• Breast Augmentation Mammoplasty
• Ideal Breast Augmentation Candidates
• Your Personal Breast Augmentation Consultation
• Breast Augmentation Sizing
• The Breast Augmentation Procedure
• Safety of Breast Implants
• News Flash: FDA Approves Silicone Gel Implants
• Pain Pumps & Breast Augmentation
• Recovery From Breast Augmentation
• Breast Augmentation Results

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Breast Augmentation – Breast Implant Mammoplasty in Mountain View and Palo Alto

Breast augmentation is a personal and private decision that can potentially have life-changing effects on a person. Dr. Samuel Pearl has been performing breast augmentation procedures for Mountain View, Palo Alto, Los Altos, Sunnyvale, San Jose, and Bay Area women for over two decades. Dr. Pearl is known throughout the Bay Area for his artistic touch and extensive surgical experience.

Breast augmentation can enhance natural body proportion and frequently correct the involutional changes of the breasts noted after pregnancy. Improved self-confidence and image are common after this procedure. Through a variety of incisions, a soft, natural-shaped breast implant is placed behind the breast tissue and frequently behind the chest muscles to achieve the desired size and shape. If you are contemplating breast augmentation through the permanent insertion breast implants, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Los Altos, Sunnyvale and Bay Area women should consult Dr. Pearl, an experienced and knowledgeable surgeon.

Women who choose to have breast augmentation surgery do so to improve their self-image. Some breasts never developed to a size that meets their expectation. Often, women want the breast augmentation procedure to restore their natural breast volume, which may have decreased as a result of pregnancy, weight loss or aging.

Any one of the following feelings or conditions may indicate that you are a good candidate for breast implants:

• You are bothered by the feeling that your breasts are too small
• Weight loss has changed the size and shape of your breasts
• After having children, your breasts have become smaller and have lost their firmness
• Dresses that fit well around the hips are often too large at the bust line
• You feel self-conscious wearing a swimsuit or form-fitting top

In addition, there are several "musts" for anyone considering breast augmentation:

• Breast development must be complete
• Candidate must be emotionally mature and fully understand their motivations for wanting the procedure
• Candidate must have realistic expectations, knowing that the procedure can bring improvement, but not perfection

If you believe you can benefit from the cosmetic enhancements of breast implants, Palo Alto, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, and Bay Area residents can contact Dr. Pearl, the breast augmentation expert, in Mountain View, California.

A personal consultation is the first step. Dr. Pearl will assess your physical and emotional health and discuss your specific cosmetic goals for breast augmentation surgery.

You should arrive at the consultation prepared to provide complete information about:

• Previous surgeries
• Past and present medical conditions
• Treatments you have received
• Medications that you are taking, including nutritional supplements and herbal remedies
• The results of mammograms you have had
• Any history of breast cancer in your family

If you would like to arrange a consultation to discuss breast implants or breast augmentation, contact Dr. Pearl, Mountain View and Palo Alto, and Los Altos, and San Jose's premier cosmetic surgeon.

To make sure you are happy with your breast augmentation procedure, Dr. Pearl offers 4 separate opportunities for the sizing of breast implants at his Mountain View practice. Dr. Pearl believes the most important sizing takes place in the privacy of your own home, and he gives every patient specific instructions on how to best determine the appropriate size and shape of their breast implants.

During your initial visit, Dr. Pearl will discuss appropriate size and give you the opportunity to see what you would look like with different sized breast implants. The second, and most important sizing will occur at home. Dr. Pearl instructs his breast augmentation patients in Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose, Los Altos, and across the Bay Area to create and experiment with their own home-made breast implants in order to determine what size works best for their body.

• Begin by cutting a 12 inch segment of old pantyhose (not the foot area), tying a knot on one end, filling the pantyhose with approximately 8-12 ounces of rice, and tying the other end in a knot. Remember, you pick the size, and one ounce = ~30 cc's.
• Purchase a lycra bra (with no underwire) in the cup size that you are looking to achieve with surgery. Make sure the bra doesn’t fit too tightly, and purchase several sizes if you are unsure of the look you are going for.
• Place the “rice implant” inside the bra, and add or remove rice until you find the most flattering size.

Now is your opportunity to try on clothes, bathing suits and lingerie in stores or in the privacy of your own home. Consult your friends, families and partners for advice, and spend as much time as needed. At your pre-op appointment, you can bring your rice implants to the office, and Dr. Pearl can measure the rice and compare it to the goals that were discussed during your initial appointment. You may discover that your preferences have changed, and your final implant size may be larger or smaller that what you initially desired. During your breast augmentation procedure in Mountain View, Dr. Pearl will have one final opportunity to adjust the size and position of your breast implants to best satisfy your desires.

