Many women are insecure about the size of their breasts and wish that they were larger and more in proportion with the rest of their body. It is very common for women to have breasts that are not symmetrical. One breast may be larger than the other, which can be uncomfortable. If you have small breasts, getting a breast augmentation in Huntington, NY with implants can give your breasts more volume. Breast enhancement can also balance your breasts and help with symmetry.
Charlotte Ann Rhee MD is a top board-certified plastic surgeon in Long Island specializing in breast augmentation surgery. As a female plastic surgeon, she understands the insecurities that many women have and it’s her goal for all of her patients to feel comfortable and satisfied with their results.
If you are ready to take the next step in exploring the option to have a breast augmentation, Dr. Rhee offers free consultations. Call (631) 424-6707 to schedule your visit at her office located in Huntington, New York or click the button below:
Breast Enhancement Before & After Photos
View more before and after photos for breast enhancement performed by Dr. Charlotte Rhee.
“I had my breast implants done by Dr Rhee and I am very happy with my results. Dr Rhee gave me the perfect size. Not too big and not too small. I highly recommend her if you are considering breast implants.” – Breast Augmentation Patient Review
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What Is Breast Augmentation?
Breast augmentation, or augmentation mammaplasty, is one of the most common cosmetic procedures that women have. For this breast procedure, Dr. Charlotte Rhee uses saline or silicone-filled implants that are inserted under the crease in the breast, around the nipple, or through the armpit. The implant can be placed under the breast tissue or beneath the chest wall muscle. After surgery, your breasts will appear fuller and more shapely in contour.
When you schedule a consultation with Dr. Rhee, you will discuss all of the concerns you have with your breasts and the results you desire after surgery. If you are a good candidate for breast enhancement, Dr. Rhee will discuss all of your options as far as implant type and size are concerned, as well as what it means to have and realistic expectations for the procedure. To learn more about breast implants, click here.
Am I A Candidate For Breast Augmentation In Huntington NY?
Ideal candidates for breast augmentation include women who desire larger breasts and those who want to restore the breast volume. Breast volume is often lost as a result of pregnancy or significant weight loss. Breast augmentation may be performed with a breast lift, or mastopexy. In this case, we will also be able to lift sagging breasts. A good candidate should be in good health and have realistic expectations for the procedure.
You may not be a good candidate for breast enhancement surgery if you are currently breastfeeding, pregnant, or are not in good physical health. Women who plan to have more children are not advised to undergo breast surgery, as results may be altered after giving birth. The best way to know if you are a consultation for breast augmentation is to come in for a free consultation with Dr. Rhee.
How Common Is Breast Augmentation Surgery?
Breast augmentation in the United States has been the first or second most popular cosmetic surgery for many years running. Prior to COVID, the last year with reliable statistics was 2018. That year, 313,735 American women had breast augmentation, making it the year’s most popular procedure.
Women who’ve had augmentation also have incredibly high satisfaction rates after their surgery. After augmentation surgery, women are surveyed in the months and years afterwards. They report incredibly high rates of satisfaction. A survey from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports that 98 percent of women felt their augmentation either met or exceeded their expectations. Over 90 percent of the women also said they felt the procedure increased their self-esteem.
Benefits Of Breast Enhancement Surgery
The primary benefits of breast enhancement surgery are cosmetic improvements. However, the results from breast augmentation surgery can overall improve the confidence and self-esteem of the patient. Benefits include:
- Enhancing breast size
- Improving cleavage appearance
- Balance breasts
- Improved self-esteem
- Increased confidence
- More youthful feel
What Are The Risks Associated With Breast Augmentation?
Breast augmentation is surgery, so its risks include those associated with surgery: excessive bleeding, reaction to anesthesia, poor incision healing, and the like. Beyond those general surgical risks, there are some risks specific to breast augmentation. These include:
- Capsular contracture
- Implant leakage or rupture
- Implant shifting
- Changes in nipple sensation
- Impaired ability to breastfeed
- Breast asymmetry
- Visible rippling of the implant
Dr. Rhee will discuss the possible risks involved with breast augmentation during your consultation.
How do I prepare for breast augmentation?
There isn’t any special preparation required for augmentation surgery. It is surgery, so you’ll need to stop taking any anti-inflammatory medications, blood thinners, aspirin, and most supplements for a few days prior to your procedure. If you smoke, you’ll need to stop for at least two weeks prior to and after your surgery, as smoking constricts the blood vessels, and this can hinder incision healing. Dr. Rhee will discuss these things with you during your consultation.
You’ll have to limit any reaching upward for a week or so and you may want to bring any items you use regularly down to the counter or a lower shelf prior to coming home after your surgery.
What Can I Expect From The Breast Augmentation Procedure?
The breast augmentation procedure lasts one to two hours and is typically performed with general anesthesia. Dr. Rhee performs breast surgery at her accredited surgical facility at her Huntington, NY office. This allows patients to be treated and recover in a comfortable, at-home setting instead of a hospital.
What Are The Different Incision Options For Breast Implants On Long Island?
When performing breast augmentation with implants, Dr. Rhee makes incisions in inconspicuous places on the breast to minimize scar visibility. Dr. Rhee uses the Inframammary approach which is in the crease on the underside of the breast.
Inframammary Incision
Breast augmentation with an inframammary incision is performed with an incision made under the breast and close to the inframammary fold. The incision is made here to secure proper placement of the implant, but also to reduce scar visibility. An advantage of this incision is that Dr. Rhee works close to the breast, allowing for optimal visibility while working.
Breast Implant Placement
Breast implant placement beneath the muscle of the chest offers a few advantages over placement beneath the breast tissue only. These include reduced risk of capsular contracture (post-operative tightening around the implant) and less interference with mammogram examinations. Possible disadvantages include the need for drainage tubes and elevated pain in the first few days following surgery. Dr. Rhee will help you decide which option may be best for you.
