best surgical and recovery experience.

4. Arrange for Transportation

Breast reduction surgery is often performed as an outpatient procedure, meaning you will need to arrange for a ride home after surgery. You will be in no position to drive, so make sure you talk to a friend or family member in advance to take you home.

5. Enlist Some Help During Recovery

Following your surgery, you will need to take a few days to rest so that your body can heal. Extra help is needed around the house to tend to kids, house chores, and other activities while you recuperate.

Curious About Breast Reduction Results? Look at Our Previous Satisfied Patients!

Many women know that they are unhappy with their breasts, but not all know which breast enhancement surgery is right. Check out our breast reduction before and after gallery to see if the possible results are what you want for yourself. 

Think It’s Time for a Breast Reduction?

Our experienced board-certified plastic surgeons are here to help you with anything you may need before, during, and after your breast reduction. We hope to make your entire experience as seamless and comfortable as possible every step of the way. Contact us at 202-966-9590 or fill our online form to schedule your consultation.

2 Minute Read: 

Breast reduction is a popular procedure that reduces large breasts’ size and weight for an improved breast contour that is better proportioned to a woman’s body.

When it comes to breast reduction surgery, there are many different incisions options. The technique used depends on the patient’s breast anatomy, the amount of tissue to be removed, and the patient’s specific wishes and desired outcome.

What Are Your Breast Reduction Options?

The most popular breast reduction incision techniques include the donut, anchor, and lollipop.

Donut Method

As implied in the name ‘donut,’ this technique requires two concentric incisions made around the perimeter of the areola. As an added benefit, patients will only have one short scar that can somewhat be hidden by the areola’s dark skin.

The downside to this is that it offers limited access to the breast tissue. The procedure is acceptable for a minority of patients with mildly enlarged breasts.

Vertical or Lollipop Method

As for the lollipop technique, an incision is made around the edge of the areola, and another vertical incision is made from the areola down to the bottom of the breast.

Your surgeon will then remove excess tissue and fat and tighten the surrounding skin. This is a variation of the anchor method and is ideal for patients with mild to moderately large breasts. Therefore, if you have extremely large breasts, this will not be a good option as it offers less control than the anchor pattern reduction.

Many patients prefer the vertical breast reduction technique because of its less invasive approach combined with its long-lasting effects. It also offers a shorter recovery time, considering it is less invasive to the body.

Inverted-T or Anchor Method

This is one of the most common techniques, suitable for more substantial breast adjustments. An incision is made around the nipple with the second incision running vertically down from the areola and another along the crease of the breast for a distinctive T-shape pattern.

The excess breast tissue and skin is removed through the incision, and breasts are reshaped and lifted into a more aesthetically pleasing position.

The anchor method allows for a maximum degree of tissue removal, making it ideal for patients who have considerable sagging or asymmetry to correct.

The major drawback to this technique is that it produces the largest scars, so if scarring is a significant concern for you, your doctor may recommend a more preferable technique.

Which Incision Is Right for Me?

During your initial consultation with our board-certified plastic surgeons, you will get a professional recommendation for the best breast reduction technique depending on your breast anatomy, amount of reduction required, and desired outcomes.

Interested in Learning More About Breast Reduction?

Contact us today at 202-966-9590 or fill out our online form to schedule your breast reduction consultation.

Everyone wants to have an idea of what they’ll look like after their cosmetic procedure. It used to be all conjecture, but fortunately now with 3D technology, you can get a really good idea of your results. I’m pleased to offer Vectra Breast Imaging as a state of the art imaging program to help in the process of creating the best Breast Augmentation results achievable.

See What Can Be… This state of the art computer program, along with our trained implementation of it, can give you realistic images to explore your options in a hypothetical visual sense of what your body could look like. This can better help you set your goals while allowing for the benefits and conditions of your options to sink in. This significantly improves your decision making ability by allowing you to get the best possible idea of what you could look like after your Breast Augmentation. We can also be sure to manage expectations and be on the same page for the best possible treatment plan.

Customized to You… Vectra Breast Imaging takes exact measurements of the current body contours and proportions, and uses this to adjust volume with just one click. The degree of change is highlighted with a color distance map. It offers 3D views from any angle of your body with superimposed images to see “before and after” views before the actual possible reality of it. This means you can seamlessly rotate from front, side and back views to get a complete picture. Also, the “before and after” views can be formatted in side by side or as a faded overlay.

Easy Consideration of Choices… This tool also allows you to compare multiple scenarios with different size and implant types. It uses the implant shape, size, placement and factors in gravity. Vectra Breast Imaging’s dynamic capabilities allow for the correction of ptosis (sagging) and breast asymmetry.

Visualize in Office and at Home… These images are not only available in our office consultation, but through the ViewMyConsult portal. You can visually soak in the different options and review treatment recommendations in the comfort of home. While I strive to offer a compassionate, complete, relaxed office consultation, these types of decisions have multiple levels of consideration and having all the information and images at your finger tips is so reassuring.