Dr. Pearl offers this series of sizing steps for all of his breast augmentation patients in Mountain View and across Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Los Altos and the Bay Area because he wants to make sure they achieve their aesthetic goals. Dr. Pearl believes that sizing at home gives you more control over your final result, and empowers you to experiment with size in a way that may have been uncomfortable in an office. When patients are comfortable with their breast augmentation treatment plan, they are more likely to be satisfied with their results.

For more information about breast augmentation and the sizing of breast implants, contact our plastic surgery practice in Mountain View, near Palo Alto and Los Altos.

The technique used for your surgery depends not only on Dr. Pearl's preferences but also on your desired results. The incision is small and is usually made in one of three locations, underneath the breast just above the crease, around the lower edge of the areola, or within the axillary fold.

Once the incisions are made, Dr. Pearl creates the pockets into which the breast implants are inserted. This pocket is made either directly behind the breast tissue or more frequently beneath the pectoral muscle located below the breast tissue and above the chest wall.

For more information on breast augmentation, Palo Alto, San Jose, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Saratoga, and Sunnyvale residents can contact our plastic surgery practice in Mountain View, California.

Each year, thousands of people have breast augmentations and experience no major complications. However, it is important for you to be informed of the risks as well as the benefits. Breast implants have been used with great success for more than 30 years. Dr. Pearl has been performing breast augmentation for over 20 years! Recently new medical studies have confirmed that breast implants do not increase the risk of breast cancer and they are not directly responsible for causing autoimmune diseases (Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Scleroderma, Fibromyalgia, etc). In Dr. pearl's opinion, both saline and silicone gel-filled breast implants are medically safe.

Dr. Pearl will inform you of the possible complications of breast augmentation surgery. In addition to listening carefully to what he tells you, be sure to raise any questions you may have about the safety of the procedure.

By carefully following our advice and instructions - both before and after surgery - you can minimize some of the risks.

If you have any questions about the safety of breast implants and breast augmentation, contact our practice, which serves Mountain View, Los Altos, San Jose, Palo Alto, and the entire Bay Area.

Silicone Gel Implants are now FDA approved and are available for everyone 22 years of age or older. Dr. Pearl has always believed that, for most patients, gel implants offer the most natural look and feel. They are particularly good for patients that are thin and have minimal breast tissue.

"I am excited that I can again offer you the adjustability of saline and the softness of gel implants!"

Recently, Dr. Pearl has begun to offer post-operative pain pumps to his breast augmentation and tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) patients. Pain pumps in selected individuals can dramatically reduce post-operative discomfort.

How it works:

During surgery, fine catheters are placed in each breast pocket (or under the abdominal skin and subcutaneous tissue), exiting in an inconspicuous location. An electronic pump that you wear in a "fanny" pack delivers a continuous infusion of local anesthetic to the site of surgery for 3-4 days, dramatically reducing your immediate post-operative pain. The pump also has the ability to be programmed to allow you to administer additional amounts of local anesthetic by pushing a button! The catheters are easily removed 3 or 4 days after surgery.

Note: Pain pumps are not new, they have been used successfully in orthopedic (knee, hip, and shoulder) and general surgery for several years to significantly reduce post-operative pain.

Be sure to ask Dr. Pearl and his staff about this exciting way to reduce your discomfort, enhance your experience, and help you achieve the superior result that you deserve!

Within a day after surgery, you should be up and around. Most of the discomfort that you feel can be controlled with medication prescribed by your surgeon. Although everyone heals at a different rate, you can expect that your recovery will follow this general time line:

Within the first week

• Bandages will be removed, and you may shower 3 days after surgery
• Sutures will be removed at one week after surgery
• You may return to light activity, non strenuous work usually at 5 days after surgery
• You can resume sexual relations (as long as the breasts are treated gently)

After several weeks

• You may resume exercise
• Most of the swelling will subside and you'll start to see your 'new shape'
• You may resume vigorous exercise and arm movements

Avoid straining, bending and lifting during the early postoperative period. You may resume most of your normal activities within several weeks.

If you are like most women who have the procedure, you'll be very pleased with the results of your breast augmentation. You will no longer need padded bras or other breast-enlarging undergarments. Your new, natural curves will let you wear a greater variety of fashions - even dresses with low-cut necklines and form-fitting tops. Many women find that their new figure gives them a greater sense of self-confidence, whether they're on the beach or in the boardroom.

You are likely to be happy with your results for many years. However, keep in mind that breast implants are not immune to the effects of weight fluctuations or aging. The life span of breast implants is approximately 8-20 years. Therefore, you can expect to have at least one or two additional procedures during your lifetime even if your initial breast augmentation procedure has a 'perfect' result.

If you would feel you could benefit from breast augmentation surgery, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Los Altos, San Jose, and Bay Area women should contact our plastic surgery center today.

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