Women who want to enlarge small breasts, add volume to breasts that have decreased in size, or restore symmetry to a disfigured breast may elect for augmentation surgery. This surgical procedure involves the placement of an implant behind the breast. There are a number of options available depending on your needs and preferences. During your consultation, Dr. Belsley will discuss these with you in depth.

Size

When it comes to deciding on how big you should go, the best advice is to be guided by your physical frame and the proportions of other physical features, most notably the waist and hips. You should also take into account your lifestyle and fashion preferences. Going too big can have its down side if you can’t find clothes that fit, you experience discomfort from their weight, you start to get unwanted attention, or they get in the way during sport and exercise. Dr. Belsley can help you select a size to achieve the most natural looking result for your frame but ultimately size is really a personal preference.

Shape & Texture

Breast implants may be round or teardrop shaped. Teardrop implants have a more natural shape which may make them more appropriate for women with small breasts or who require reconstruction. Round implants may be recommended for those patients wanting to add more volume to a medium sized breast. Those that opt for a round implant may also select from smooth or textured surfaces. Both shapes and textures have their own benefits and drawbacks and Dr. Belsley can discuss these with you during your consultation.

Material

The two most commonly available implants are saline or silicone, both are made with a hard silicone shell but saline is filled with sterile salt water whereas silicone implants are filled with a silicone gel. As with shape, each has its own unique features and the choice will be made both by medical considerations such as your existing breasts as well as personal preferences.

Having suffered bad press in the past, improvements in silicone implants have allowed them to be deemed a safe and attractive option. Silicone implants can achieve a more natural look and feel and may be particularly good for women with less breast tissue who still want a soft, supple breast. Silicone implants are less prone to rippling, however they do carry a higher risk of capsular constriction. In the unlikely event of rupture, silicone implants can cause health problems as leaks are not as easy to identify and treat as saline implants.

Saline implants are currently more popular than silicone arguably because they have been more available. Saline is considered a safer option mainly because in the unlikely event of rupture the leak would be quickly identifiable and so less likely to cause prolonged health concerns, they are also less prone to capsular constriction and leave less scarring as they can be filled during surgery and so require a smaller incision. The main downside to saline vs. silicone is that they don’t feel or look as natural, which may be more relevant to women with modest breast tissue. They are also heavier than silicone and so have a higher likelihood of downward displacement.

Technical Considerations & Risks

Other factors for you to consider include, the location of your incision, whether to place the implant above or below the muscle and the amount of projection versus the diameter of your breast. Dr. Belsley can discuss and explain each of these with you during your consultation.

Gallery of Dr. Belsley’s Breast Augmentation Procedures

She will also take you through any risks associated with your procedure in general and assess whether your case has any specific concerns or requires particular recommendations for any of the options above. Women who experience sagging as well as loss of volume, may want to consider a breast lift in tandem with their augmentation procedure.

Women who experience pain or discomfort from overly large breasts may elect to have them reduced. Large breasts can not only cause physical discomfort but they can also attract unwanted attention and affect your fashion choices.

Many women who have very large breasts report not being able to find clothes that fit properly and not being able to wear the kinds of clothes they think are attractive. They also have difficulties with physical activities and /or may report that one breast is significantly larger than the other.

Breast reduction is a surgical procedure that removes excess breast tissue, fat and skin. Similar to a breast lift, reduction often involves three careful incisions.

Once the appropriate size is achieved, the nipple and areola are repositioned. Stretching of the areola is a common problem with patients with very large breasts, therefore the areola can be reduced in size if necessary during a breast reduction. This will also be discussed during your consultation with Dr. Belsley.

Dr. Belsley takes great care to maintain the connection between the nipple and underlying tissues so that sensation and the ability to breast feed will not affected after surgery, however the extent to which this is possible will depend on the initial size of your breasts and the kind of operation performed.

Gallery of Dr. Belsley’s Breast Reduction Procedures

This procedure can result in a smaller, firmer breast contour freeing patients up for more physical activity and a whole new wardrobe. During your consultation, Dr. Belsley will make a physical assessment of your breasts and help devise a tailored surgical plan. She will also discuss any risks associated with the surgery or your general condition.

