The common concern patients have about liposuction is regarding the results – will the fat ever return? A study conducted by the University of Colorado School of Medicine found that without a person’s change of lifestyle the fat will return within a year; individuals must continue to maintain a healthy regimen of diet and exercise in order to have a long-lasting outcome. If the fat does come back it will be redistributed to other areas of the body, most commonly the upper torso.

“The fact that fat returned is of great interest to us as scientists. It supports the idea that levels of body fat are very tightly regulated by mechanisms we have yet to uncover,” reported the lead researcher, Dr. Robert H. Eckel. “This was the hypothesis we were testing and it was confirmed. In rodents when fat is removed it returns, and after weight loss in humans most everyone regains the weight. We think the brain somehow knows how much fat is on board and responds in a manner to regulate that weight. That’s why preventing obesity is so important.”

Please contact Dr. Taranow today to schedule a consultation and discover if you are the right candidate for liposuction.

People often ask to have buttocks such as Kim Kardashian (pictured)

The traditional method for butt augmentation has been to have gluteal implants surgically placed below the butt muscles. This procedure is ideal for patients with very little body fat. For those with a few extra pounds to lose, the Brazilian Butt Lift is the best alternative. This procedure involves modern liposuction technology and techniques that allow for the transfer of the patient’s own fat to her buttock area. Not only is your own fat used to enlarge or reshape your buttock, the fat is taken from other problem areas of your body so you get the reduction in those parts as well.

So in essence, a Brazilian Butt Lift consists of two procedures, liposuction and fat transfer (buttock injections).

What is the Procedure?

The first part of the surgery is liposuction to remove unwanted fat.  Dr. Taranow uses the latest liposuction technology, which increases the survival rate of transferred fat. A common misconception is that “free fat” is removed, but rather it’s the fat cells. These cells also stay in one place their entire life because they do not move around. The fat is taken from almost anywhere in the body, purified, and re-injected into the patient’s buttocks.

Typically 60 to 80 percent of the fat cells injected into the buttocks survive. Due to these great survival rates, the fat cells actually thrive in most patients. The final results of the fat grafting procedure can be seen within three months after surgery and can last for many years. The definition and results increase over this time.

Recovery

Recovery time for a Brazilian butt augmentation is at least three weeks, requiring that patients refrain from sitting for two weeks. Patients wear a compressive garment for several weeks to help reduce swelling and bruising. Bruising goes away within three weeks. However, swelling takes approximately two to three months to subside. During recovery, the buttocks will shrink a bit in size, as will the areas where liposuction was performed.

So if you are one of the hundreds of women that are unsatisfied with their buttocks and if this procedure seems right for you, please contact Dr. Taranow today to schedule a consultation.

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.

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.

In cases where Hollywood stars have children, they have the problem of obtaining their pre-pregnancy bodies just like the rest of you.  A mommy makeover may be just what they need to get their Hollywood figure back.

A Mommy makeover is a combination of several plastic surgical procedures which may include some of the following: Breast augmentation, breast lift, liposuction and abdominoplasty (tummy tuck).  Many of these surgeries are performed together as a single operation and the patient is discharged from the ambulatory surgical center just hours after waking up.  In most cases, the patients are able to return to work in just one week.

For more information and to see some photos, you may go to www.Taranow.com

1. What to do before seeing a Plastic Surgeon.

The first step is to get a small pad and carry it around with you to write questions down as you think of them. Next, peruse the web to get some basic information, but not too much. There are sooo many self proclaimed ‘experts’ out there giving you wrong information. Next, it’s time to pick a Plastic Surgeon. You may try to go on sites that rate different physicians such as RateMD.com. Speaking to friends to try to get referrals is also very important. Make sure that your surgeon is a board certified Plastic Surgeon. You may also consider going on a physician profile web site (usually state run) to see if there are an unusual number of cases brought against them. Ask to see actual before and after photos of the doctors work. http://www.taranow.com/TAR_List.asp?type=Proc&data=Breast_Augmentation

Don’t be afraid to insult the doctor with any questions you may have. Consider his/her personality. You will be having a ‘foreign body’ (implant) inserted inside you and you want to make sure that this surgeon is one you feel a connection to and know that they will be available to you if ever you have a question or problem. Ask them how many breast augmentations they perform each year.

2. What are the different types of incisions used to place the implants?

There are four types of incisions:
a. Transaxillary- armpit incision
b. Periareolar- around the bottom of the areola (colored area below the nipple)
c. Inframammary- in the crease below the breast
d. Transumbilical- through the belly button

My favorite is the transaxillary incision which leaves no scar on the breast. The periareolar is my second favorite with the scar hidden in between the dark area of the lower areola and light area of the breast skin. The inframammary is the easiest and most commonly used incision, but it leaves a visible scar on the bottom of the breast and may become darker especially in Hispanic or Dark Skin patients. The transumbilical is the furthest incision from the breast and a long tunnel must be made to insert the implants.

3. Types of implants.

There are two different types of implants:
Saline- salt water filled
Silicone- silicone gel filled
Saline filled implants are safe and do not require any monitoring outside of the recommended yearly mammograms for breast cancer detection. They are known to ‘ripple’ or develop small creases on the outside of the implant which may in some instances be felt or even seen. Silicone implants tend to feel more ‘natural’ and ripple much less. As such, they are not as easily felt or seen through the skin. The silicone implants are recommended to have an MRI three years after their placement and every two years there after to monitor for leakage.
The outside of the implant called the shell comes in two different types. Smooth (just like it sounds) and textured (fuzzy outside). Both types are made of a solid (non-gel) silicone. The type used is based on the surgeons preference. I allow the patient to decide which implant best fits their situation and lifestyle. Make sure you ask your surgeon to let you feel the implants.

4. Round versus shaped (anatomical).

The round implant is the most common breast implant used today. Some surgeons prefer a shaped or anatomical implant. The choice of implant is based solely on the surgeons preference.

5. Placement of the implants.

Submuscular- under the chest muscle (under the breast) and subglandular-under the breast tissue on TOP of the chest muscle are the two options. Placement depends on you shape, size, chest wall, implant selection and physician’s preference. More commonly, I place my implants under the muscle unless there is significant breast droopiness (ptosis), very wide cleavage or sternum (breast bone) or tubular type breasts.

Implants just like hip replacements etc are man made and will NOT last for life. The saline implants are easy to diagnose when they leak as your breast will rapidly deflate over several days if one leaks. The leaking silicone implant may not be detectable without performing an MRI. The implant companies warrantee their implants for several years and there is even a low cost insurance available through the companies that you may consider.

Please feel free to watch my video on Breast Augmentation in my Video Gallery-Breast Augmentation by Dr Douglas Taranow