Recovery After Breast Enhancement Surgery
After breast augmentation surgery, drainage tubes may be inserted. Incisions will be stitched, taped and bandaged. Patients typically wear a surgical bra over the bandages to minimize swelling and give the breasts support. For those who want more than the average surgical bra, look to BodyFly, which is a line of body shaping activewear for patients that are recovering from breast procedures.
Dr. Rhee founded this company in 2016 to offer patients wardrobe options that incorporate compression benefits with fashion. These garments can also be worn for your workouts.
For a few days, most patients will feel tired and sore, but most return to work in a week. Dr. Rhee will remove stitches in a week to 10 days. During the first few weeks postoperative pain, swelling, and sensitivity will diminish. Scars begin to fade in a few months.
Will Breast Augmentation Be Affected By Medications I May Need In The Future?
Your implants won’t change at all as a reaction to any sort of medication.
How Long Will My Breast Implants Last?
Breast implants, like any manufactured product, have a lifespan. At some point, the implant shell will begin to degrade and allow for leakage or rupture. At what point this happens can vary dramatically between different women. All breast implant manufacturers currently guarantee their implants for 10 years, and they will pay for all replacement costs if their implants fail prior to that timeframe. Also, implant durability is increasing. So is the cohesiveness of the silicone gel (if you opt for silicone implants), meaning that any leakage usually stays within the shell or just outside it and is easy to remove when the ruptured implant is replaced.
Still, it’s a good plan to think you’ll have at least two implant replacement surgeries during your life, depending on how old you are during your initial augmentation, of course. Replacement surgery is easier than the original augmentation, as Dr. Rhee can use the original incision locations again.
How Does Pregnancy Effect Breast Implants?
Some women opt to have their breast size augmented after they experience their natural size increase during pregnancy and breastfeeding. They found they liked their increased breast fullness and volume.
The question is, if you’ve had augmentation prior to your pregnancy what will happen to your implants? Natural breasts change with pregnancy and breastfeeding, often flattening and developing some degree of sagging, particularly in the upper breast area. This can occur if you have breast implants, so you may notice some sagging after the process is complete. It usually isn’t dramatic, but Dr. Rhee can address this with a minor breast lift if you’d like. Or you could choose to exchange your implants for larger implants or implants with a different profile.
In most cases, augmentation doesn’t affect the ability to breastfeed. Dr. Rhee predominantly uses the inframammary incision along the breast crease, and this typically doesn’t impact breastfeeding at all.
If possible, it’s best to wait to have breast augmentation until you are finished having children. This eliminates any possible changes due to the natural increase and decrease of the breasts. This is especially true if you plan on having multiple children. You’ll want to be finished breastfeeding for at least three months, preferably six, before opting for augmentation surgery. This lets the breasts return to the natural size and gives your hormone levels time to stabilize.
Could Breast Implants Affect My Ability to Breastfeed?
The majority of women who wish to breastfeed after having breast augmentation are able to do so without any challenges. That said, it’s important to have a thorough conversation with Dr. Rhee about your desire to breastfeed in the future. There is no way to guarantee this goal. Every situation is unique. However, Dr. Rhee can perform surgery using the most appropriate technique to preserve milk ducts, nerve impulses, and other factors that influence milk production and the ability to breastfeed. For example, she may recommend submuscular implant placement to reduce the pressure on mammary glands. She may carefully plan the incision pattern for implant insertion, understanding that experts have advised against areolar incisions for patients who wish to breastfeed.
It’s not uncommon for patients to harbor concerns about silicone from their breast implants tainting breast milk. This is an old myth that continues to circulate. No evidence of this has been identified in the many years of breast augmentation. In terms of which type of breast implant is better for women who want to breastfeed at some point, studies do not indicate that saline is better than silicone. Both are considered safe. The more important factors to discuss with Dr. Rhee are implant position, size, and incision type.
When Can I Exercise After My Breast Augmentation?
If you’re an active woman who follows a daily workout routine, you may find the recommended downtime somewhat challenging. Keep in mind that your recovery period is short in comparison to the lifespan of your implants. Six to eight weeks of a break from strenuous exercise is a blink of an eye compared to the decade or longer that your implants can last. Additionally, your commitment to optimal healing in the first couple of months after your breast implant procedure can impact the long-term results of your procedure.
There are several risks associated with working out too soon after breast augmentation. These include:
- Prolonged swelling and pain
- Pulling out sutures
- Delayed healing
- Unsatisfactory cosmetic outcome
- Asymmetry
- Implant displacement
- Opening of incisions
Before your breast augmentation, talk to Dr. Rhee about your exercise questions. Know that you can begin walking on the day of your surgery but your distance and time will be limited only to what is necessary. Doing too much too soon after your procedure could significantly increase your post-surgical risks.
Can Breast Augmentation Fix Saggy Breasts?
The breast augmentation procedure is designed to increase the volume of the breasts. It’s understandable to consider how that volume increase may affect breast shape and height. Fuller breasts may, in fact, very subtly fill out deflated skin to provide some degree of lift. That said, the degree of lift that can be accomplished with breast implants is usually not sufficient enough to offset the risks of augmentation performed to fix saggy breasts.
Whether you choose saline or silicone breast implants, these devices have weight to them. This means that your breasts will be heavier after your breast augmentation and will thus tug on the skin. If you receive implants without a lift and you already have some breast ptosis, the problem may worsen sooner than it would if you also undergo a breast lift.
Schedule A Breast Augmentation Consultation
If you are interested in learning more about breast augmentation in Huntington, NY, contact our office at (631) 424-6707 to schedule your free consultation with Dr. Charlotte Rhee.
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