Breast Augmentation FAQs San Diego

Dr. Laverson helps you choose breast implant size by how large large your breasts are, by how big you want to be, the shape you prefer, by how loose your breast skin is, and by your breast width. You’ll try different sizes during your consultation to get an idea of how you’ll look with several sizes and/or types of implants.  Most of our patients request added volume and a larger cup size, but they also want beauty and believable proportion.  Some women like an “augmented” shape with rounded fullness of the upper breasts, but most don’t want their breasts to appear too obvious.  The size implant you select is limited by the amount and thickness of extra breast skin you have, by your chest width, and by how large you can go without becoming disproportionately large compared to your other features.  In the end, Dr. Laverson wants the best fit for you.  Only you can decide which look feels most comfortable for you and your lifestyle.   Most women know what they want after trying on several sizes in the mirror.  As long as it is safe and reasonably proportional, Dr. Laverson respects your wishes and uses whatever size you select.

There are advantages and disadvantages to each implant position. Most often, Dr. Laverson puts the implant behind or under the pectoralis major muscle. The resulting breast shape and texture may be more natural with less visible implant related skin rippling.  Mammograms may be easier and the incidence of capsular contracture may be diminshed slightly by sub-muscular implant placement.  However, implants beneath the muscle may be subject to undesirable “animation” with certain activities. Read more about Breast implants over or under the muscle.

There is evidence that breast augmentation may diminish a woman’s capacity to breast feed by an estimated 7-14%.

Loss of breast volume and drooping (ptosis) are common after pregnancy.  The breast gland stops producing and storing milk after pregnancy and nursing.   Size of the glands and ducts are subject to hormonal influence, and breasts become quiescent when prolactin and other stimuli recede.  This is called post-partum breast involution. Volume loss with a small amount of sagging can be corrected with breast augmentation surgery. For an excessive degree of sagging, a mastopexy or ‘breast lift’ may be indicated.

YES, but you may not be able to successfully nurse afterward.  With inverted nipples, milk ducts are too short and tether the nipple beneath the surface of breast skin.  This can be corrected in the office under local anesthesia. The procedure is straightforward, successful, and usually permanent, but eversion and stabilization in the everted position often require injury to primary milk ducts behind the nipple, so subsequent nursing is unlikely.  Incisions are small, heal well, and are located on the underside of the nipple so they are difficult to see.

Learn More

YES, The areola can be reduced in size or enlarged.  This may be done as a stand alone procedure under local anesthesia, or may be done in conjunction with breast augmentation, breast reduction or breast lift.

Mechanical failure of mammary implants is possible. The rate of failure is low and should be discussed with your surgeon, including the implant manufacturer’s limited warranty. If saline (salt water filled) implants rupture, this becomes obvious as the implant deflates in a matter of hours or days.  Often, women with a ruptured saline implant presents within days of the event for a new implant to correct her asymmetry after deflation of the device.  If the implant is silicone gel, breasts usually remain stable in size after rupture.  Women with a ruptured gel implant are often unaware of the defect (silent rupture) for months or years, because the cohesive gel remains within the solid silicone envelope.