Breast surgery is one of the most common types of cosmetic surgical procedures in the country, and above changing the appearance of your breasts, they often help many women find a new sense of confidence when it comes to feeling comfortable with their breasts and in their own bodies.
Whether you’re someone who is dissatisfied with the appearance of your breasts due to size, shape, proportion, or placement, there’s a solution. At Dr. Barrera’s Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, Dr. Barrera and his team are committed to helping each and every patient – both men and women – achieve their desired breast size.
One thing that Dr. Barrera stresses with his patients considering breast surgery is that the decision needs to be made for you first and foremost. It is important for each patient to understand both the risks and benefits that breast surgery can have, and that your expectations are realistic. If this sounds like you, breast surgery just may be the key to feeling good in your new skin!
Keep reading to find out more about our breast surgery services.
Different Types of Breast Surgeries
Depending on the kind of change you’re looking for regarding your breasts, Dr. Barrera is proud to offer a variety of procedures to meet your needs:
Breast Augmentation
Breast augmentation is a surgical procedure that focuses on improving the size and shape of breasts. Breast enhancement using breast implants can provide a more proportional shape, enhance breast size, and increase self-esteem. This procedure has one of the highest satisfaction rates of all cosmetic procedures and often helps women feel more confident about their appearance.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Breast Augmentation?
If you are bothered by the size, shape, or smallness of your breasts, this procedure may be right for you. Many women who have lost a significant amount of weight or have noticed shrinkage or loss of firmness in their breasts after having children undergo breast augmentation.
The Mommy Makeover
The Mommy Makeover is a combination of surgical procedures that target common areas of the body that experience major changes after going through childbirth. Dr. Barrera takes a unique approach to each patient’s mommy makeover, weighing the goals and expectations. These are the procedures that make up a typical mommy makeover:
Breast Lift:
When the breasts gain size and weight during pregnancy, the skin and support tissue tend to stretch and sag. A breast lift removes excess skin and brings the breasts back up to a higher position on the chest.
Breast Augmentation:
Breastfeeding often decreases breast volume which tends to flatten the breasts. Many women simply want to have breasts similar to what they had before pregnancy, and others decide they’d like larger breasts. To accomplish this, breast implants are placed at the completion of the breast lift procedure. This is an easy extension, as Dr. Barrera can place the implants through the incisions made for the breast lift.
Liposuction:
Stubborn pockets of fat can show up after pregnancy. You may have lost your baby weight, but fat accumulated in unwanted pockets that won’t respond to exercise. Liposuction removes these pockets on the inner and outer thighs, hips, and abdomen.
Tummy Tuck:
In many women, the localized weight gained during pregnancy stretches the muscles and stomach skin to a degree that they can’t return to their former degree of tautness. This leaves a pooch on the lower abdomen. In some cases, the muscles may have separated. A tummy tuck trims excess sagging skin and repositions separated muscles to give you back a flat stomach. It usually involves two incisions, a long lower incision stretching from hipbone to hipbone that sags down to be covered by a bikini bottom or underwear, and a second incision around the navel to address sagging above that area.
Who Is a Good Candidate for the Mommy Makeover?
Mothers who do not smoke, are in good general health, and are done having children are ideal candidates for this procedure.
Breast Lift
Breast Lifts, otherwise known as a Mastopexy, are performed on women who are interested in the repositioning or lifting of their breasts. Sagging breasts are often a natural result of childbirth or aging, and can significantly alter a woman’s appearance. Thankfully, this procedure can restore your breasts to their natural place, achieving a perkier, more youthful look.
Who Is a Good Candidate for a Breast Lift?
Patients who are in overall good health can be candidates for a breast lift. Depending on the size and droopiness of your breast, patients may have modified procedures that involve less invasive incisions during the process.
Breast Reduction
Breast Reduction patients are often seeking relief from the pain or discomfort that larger breasts are causing them. This procedure is focused on reducing the breasts to a more manageable, making day-to-day life easier. Overly large natural breasts create a combination of physical and emotional problems. These are the common health issues that often accompany a woman’s decision to have reduction surgery:
- Spine problems
- Neck pain
- Back pain
- Tingling hands
- Balance problems
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Headaches and migraines
Who Is a Good Candidate for a Breast Reduction?
Women who are in overall good health and seeking to relieve themselves from the pain they experience from larger breasts can benefit from this procedure. If you are or want to be an active person, breast reduction may also improve your ability to participate in more physical activities.
Gynecomastia Correction
Breast surgeries aren’t just for women. Our Gynecomastia Correction procedure can prove beneficial to men who have gynecomastia (the condition of swollen breast tissue caused by a hormonal imbalance) as it focuses on the reduction of male breasts by removing excess tissue and fat, allowing for a more flat-chested, masculine appearance.
Who Is a Good Candidate for a Gynecomastia Correction?
Men who are non-smokers and are in good health can benefit from this procedure. If you are overweight, it may be advised to lose weight first before determining if this surgery is right for you.
What Is The Recovery Process From a Breast Surgery Like?
Due to the lengthy incisions made with reduction surgery and with breast lifts, you’ll have soreness, swelling, and bruising. After two days, your bandages will be removed and replaced by a surgical bra. The most important part of your recovery is being completely committed to supporting your reduced or lifted breasts. Dr. Barrera will stress the importance of wearing your surgical bra, then transitioning to a support bra, and finally a strong sports bra for 24 hours a day for one month. This removes any weight and pressure on your incisions. You’ll have to take it easy for the first one to two weeks. Strenuous exercise or activity will be out for around six weeks. You’ll need to take at least one, and more likely two weeks off of work.
Breast augmentation patients have a quicker recovery time and are often surprised at the lack of acute pain afterward, equating pain to more of an aching sensation. Most patients can return to work approximately 3-5 days after surgery. Your sutures will be removed after one week. You’ll wear a support bra 24 hours a day for one month after your surgery so as not to place any stress on your incisions. As with reduction or lifts, this is very important. Normal activities can resume in 1-2 weeks, but any impact exercise will need to wait for one month. Upper body exercise, such as lifting weights, will need to wait for six weeks.
What Are the Risks of Breast Procedures?
Any breast procedure is major surgery, so they all involve the risks inherent in any surgery. When a patient is considering breast reduction, it’s important to weigh these risks and future scarring against the ongoing health issues caused by their large, heavy breasts.
There are some risks specific to breast augmentation. These include:
- Capsular contracture
- Implant leakage or rupture
- Implant shifting
- Changes in nipple sensation
- Impaired ability to breastfeed
- Breast asymmetry
- The visible rippling of the implant
Dr. Barrera is committed to clearly communicating to every patient all the risks of the breast procedure they are interested in before any action takes place. Most patients feel, despite the risks, that the results of their procedures are worth it.
What Are the Benefits of Breast Procedures?
More than just improving your overall appearance, relieving pain, and restoring your youthful look, breast procedures are often credited with helping improve self-confidence in both men and women, making life easier and more enjoyable.
Schedule a Consultation
Learn more about our Breast Procedures today! Schedule a consultation with Dr. Barrera at our Houston office by calling (713) 468-5200
