Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Info

If you’re wondering if breast enhancement leads to better sex experiences, let’s first look at some of the statistics surrounding the most popular cosmetic procedures today.

According to The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery’s Cosmetic Surgery Statistics the most common procedure requested by women in the U.S. was breast augmentation (329,914 procedures), liposuction (289,261), and breast lifts (158,964 procedures).

The growing trends in plastic surgery over the past five years includes buttocks implantation and labiaplasty. But breast procedures continue to be the most common. And one might ask if there is a connection between breast surgery and quality sexual life? Or is the popularity of breast procedures purely cosmetic?

Is Self Consciousness Connected to an Improved Sex Life?

For women, body image greatly influences self-esteem, self-confidence, and the way they react in intimate encounters. When women feel self -conscious or ashamed of their bodies, they are less responsive and enjoy sex less than when they feel positively about their body image. In terms of body image, the parts of the body that are the primary focus for women during sexual encounters are their breasts. This may be a result of images from TV, movies, media, ads, books and societal norms in which breasts are equated with womanhood, femininity, sexiness and desirability.

When a woman feels her breasts look non-symmetrical, misshapen, or undersized, this can have a large impact on her life. We’re surrounded by advertisements for products that are alleged to increase breast size, bathing suit models whose figures suggest the ideal body includes large, firm breasts, and movies in which the ingénues clothing reveals enough to suggest the presence of sizable breasts beneath. With all these influences it’s not surprising that women believe that they must have large breasts to be found attractive by others. These beliefs transfer to the bedroom, affecting a woman’s sex life.

Recent Findings on Breast Augmentation Surgery and Sexual Satisfaction

Breast enhancement surgery has recently been front and center in the news with increased attention on examining the relationship between women’s satisfaction with their breasts and their sex-life. A study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery reported that women who had breast enhancement surgery reported increased satisfaction with the appearance of their breasts, and a greater sense of psycho-social and sexual well-being after the surgery. Since psycho-social functioning is strongly related to sexual functioning, while each of these factors may have contributed independently to improved life satisfaction following breast enhancement surgery, these factors also likely contributed to women’s quality of life through the ways in which they interacted.

A recent poll conducted by RealSelf.com, a consumer review site related to breast augmentation, suggested that breast enhancement surgery improved several areas in the respondents’ sexual functioning. In particular, results demonstrated that following surgery 61 percent of the participants reported having sex more often, and 70 percent of the participants reported greater satisfaction with their sex live.

Interviews with plastic surgeons regarding this poll were not surprised by the findings. A plastic surgeon on faculty at the University of Texas stated that he noticed a difference in how women dressed and the way they carried themselves, which he equated with increased self-confidence following surgery. He added that he believed this improved confidence observed in his patients was likely to affect other areas of their lives in a positive manner including their sexual functioning.

Anecdotal reports suggest that women who have undergone breast enhancement surgery experience orgasm more quickly and are more easily aroused by their partners. Some practitioners have suggested that when a woman feels self-conscious during sex that it’s more difficult for her to relax and experience pleasure from the encounter. Breast enhancement surgery increases overall confidence, which can lead to a woman feeling more relaxed and less inhibited during sex. Most theories related to the outcomes of breast enhancement procedures suggest that the improvement found in women’s sexual functioning was a result of an improved body image leading to increased self-confidence and greater comfort in intimate situations.

This article was recently republished. Original publication was January 21, 2013.

Breast implants are big business in the United States. There were nearly 300,000 breast augmentation surgeries reported in 2010 and even more performed in 2011, according to the website PlasticSurgery.org. Breast augmentation has been the most popular cosmetic surgery procedure since 2006 and the numbers continue to rise. When someone elects to have breast augmentation, a common question is what breast implant sizes are available?

Chances are that you or someone you know is considering breast augmentation surgery. One very important aspect of this procedure is determining the desired breast implant size. Several factors may affect the selection of the breast implant size.