Vectra Breast Imaging empowers our patients with confidence, manages expectations, and improves our communication to get your Breast Augmentation journey off to a great start. But to make sure the actual outcomes are the best possible, you need to be in the best hands… our hands. To begin your successful Breast Augmentation journey with me, visit www.davinciplastic.com.

Steven Davison M.D.

Board Certified Plastic/Reconstructive Surgeon

All About That Breast

While most of America and the world have been bopping their heads to the pop music hit “All about that bass” by Meghan Trainor, there have been so many parodies of the song that have some funny twists to the lyrics. Many of us have seen that family who did the Thanksgiving parody called “All about that baste”, as in basting the Thanksgiving Turkey.  All this got me thinking about another twist on the song that I should write called “All about that breast”… well not really. You won’t hear any musical lyrics coming from me any time soon, but that is the topic of this week’s blog.

BREAST AUGMENTATION IS THE MOST PERFORMED SURGICAL PROCEDURE… Behind breast augmentation is nose reshaping, eyelid surgery, liposuction, and then the facelift. Why do you think that breast augmentation is number one? Well, here are a few of the most common reasons it appeals to women of all ages, shapes and sizes:

• More harmony of proportion, balance and symmetry
• Enhanced size, shape & projection of your breasts
• Improved self-esteem & confidence
• More youthful looking
• Immediate and long-lasting, natural looking results
• Overall satisfaction with body image when looking into the mirror
• Better fashion choices…wear the styles you really love
• Getting the breasts you’ve lost over time or from having children/breastfeeding
• Getting the breasts you’ve always wanted, but never had
• Large variety of new, advanced, and more natural implants

WHAT IS BREAST AUGMENTATION… 
While there are other surgical procedures to reduce breast size and to lift them, BREAST AUGMENTATION is a surgery to enlarge the breasts. Using saline (salt water) or silicone implants in the breasts can lead to a more flattering figure that is youthfully proportionate. They will continue to age with your body, but BREAST AUGMENTATION can take off many years from the process and have long lasting youthful effects.

WHAT DOES THE SURGERY INVOLVE…Technology has advanced significantly, over the last few years, to improve the procedure and long term safety of the implants. During the surgery, general anesthesia ensures your total comfort.

There are some choices with the incision location (under breast line, armpit, belly button, areola) and where the implant can be placed (above or below the pectoral muscle). We will decide on the best options for the results you’re looking for during our consultations leading up to surgery.

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTERWARDS… Moderate discomfort (achiness) is normal following a breast procedure, but is easily managed with oral pain medication. You’ll have some aching for a few days and will be limited in your lifting and some movements in order to rest for optimal healing.

Let’s talk about creating the breasts that are best for you. Visit www.Davinciplastic.com and schedule a consultation today.

Steven Davison M.D.

Body Sculpting is so popular among today’s Boomers, GenXer’s and Millennials.  Social media plays a leading role in driving patients of all ages into surgeon’s offices for invasive and non invasive procedures to sculpt and refine the body of their dreams.  Social Media, FaceBook being a primary source, has proven to dramatically influence people of all ages and from all income levels to have FaceLifts, Chin Augmentations, Nose Jobs, Eyelid/Forehead Lifts, Breast procedures, Arm Lifts, Tummy Tucks…and many more.  See my previous blogs on Body Sculpting for details on what’s involved in Body Refinement and Contouring.

Looking Good on Facebook Spikes a Rise in Plastic Surgery Requests:  Social media is about seeing and being seen. A survey of 752 surgeons revealed a 31% increase in plastic surgery requests from people wanting to look better on Social Media.  Procedures most requested were:  Botox, Rhinoplasty, FaceLifts, ArmLifts (Brachiaplasty) and Breast Augmentation.

EXECUTIVES, CAREERS and PLASTIC SURGERY PROCEDURES…We live in a very visual world today and this affects even careers.  A colleague of mine, from Manhattan, sees a lot of men and women executives and high profile individuals who are in the public eye constantly.  Their pictures are taken constantly…and they are expected to always look good!  YouTube, Facebook, HD Television and public appearances demand they look their absolute best.  These people previously focused mainly on the face…but now are into Body Sculpting as well. They get paid more to look great! 

CELEBRITIES CHOICES INFLUENCE US!  We learned from the “Celebs” how to defy aging by employing anti aging treatments. The key is to start early (at the first sign of tiny facial lines, etc.) and to always maintain in order to always look about 10 years younger.  A few of today’s celebrities have heavily influenced how people want to look. 

·      Kate Middleton’s Nose is the nose of choice among the World’s female population

·      Cheryl Cole’s Dimples…well those are hard to copy

·      Robert Pattison’s jaw is the envy of scores of men

·      Brit Jude Law has the most requested nose for men

·      First Lady Michelle Obama has the most admired arms causing a spike in requests for Upper Arm Lifts (Brachiaplasty)

·      And the list goes on………….

