Left: 33-year-old mother after having one child. She lacked upper pole fullness and was asymmetric. Right: 6 weeks following breast augmentation with Dr. Duncan. She has tasteful cleavage and improvement of asymmetry.
To view all of my before and after photos, click here to visit my Breast Augmentation gallery.
My goal with breast augmentation is a natural yet beautiful appearance. I look for enhancement rather than distortion in my preferred outcome. I specialize in a natural, conservative style. This means I don’t use overly projecting implants that look too big for your frame or “stuck on.”
Many women are self-conscious about their disproportionately small breasts. There are many reasons for small breasts:
Good candidates for breast augmentation:
Poor candidates:
Silicone versus Saline?
Saline or silicone gel? Many people still view saline as “safer” than gel implants, despite FDA approval of several brands of gel implants for use in breast augmentation.
The lifetime of a saline implant is generally quite a bit shorter (7-10 years) than a cohesive ‘gummy-bear’ gel implants (20-25 years barring trauma).
Gel implants tend to migrate down and out into the armpit less than saline implants. Saline implants tend to deflate suddenly, causing an urgent need for repair. Cohesive gel implants do not suddenly lose volume. A significant injury would be needed to cause the gel to leak out of the shell. Since gels last longer, hold a better shape and need less frequent replacement, I tend to use cohesive gel implants for my patients.
Smooth or textured?
Textured or smooth implants? Textured implants were popular for a while as they were supposed to reduce the incidence of capsular contracture. However, my experience has been that contracture is actually more common with these implants. They feel a bit more firm than smooth implants, and they don’t tend to shift naturally as smooth gel implants do. They are good for patients with recurrent migration. Otherwise, most of my patients prefer the smooth cohesive gel implants for a top long-term result.
What about Profile?
Question: “I went to another doctor who only uses high profile implants. Why won’t you put in implants with a high profile?”
Answer: See the photo below. She went to a doctor who only uses high profile implants. Her outcome was not satisfactory. Because the high profile implants have a very narrow base and a lot of projection, using them is like stuffing a grapefruit into a breast. The look is very unnatural as there is an upper hump and no lower pole fullness.
This patient’s before (left) and after (right) results show all of my criteria for a good breast augmentation outcome (rules number 1 through 8, above).
To view all of my before and after photos, click here to visit my gallery.
Surgery
After making an incision under the breast, Dr. Duncan carefully opens the pocket underneath your pectoral muscle. She then inserts a ‘sizer’ implant and lifts the back of the table to see if that size gives the desired aesthetic result. If not, she’ll try on another sizer. Once it passes her standards, she replaces the sizer with the implant that will stay with you, and closes the incision.
Most plastic surgeons can make breasts larger; our goal is to make them look prettier. Implants can fill out and lift mild sagging, but moderate to severe drooping as assessed by Dr. Duncan may require an additional lift procedure. This surgery is not intended to lift the breasts and no patient starts out with perfectly even breasts, no patient will have breasts that match exactly afterwards.
A board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Duncan has been operating for over 30 years here in Fort Collins, CO.
Her breast procedures are some of the most sought-after as many of our patients are more comfortable with a female surgeon, especially one with her breast expertise. Her signature look is sought after by patients’ who want a natural and tasteful appearance. as opposed to oversized implants.
Capsular contracture (capsule thickening resulting in hardening and tightening of the pocket), spitting sutures, implant migration and asymmetry are all common post-op concerns following augmentation.
Though more rare, implant rupture is a possibility following trauma or other implant impingement.
Mentor (our implant manufacturer) offers warranties on your implants following surgery. There are options; learn more at MentorDirect.com! To register your implants, visit MentorDirect.com/Warranty
Dr. Duncan’s artistic style results in dramatic, yet natural improvements. She works with each individual patient to create a personalized treatment plan based on his or her unique situation and desired goals. We would love to speak with you about achieving the best version of yourself. Call Plastic Surgical Associates in Fort Collins today at 970.493.7445 or click the button below to request a consultation. You can also email us any inquiries at info@drdianeduncan.com.
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