Gallery of Dr. Belsley’s Breast Lift Procedures

During your consultation, Dr. Belsley will make a physical assessment of your breasts and advise you on your best options for a breast lift which is also called a mastopexy.

Gynecomastia, often referred to as ‘man boobs’, occurs when the tissue in a man’s chest becomes enlarged giving an appearance similar to that of a female breast. This condition can be caused by several factors and can similarly be treated with a number of varying techniques.

Men who have gynecomastia typically suffer in silence, a situation that can lead to serious depression, anxiety and feelings of inadequacy. A percentage of these people will find that diet and exercise will reduce the size to an acceptable level, while others may simply grow out of the condition after adolescence.

For a large number of sufferers, despite major efforts with diet and exercise, their breasts will not reduce causing them to feel constantly awkward, unable to join in physical activities, or to hide behind ill-fitting clothes and to feel less confident in social situations - particularly those involving the opposite sex.

Dr. Belsley can help you understand the changes in your body and will put you at ease as she helps you find a solution.

Treatment for gynecomastia can be approached in several ways. A physical examination will reveal the nature of your condition and the amount of fatty versus breast and skin tissues present. Taking into account your personal goals, Dr. Belsley will prescribe a program that could include a combination of ultrasonic liposuction, removal of glandular and breast tissues or removal and/or resculpting of the skin that covers the breast. Her aim will be to give you a natural looking masculine shape that is well proportioned with the rest of your body.

Gallery of Dr. Belsley’s Male Breast Reduction Procedures

The treatment of male breast enlargement or gynecomastia was revolutionized by ultrasound-assisted liposuction. Instead of requiring lengthy incisions, correction can often be achieved using a few incisions that are each less than a centimeter in length. When additional incisions may improve the final result, Dr. Belsley will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the more invasive techniques during your consultation.

If you are self-conscious about inverted nipples you will be happy to learn that they can be corrected quite easily. While the words ‘surgery’ and ‘easy’ might sound paradoxical, the procedure to correct them is quite straightforward and in many cases minimally invasive.

An imbalance between the nipple’s muscle and the length and strength of the milk duct within it, is what brings about inverted nipples. Such a simple problem causes millions of women serious embarrassment that can lead to intimacy problems and negative feelings about their bodies and attractiveness.

During a discreet physical examination, Dr. Belsley will be able to ascertain the degree of inversion and advise an effective solution for you. Solutions may range from external manipulation to nipple piercing through to surgical intervention.

If appropriate, a surgical piercing can help to stretch the duct over a period of about six months. It will be removed once the tissue has been stretched and the nipple then stays in a normal outward position. If surgery is required, the procedure will involve releasing the duct from its tether to allow the nipple to come out to a normal position.

Gallery of Dr. Belsley’s Inverted Nipple Correction Procedures

Unfortunately, because this surgery does disconnect the milk duct, women who require this type of intervention will most likely lose the ability to breast feed. This is something that you will need to consider carefully; Dr. Belsley will explain all your options at length during your consultation.

Gallery of Dr. Belsley’s Areolar Reduction Procedures

Dr. Belsley is happy to discuss this straightforward procedure with you during your consultation and as a woman is sensitive to how this part of the body impacts on your self-esteem.

Women who have already undergone breast augmentation surgery, may want or need to undergo revision surgery at a later date.

Situations in which breast revision may be needed include changes in the client's body over time such as weight-loss, post-pregnancy, aging, or illness.

Other causes include clients' concerns with their original procedure such as implant deflation, a desire to change the size or type or implant, capsular contracture, double-bubble deformity, implant malposition and/or combination issues.

Dr. Belsley has helped many such patients to revise and enhance prior procedures and is sensitive to the technical requirements of the operation as well as your physical and mental concerns.

Gallery of Dr. Belsley’s Breast Reconstruction Procedures

Especially in these cases, Dr. Belsley would recommend a consultation so that she can perform a physical examination and discuss your specific needs relevant to your previous surgery.