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FAQ

Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation is one of the most popular procedures in plastic surgery. The procedure can improve the size and shape of breasts that have always been small or that have lost volume due to weight loss or pregnancy. There can be some improvement of ptosis (sagging) of the breasts but in some cases if the sagging is more severe this may require breast lift or mastopexy. The surgery involves the placement of implants filled either with saline (salt water solution) or silicone gel to increase the breast size. Implants come in a variety of sizes and shapes and can be placed through a variety of incisions but most commonly either around the nipple (periareolar location), under the breast fold (inframammary location), or in the armpit (axillary location). Implants can be placed either above or below the pectoralis muscles. All of these options have advantages and disadvantages and the best choice for an individual patient is something we can determine at your consultation visit.

Abdominoplasty (“Tummy Tuck”)

Abdominoplasty helps to flatten and shape the abdomen and waist by removing excess fat and skin and tightening muscles. The best candidates have pockets of fat or loose skin that haven’t responded well to diet and exercise. The procedure can also be useful for women with stretched skin and muscles from pregnancy.

The procedure takes approximately two to five hours and can be performed with general anesthesia or local anesthesia with a sedative. Recovery time ranges from two weeks to a few months. With a balanced diet and regular exercise, results are long-lasting. Abdominoplasty will likely leave a permanent scar stretching between the hips, although it should be low enough for even a bikini to conceal it.

Liposuction

Also known as suction assisted lipectomy or SAL, liposuction is a very popular and effective procedure for removing excess fat deposits. It is most useful in patients who are not significantly overweight and have persistent areas of fat deposition that they are unable to get rid of otherwise. In fact most of my patients here in Boulder are in excellent physical condition and just frustrated by genetically determined areas of fat that don’t respond to their efforts. It is not an effective substitute for diet and exercise and will have only minimal effects on total body weight when properly applied.

 

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