Physical Characteristics

During a standard breast augmentation consultation, the cosmetic surgeon will evaluate:

• your breast size
• dimension of the breasts
• characteristics of the overall breast tissue

Other factors to consider include:

• your body type
• skin elasticity
• base diameter of each breast

In addition, you surgeon will evaluate where the breast implant may be inserted in the breast. This will affect the overall appearance of the breast after surgery and may play a part in the implant size decision.

These are all factors that will affect how the breast will look after breast implant surgery. Always ask your surgeon’s opinion about the best breast implant size for your body. Discuss the approximate size that you are seeking to achieve.

Personal Preferences

Of course, the decision to undergo breast augmentation surgery is a very personal one. Chances are very good that if you have chosen to get breast implants, you have a certain idea of how you would like to look. Discuss your goals and the vision of how you would like to look with your plastic surgeon. Remember that certain sizes may not work with your specific body type.

Overall Appearance

As part of the breast surgery consultation, a staff member will help you try on different breast implant sizes. You will wear a special bra and can insert different types and sizes of breast implants into the bra. You can then see how you would look with each specific size.

Before you decide to move forward with breast implant surgery, it is very important to be realistic about the surgery. Understand any potential complications and how you may look or feel after surgery. Select a physician who is board-certified in plastic surgery. Remember to ask and listen carefully when it comes to the surgery and your desired breast size.

Learn more about breast implant sizes

Have more questions about breast implant sizes? Schedule a consultation with Colorado Springs plastic surgeon, Dr. Greg Liebscher.

This article was originally published March 8, 2012.

Nipples and their surrounding tissues are now a point of focus for many people seeking plastic surgery, as cosmetic breast surgery procedures to correct these body parts are becoming increasingly popular. Your nipple size and shape can be altered surgically, and the appearance of the areola, the pigmented tissue surrounding the nipple, can be changed as well.

If you suffer from nipple hypertrophy, a condition in which your nipples are much larger or protrude much farther than most, you may benefit from a surgical procedure to reduce your nipple size and shape. During the procedure, your plastic surgeon will make an incision at the base of each nipple, and then remove some of the nipple tissue, creating a smaller nipple.

If you have inverted nipples and wish to breastfeed your child, you may want to consider a surgery to correct your nipples in order to make breastfeeding less complicated. Inverted nipples often occur when the ducts beneath the nipple are short, which creates tension and pulls the nipple inward. During this surgical procedure, an incision is made at the base of each nipple, and then the tense fibers and ducts are cut, allowing the nipple to be drawn out. This procedure can be done under local anesthesia, and you can expect a full recovery in a few days.

Additionally, if you have larger than normal areolae, you may want to reduce the amount of this darker skin on your breasts. During surgery, an incision will be made around the bottom of the nipple or along the perimeter of the areola. The pigmented tissue will then be removed, and the remaining skin will be sutured together. Scarring is minimal, and you can expect a full recovery in a few days if there are no complications.

If you are considering any nipple or areola surgery, the first step is to consult with a board-certified and licensed plastic surgeon, such as Dr. Greg Liebscher, one of the most respected and practice plastic surgeons in Colorado Springs, CO.

REFERENCES:

“Nipple reduction – An adjunct to augmentation mammoplasty.” Canadian Journal of Plastic Surgery. Nabil Fanous, MD, Carolyne Tawile, MD, Amanda Fanous Web. 3 July 2012
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2740602/

“The inverted nipple: its grading and surgical correction.” US National Library of Medicine Han S., Hong YG. Web 4 July 2012
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10654681

Ever wonder what can be done about C-section scars? Do you have to just live with them forever, or can plastic surgery remove them? Well, continue reading about this popular reconstructive plastic surgery procedure.

For women who have received a cesarean section, the scar can be extensive and cause a bulging or flap of skin on the lower abdomen. This scar may be seen under a bathing suit and may also affect intimacy as some women may feel embarrassed or self-conscious about the scar and become hesitant to appear naked in front of their partners. There are several plastic surgery procedures that can be performed which will diminish or erase the appearance of scarring.

