Breast augmentation with implants is one of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures performed by plastic surgeons today. For women seeking a top board-certified plastic surgeon, Bellevue, WA offers premier choices for personalized aesthetic care. Across the country, over 300,000 breast augmentations were carried out last year, making it a highly sought-after procedure for women looking to restore or enhance their natural shape.
Choosing the Right Breast Implants in Seattle
When exploring options for breast implants, Seattle and Bellevue area patients have several distinct choices to customize their results to match their unique anatomy:
- Fill Types: There are two kinds of implants: saline and silicone gel.
- Shell Surfaces: There are two kinds of implant shells: smooth and textured.
- Shapes: There are two shapes of implants: round and anatomical.
- Profiles: There are several profiles available, including low, moderate, full, and extra full.
Dr. George Marosan has utilized all types of implants throughout his 30+ years as a board-certified plastic surgeon. In his extensive clinical experience, he has found that round, smooth-shelled silicone gel implants consistently deliver the best long-term outcomes and patient satisfaction.
Submuscular vs Subglandular Implant Placement Options
Most implants are placed in a partially submuscular or dual-plane pocket. The reason for this is that many women desiring breast augmentation have thin natural breast tissue. Placing the implant beneath the muscle adds extra tissue coverage over the superior pole of the breast. It is a common misconception that the muscle supports the implant, but it can create implant animation or movement with muscle contraction.
Alternatively, if a woman has greater than 2-4 cm of tissue thickness when pinching the area gently, the implants can be placed in a subfascial or subglandular position on top of the muscle. This subglandular approach can create a highly natural result while completely avoiding potential muscle animation.
What is the Lifespan of Breast Implants?
It is important for patients considering King County cosmetic surgery to know that breast implants—whether saline or silicone gel—are not lifelong devices. While implant manufacturers often recommend that implants be exchanged every ten years, Dr. Marosan believes a routine exchange is not strictly necessary as long as your breasts remain soft, look natural, are pain-free, and show no signs of firmness, distortion, or deflation. However, following standard FDA safety guidelines, patients should commit to routine follow-ups with MRI or ultrasound screenings to identify silent ruptures. Dr. Marosan has many local patients whose primary surgeries were performed 15 to 20+ years ago who still love their augmented breasts.
Dr. Marosan’s Meticulous Surgical Protocol at Bellevue Plastic Surgeons
Dr. Marosan’s successful surgical outcomes are not by chance; they involve detailed planning and a strict, gentle-tissue surgical protocol:
- Placement of nipple shields to protect the area from naturally occurring bacteria.
- An inframammary fold (IMF) incision hidden in the breast crease, providing safe and direct access for both subglandular and submuscular placement away from the nipples.
- Application of a tumescent solution under the muscle and breast tissues to allow for a meticulous, bloodless dissection.
- Pinpoint pocket dissection without forceful finger tearing or rib cauterization, which minimizes prolonged postoperative pain.
- Careful muscle division and weakening off the breastbone, avoiding traumatic balloon expansion.
- Triple antibiotic and Betadine irrigation of the implant pocket.
- A complete change into sterile new surgical gloves before handling the device.
- Soaking the sterile implants in an antibiotic and Betadine solution.
- A “no-touch” insertion technique utilizing a sterile Keller funnel.
- Suturing the IMF to secure the pocket and prevent the implant from bottoming out.
- Sitting the patient up on the operating room table during surgery to verify perfect symmetry.
- Closing the implant pocket under direct vision while completely protecting the implant shell.
- A two-layer incision closure supported by surgical tape, requiring no heavy breast bands, brassieres, or surgical drains.
- A successful breast augmentation with long-lasting results must be carried out meticulously, gentle tissue handling and with no bleeding at all. This leads to rapid recovery. Often, some surgeons use an expandable balloon, slid under the muscle and inflated to create a pocket for the implant. This causes forceful tears of the tissues, including the muscle, and often significant bleeding. This was popular 15-20 years ago, and now it is making a comeback. Why? It is not a better balloon; the technique is the same. The results do not depend on how fast and how many augmentations one can do in one day, but it depends on how the plastic surgeon treats the tissues with the least amount of trauma.
Combining Breast Augmentation and Lift in the Seattle Metropolitan Area
Can you do a breast augmentation and a breast lift at the same time? Yes, this is a very common combination at Bellevue Plastic Surgeons. Women in their 30s and 40s frequently visit our clinic noting a loss of breast volume and firmness after pregnancy or breastfeeding. When sagging is more significant, a breast implant alone cannot correct the position of the breast tissue.
To ensure clear communication and predictable outcomes for a breast lift, Seattle area patients can utilize our Vectra 3D imaging system. This technology simulates the surgery and provides a three-dimensional visual representation of your potential results. Depending on your chest wall symmetry, tissue elasticity, or significant weight loss history, Dr. Marosan will educate you on whether it is safer to perform a single-stage combination or stage the surgeries by lifting the breasts to a youthful position first and adding an implant later.
Potential Risks and Breast Implant Safety
All surgical procedures carry potential risks. Early complications can include temporary bleeding, hematoma, infection, or incision healing delays. Late complications may include capsular contracture, implant rupture, malposition, or rippling. In very rare cases, textured surfaces have been linked to Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), an uncommon cancer of the scar capsule rather than the breast tissue itself (https://www.plasticsurgery.org/documents/Health-Policy/ALCL/ASPS-ASAPS-Joint-Advisory_FDA-Updates-Website-On-BIA-ALCL.pdf). This is a rare form of cancer related to textured implants only. Dr. Marosan strictly follows the safety guidelines endorsed by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) to monitor patient safety (https://www.plasticsurgery.org/patient-safety/breast-implant-safety).
Scheduling Your Vectra 3D Breast Consultation in Bellevue
Dr. Marosan at Bellevue Plastic Surgeons has extensive practice experience across all aspects of breast surgery, including complex breast implant revision, breast reduction, and cosmetic fat transfer. If you are ready to explore your options with an experienced plastic surgeon, Bellevue, WA residents and those in the surrounding communities can contact our office today to schedule a personalized Vectra 3D consultation.
What is the most common reason a woman wants revision of her breast augmentation?
The number one reason for reoperation is to go up in size of the implants. Some women wish they had gone larger. This is not always possible the first time, due to anatomic constraints, tight tissues, and very small breasts.
How do I learn more about breast augmentation with Dr. Marosan in Bellevue, Washington?
Dr. Marosan at Bellevue Plastic Surgeons has extensive experience with all aspects of breast surgery: augmentations, augmentations/lifts, breast lifts, reconstructive, fat transfer for augmentation, breast reduction, implant removal for breast implant illness, implant replacement. Dr. Marosan has done close to 3,000 breast surgeries in his professional practice. If you are interested in a consultation and learn more about breast augmentation please contact us, schedule a Vectra 3D consultation.
