February 27th, 2012 Dr Taranow
Many women who opt for breast augmentation are active and exercise regularly. In fact, the only body feature they wish to change is their breasts. For patients who enjoy working out, breast augmentation should not hinder your decision to have a procedure performed.
As you recover from surgery, your exercise routine will be limited. This is the time to allow your body to heal and refrain from any physical activity. This doesn’t mean you need to be a couch potato either – because a little exercise will help your body heal. Beginning early and progressing slowly will help you get back on track.
You can start by taking short walks with limited arm movement and bouncing. Stretching and other leg exercises are fine. As time progresses, you can take longer walks and advance to low-impact exercises, such as using an elliptical machine or stationary bike. At this point, you will be fine as long as you don’t use your arms. Swimming is out of the question for four weeks.
As you enter the third week of recovery, you can start exercises that work on your waist, upper back, and arms, but you should avoid using your pectoral muscles, especially if you had subpectoral placement of your breast implants. Keep it to a light exercise without raising your heart rate or blood pressure too high. Doing so may increase your risk of some breast augmentation complications and affect the quality of your results.
Most restrictions will be lifted by the fourth week of recovery. Feel free to resume your normal exercise routine as you see fit. Most patients will not notice much difference from breast implants when exercising, but the breasts may be affected by some activities.
Balance and weight may be a little off for runners. A supportive bra will help your speed and stamina and the exercise will not have any long term effects of your results. If you’re a swimmer, it may take some time getting used to the changes in buoyancy and resistance with regards to the new breast implants. Some tennis players with breast implants feel their backhand is affected, but most do not.
Whatever you may experience while exercising could very well just be your mind adjusting to your newly enhanced body. Be sure to contact your surgeon if you encounter any pain in your breasts while working out. Any complications due to exercise is extremely rare, so do not hesitate to get back into the swing of things.
Posted in Home | No Comments »
February 17th, 2012 Dr Taranow
What are the common prices?
The total cost of a breast augmentation procedure ranges from $5,000 to $15,000. The cost for the implants can be up to $1,300. The anesthesia fee is typically $600 to $800 and the facility fee typically ranges from $800 to $1,200. The remaining cost is the surgeon’s fee, which typically varies more than the other fees associated with breast surgery. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the national average surgeon’s fee for breast augmentation is approximately $3,350. The better the surgeon, the more likely you will pay top dollar for his/her services.
Does insurance cover the procedure?
Insurance companies do not generally cover the breast implant cost or fees associated with the augmentation surgery because it is an elective cosmetic procedure. However, they will cover the procedure if the breast implant and surgery is part of breast reconstruction following a mastectomy or severe breast trauma. Many insurance companies will not cover costs of surgery or treatment for complications relating to breast augmentation, and some providers have guidelines so strict that they will not cover any treatment relating to the breasts of a woman with implants. If you are considering a breast augmentation procedure, ask your insurance carrier what the policies are regarding patients with breast implants.
Common implant styles and textures
Many of my patients prefer smooth implants because they move more freely than textured implants and thus are more like the natural breast. However, some patients prefer other styles of implants, such as anatomical implants. These are not available with a smooth surface.
In general, smooth breast implants are available in a round shape. Textured breast implants are firmer than smooth breast implants and have the feel of fine sand paper. These come in both round and tear drop shaped.
Who makes for the best candidate?
Although it’s not totally necessary, you should be in good physical health, exercise regularly and be of normal weight. If you smoke, you should quit before the breast augmentation. Smoking cigarettes can affect the healing process.
Women who have a thorough understanding of the procedure, including its risks, benefits, and costs, are the best candidates. It is important to have realistic expectations about the outcome. Also, women should only consider undergoing breast augmentation for themselves. It’s your body and your decision.
What is the average recovery time?
Patients typically get back to work within three to four days, with only mild discomfort requiring, at the most, Tylenol for pain. We qualify the results as looking good at one month and looking great after four months. This time period is required for the body to adapt, the skin and muscle tissue to stretch, and the implant to reach its final soft appearance.
What are the long term effects?
The National Cancer Institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, conducted a study on the long term effects of breast implants. The researchers discovered no association between breast implants and breast cancer. They found no link between breast cancer risk and number of years of follow-up, nor with any particular type of implant. Researchers will conduct future analysis of the data and evaluate the risk of other cancers, connective tissue disorders, and causes of death.
Posted in Home | No Comments »