SCULPTED BODIES and the LIPSTICK EFFECT…The economy today has also driven people in for cosmetic procedures.  We have developed a “collective vanity” per some analysts, but not  according to the younger generations today who consider looking good to be important to overall good health.  In fact,  they budget for cosmetic procedures as part of their health regimen. So they come for FaceLifts and Body Sculpting regularly.  Those who cannot afford those options choose less expensive anti aging treatments such as Botox, Injectable Fillers, microdermabrasion, chemical peels and others to reduce the visuals of aging.  This is called the “Lipstick Effect.”  We cut back on big ticket spending and opt for the “injection effect” to stave off surgery a bit longer and to allow the economy to improve.  We also indulge a bit and buy that cologne, perfume or special lipstick we’ve been wanting!

MOST POPULAR BODY CONTOURING/REFINING OPTIONS: Liposuction, Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty), Lower Body Lift, Mommy Makeover, Daddy DoOver, Thigh Lift, Cellulite Treatments, Buttock Augmentation, Rhinoplasty (Nose Jobs) FaceLifts, Brest Augmentation, Breast Reduction, Breast Lift, Labiaplasty (FemGen for V Zone Rejuvenation)…and more.  See my website: www.davinciplastic.com.

Well, Winter is still blasting away…but Spring will come!  Are you ready for all the events?  Bikini…Beach Season will be here soon. 

 
Let’s talk now and design your Refined Body Treatment Plan.

Steven Davison M.D.

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Naturally oversized breasts cause physical and emotional problems for women of all ages.  Breast Reduction or Mammaplasty Reduction is the only way to permanently reduce the breast size and create breasts that are more in proportion to your body. 

With so many women today seeking breast reduction surgery, surgeons have come to understand the various reasons women choose to downsize and reshape their breasts.  Here are a few:

• To make overly large, heavy breasts…smaller
• Eliminate emotional distress, discouragement and embarrassment
• Reduce or eliminate back & neck pain
• Relieve shoulder discomfort caused by bra strap grooves
• Get rid of breast crease skin irritation and rashes
• Decrease excess, stretched skin that causes low hanging breasts
• Resize the aereola area
• Create a breast size in proportion with your body
• Renew self esteem, self confidence and sexual enjoyment
• Be able to wear and enjoy the clothing you’ve always wished you could
• Enjoy more activities you couldn’t due to breast size and weight
• Achieve Renewed health and beauty for life!

NEW RESEARCH SHOWS THAT BREAST REDUCTION DELIVERS “RELIEF”…Back and neck pain as well as grooves hindered activities of daily living.  After surgery, women were able to be more active, lift heavier objects and enjoy more dynamic movements…with less stress and little to no discomfort. Spinal weakness and disorders from lower back distress were improved.  Self confidence increased as did self satisfaction.

AM I TOO YOUNG FOR BREAST REDUCTION SURGERY?  This is a common question in today’s society.  Here’s my answer….There is no specific, ideal age for a Breast Reduction, but among younger women these things need to be considered:  1) Is the patient in her 20’s and experiencing the above mentioned problems.  2) Does she have a strong desire to reduce the size and shape of her overly large breasts (macromastia)?  3) Has she stopped growing in height and in breast size?  4)  Is she emotionally mature?  If the answer to these questions is yes…then she could be an ideal candidate.  You should know that when younger women have Breast Reduction surgery…Revisional surgery may be needed later in life.

AM I TOO OLD FOR BREAST REDUCTION SURGERY?… another common question women in their 60’s plus frequently ask me.  Mammaplasty Reduction is very common among more mature women and can be very effective with the correct assessment of her health, skin condition, emotional maturity etc.  Older women typically suffer with “overly large breasts” due to hormone changes from menopause and weight gain. They reap the same benefits as younger women…and today are more eager to have these age defying, health restoring procedures.

WHAT’S INVOLVED IN BREAST REDUCTION SURGERY?  This is a surgery used to remove excess fatty breast tissue and glandular tissue while removing excess skin in order to downsize and reshape the breast to be more in proportion with your body.  Note: it’s important to be at a normal or close to normal proportional weight, and be able to maintain it to avoid affecting your long term results.

OK…That said, the bottom line is: whether you choose to make a dramatic change or just reduce your bra size by a few cups, Breast Reduction Surgery offers the best results for women with large, heavy breasts. Should you ever want to increase your breast size…Implants or Fat Grafting can achieve this.

This is the time of year many men and women decide to do something for themselves.  For the Holidays, for career reasons, health issues, to improve or enhance your their life…and just because they’ve always wanted to.  If that describes you, let’s talk soon!

I‘m here to help you achieve optimal health and wellness, to look and feel your absolute best!

Steven Davison M.D.

“DAVinci…where I combine the supreme elements of art and surgical science.”