Breast Augmentation in Baltimore, MD

Women who are unhappy with their breast size may consider breast augmentation surgery to enhance their shape. As one of the most frequently requested cosmetic surgery procedures among Baltimore women, breast augmentation is designed to enlarge the breasts with the use of either silicone gel or saline-filled implants. Breast augmentation techniques have advanced so greatly over the past few years, that today’s results, under a qualified surgeon, appear beautiful and natural. During the consultation, Dr. Janet Woodyard will work with her patients to understand their aesthetic goals, including breast size and desired shape.

For individuals who are hoping to increase the volume of their breasts and customize their overall appearance, breast augmentations in Baltimore, MD at Dr. Woodyard Plastic Surgery offer a large number of excellent benefits, such as:

• Enhances cup size and volume
• Helps with reshaping breasts changed by childbirth, time, or rapid weight loss
• Evens out asymmetrical breast size
• Reconstructs breasts following a mastectomy
• Increases confidence and self-image
• Lets you wear a larger variety of clothing
• Yields dramatic, longitudinal outcomes

On top of the previously mentioned benefits, breast augmentation can also:

• Offers many implant options
• Is safe and effective for most individuals
• May last for 15 years or longer in some cases
• Has a recovery period that is relatively rapid
• Creates an effortless appearance
• Helps to get the body you want to see in the mirror

The choice to go through with breast augmentation surgery is personal. You should be healthy with breasts that are fully developed and be the right age to have implants. If you are dissatisfied with the size and shape of your chest because they seem shapeless, you could benefit from this surgery. Moreover, if your breasts have been affected by aging, nursing, or weight loss, this procedure can give them life with increased shape and fullness.

Saline breast implants are filled with a sterile saltwater solution and offer no risk to the patient in terms of extracapsular spread or silicone leakage. Saline implants are appealing to many because they generally cost less than silicone implants. In some patients, silicone may be a better option due to the rippling that may occur along the edges of the saline implant, which can be visible in thin-chested women. Patients considering saline implants must be at least 18 years of age.

Silicone breast implants are filled with a gel substance that looks and feels similar to natural breast tissue.  They are ideal for women who are thin-chested. Silicone implants are specially engineered so that if the shell should become compromised (a surface crack), the silicone will remain intact within the implant (known as cohesive gel implants). Patients must be at least 22 years of age to receive silicone implants.

An implant profile depicts the distance the breast will project forward from the chest wall. Implants are made in low, moderate, high, and extra high profiles.

Breast implants come in two shapes. Round implants tend to provide more upper pole fullness and are frequently used in breast augmentation, while anatomic-shaped (teardrop-shaped) implants have a more natural breast shape and are frequently used in breast reconstruction.

Breast implants are made with a smooth or textured surface.  Round implants can be chosen with either surface, while teardrop implants are made with a textured surface only.  

• Submammary (Retromammary):  Under the mammary gland, over the muscle (sometimes called 'subglandular')
• Submuscular (Retromuscular):  Mostly under the muscle
• Dual Plane:  Along two planes/layers

• Inframammary:  The incision is made in the breast crease where the breast meets the torso
• Periareolar:  The incision is made just under and along the areola
• Transaxillary:  The incision is made in the armpit (Not Recommended)
• Transumbilical:  The incision is made in the belly button (Not Recommended)

Breast augmentation is performed under general anesthesia in an accredited surgical facility and typically takes between 1 – 2 hours to complete. It is considered an outpatient procedure. After surgery, patients will need to rest for a couple of days but will be encouraged to move around in order to promote circulation. As the skin adjusts to the new breast size, it is normal to feel tightness in the chest area. Patients may resume their normal exercise routines within 4-6 weeks. It typically takes around six months for the breasts to fall into their final position. The result is a softer, natural-looking breast appearance.

Both saline and silicone implants are popular choices among surgeons and patients. In general, women with a moderate amount of breast tissue are good candidates for either type of implant, while those with limited tissue and thin chest walls will benefit from silicone.

Patients sometimes have concerns about the safety of silicone breast implants because of the attention they received in the media years ago. However, the FDA did approve their safety. In addition, no evidence has ever been found to link silicone breast implants to cancer, auto-immune deficiency disease, or any other illness. Ultimately, 62% of today’s breast augmentation patients choose silicone over saline. For reconstruction cases, they choose them three times more often.

Breast augmentation will help with size, but it will not correct sagging. If you are happy with the shape and laxity of your breasts, then implants alone may meet your cosmetic goals. If sagging is what is most bothersome to you, then you may be considered for a breast lift. During your consult, we will determine if you are better suited for breast augmentation, a lift, or a combination of the two.

Modern engineering creates strong and durable implants. The risk of implant rupture is low, but it gradually increases over time as the implants become older. If a saline implant does rupture, the solution will be absorbed by the body, and the implant will deflate, becoming visibly noticeable. If a silicone implant ruptures, the cohesive gel will stay intact and will not leak into the body. An MRI may be necessary to detect a silicone defect.

Most implants will last 10 – 15 years or longer. If there is no rupture, leakage, deflation, or any other visible defects (such as rippling), then there is no need to change the implant or have any type of secondary surgery.