Your Options

Most women will opt for the abdominoplasty or tummy tuck procedure. This poses a problem because this procedure also causes a scar on the lower abdomen. In actuality, it is just exchanging one scar for another. However, the Bikini Tummy Tuck or Mini Tummy Tuck may be just the right procedure for you. This type of plastic surgery works best for women who do not have a large amount of fat or skin to remove. For women with a minimal to moderate amount of skin and who are bothered by the appearance of a C-section scar, this procedure can remove the scar and that flap or bulge of skin typically associated with the C-section. It may also remove the appearance of stretch marks on the lower abdomen.

Scar Revision Surgery

For those who would like a less invasive type of solution, other options include scar revision surgery. Scar revision may include topical treatments such as creams or gels. They soften and reduce the appearance of the scar. This topical treatment can accompany surgical revision that will reduce or minimize the appearance of the scar. This type of procedure usually does not erase the scar completely. The American Society of plastic surgeons states “Scar revision surgery is meant to minimize the scar so that it is more consistent with your surrounding skin tone and texture” (www.plasticsurgery.org/Reconstructive-Procedures/Scar-Revision.html). So for those looking to erase the scar completely, the mini tummy tuck may be a better solution.

Good candidates for plastic reconstructive surgery are women who:

1. are healthy
2. do not smoke
3. have a realistic idea about the outcome of these procedures.

Overall, improving the appearance can boost self-confidence.

Talk to a plastic surgeon in Colorado Springs about C-Section scar removal

Of course, always talk to a board-certified medical professional about whether or not C-section scar removal surgery is right for you. For Colorado Springs plastic surgery patients with questions about C-Section scarring or any reconstructive surgery procedure, contact Dr. Greg Liebscher at 719-634-2503 to schedule a consultation to discuss your options for a tummy tuck procedure.

Women who pant to get breast implants likely have concerns about the procedure and results. Patients are rightfully concerned about the ‘appearance’ of their implants first. But they next ask the question “Do breast implants feel natural?“

These concerns are complicated by stories heard or read on the news about breast implants. Of course, in the distant past, surgeons once used a variety of materials for implants that had negative results. Even after surgeons began to use safer and more effective substances such as silicone and saline, implants sometimes hardened unnaturally or formed lumps.

But almost all concerns with breast implant complications have been resolved. Breast augmentation, when performed by a practiced board-certified plastic surgeon, is very high. Now days, with modern techniques, the natural feeling of your implants is really dependent on five different factors:

Five Factors That Impact the Way Your Breast Implants Feel

1. Type of Implant

Silicone and saline implants each feel differently. Neither substance is going to feel 100% natural under any conditions. However, each has its particular benefits and drawbacks. Silicone tends to feel more like flesh. Saline also feels soft but with a sensation that resembles that of a water balloon.

2. Placement

Your breast implants will either be placed over the chest muscles or under them. Under muscle placement or sub-fascial implantation creates a more natural feeling. This is due to the presence of actual tissue above the implant.

3. Initial Breast Tissue

If you begin the implant process with more breast tissue of your own, you will end up with breasts that feel very close to natural. The less endowed you are, the more likely it is that the feel of your implants will give away their artificiality.

4. Size of Implant

Since a larger implant will skew the tissue/implant ratio in favor of the implant, there will be a higher likelihood that the implant will feel unnatural.

5. Texture

Surgeons can either use textured or smooth implants for this procedure. A textured implant tends to grip the interior of the breast and stay relatively immobile. These implants do not feel as natural as the smooth implants, which give way more like real flesh.

These factors can overlap or outweigh one another. For example, if you have sufficient breast tissue prior to implantation, this may negate other factors causing an unnatural sensation. You should always consult your plastic surgeon and your personal physician about these matters ahead of time.

Ask a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon

Call 719-634-2503 to schedule a consultation with Colorado Springs plastic surgeon, Gregory J. Liebscher, MD, FACS, to ask questions about your breast implants procedure.