Breast Surgery

Allyson B. Maske, MD

Improving Your Outlook with Breast Enhancement

As a board certified plastic surgeon, it has always been my goal to listen to each patient and help them achieve that look which is perfect for them as an individual.  This idea is always foremost in my mind, particularly in approaching the various breast enhancement procedures, including augmentation with implants, mastopexies (or breast lifts), and breast reductions.  Many women can often feel as though a particular image of an “appropriate” look has been imposed upon them by society, however I try to help each of my patients achieve what they feel is the perfect form for their body type, which may not be what is perfect anatomically or what society sees as perfect.  More than anything, I enjoy helping people achieve the look that makes them feel comfortable and best about themselves.

breast surgery in atlanta georgiaStudies have shown that breast implants can help boost self-esteem and body image.  In 2013, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) published the results of a five year study that polled the attitudes of women who had undergone breast augmentation.  The study found that 92 percent of women reported improved self-esteem after breast augmentation and 64 percent reported an improved quality of life. Before surgery, the majority of women (86 percent) were self-conscious about their breasts. After surgery, only 13 percent were self-conscious about them.  The study also recorded an extremely high rate of patient satisfaction with the procedure, with 85 percent of women rating their new breast size as “just right” and almost all patients (98 percent) reporting that the results had met or exceeded their expectations.

Other popular breast procedures, like breast reduction, also achieved similar positive outcomes.  A separate ASPS study found that breast reduction patients reported a significant improvement in all four areas evaluated on both the before and after questionnaires: satisfaction with the appearance of the breasts in regard to psychosocial and physical well-being. On a 100-point scale, satisfaction with breast appearance increased from about 20 before surgery to more than 80 afterward.  There were also large improvements in scores for psychosocial well-being: from 41 to 84 and physical well-being: from 43 to 81.  The patients also reported that the procedure relieved pain in the breast, neck, back and shoulders and led to significant improvements in sleep and ability to exercise.

Overall, I do not think that these breast procedures are purely cosmetic.  These procedures can transform a woman’s life.  They can change what she’s able to do with her life and certainly change the way that she sees herself.  If you are interested in breast reconstruction, or any other plastic surgery procedure that I perform, please contact me, Dr. Allyson Maske, to schedule a consultation today. Additionally, many reconstructive procedures may be covered by insurance, and Atlanta Plastic Surgery, P.C. provides a variety of options for financing, including Care Credit®, in order to assist you.  Don’t forget to connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for the latest plastic surgery news and updates.

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Correcting the Myths about Breast Reconstruction

Undergoing breast reconstruction can often be a frightening and stressful experience, an experience that can be made even more difficult by the inaccurate and misleading information that amasses on the internet.  I believe that the best way to overcome fear is through understanding, and I make it a point to keep my patients as informed as possible during every stage of any reconstructive or cosmetic plastic surgery procedure that I perform.  I have put together this list of common myths about breast reconstruction in the hope that it may shed some light and put a few of your questions and concerns to rest.

breast reconstruction myths - dr. allyson maskeMYTH: Breast reconstruction is only performed to restore the breasts of women who have undergone treatment for breast cancer.

FACT: Breast reconstruction can address a number of issues, including trauma and congenital issues like Poland’s Syndrome.  Moreover, although breast cancer disproportionately impacts women, men still suffer from the disease and do receive mastectomies. They qualify for breast reconstruction surgery as well, though some may not pursue it because they don’t realize it’s an option.

MYTH: Breast reconstruction must take place immediately after my mastectomy.

FACT: There is actually no “right time” to undergo breast reconstruction.  Many patients undergoing breast cancer treatment may want to wait until after they have completed radiation, as radiation can limit your options and affect the final result, while others aren’t certain they want breast reconstruction at all and wait months or even years before having surgery.  Many women, however, do choose to have breast reconstruction immediately after they have their mastectomy.  The timing of your reconstruction should be up to you and your physician.

MYTH: Having breast reconstruction means that I have to have breast implants.

FACT: Breast implants are merely one of several different reconstruction options. In fact, a highly-specialized technique, developed by Atlanta Plastic Surgery co-founder Dr. Carl Hartrampf, is the TRAM flap method, which uses the patient’s own abdominal fat, muscle, and skin to reconstruct a breast that maintains its own natural blood supply.  Further developments on this procedure include the DIEP flap method (which utilizes only fat and skin, but no abdominal muscle) and the latissimus dorsi flap method (which uses tissue from the back).  Each of these methods, as well as the use of implants or expanders, has specific advantages and limitations, so I make it a point to discuss all the options in detail with my patients so that we can determine which course is best for them.

MYTH: Breast reconstruction will make my breasts look unnatural.

FACT: Advancements in breast reconstruction techniques and technology make it possible to achieve balanced and natural-looking results.  For example, I use the Vectra® 3D Imaging system during consultation to give my patients detailed, high resolution photos of the possible outcomes using various methods and options, so that we can choose a course that will have the highest likelihood of producing the most aesthetically pleasing breast reconstruction results.  While many patients may decide to have their breasts reconstructed at the same size as pre-mastectomy, others opt for smaller or larger breasts, or to have a breast lift, or mastopexy, to alleviate the sagging that can occur with age.  .

MYTH: Breast reconstruction makes it harder to detect a breast cancer recurrence.

FACT: There is no evidence that breast reconstruction procedures have any impact on cancer detection. The risk that an individual patient’s cancer could recur depends on a range of factors, including the stage of the disease and biological characteristics of the cancer.  There are several different types of exams and screenings that can be performed, and the specifics of your reconstruction and your personal risk or recurrence may dictate exactly what you will need.

If you are interested in breast reconstruction, or any other plastic surgery procedure that I perform, please contact me, Dr. Allyson Maske, to schedule a consultation today. Additionally, many reconstructive procedures may be covered by insurance, and Atlanta Plastic Surgery, P.C. provides a variety of options for financing, including Care Credit®, in order to assist you.  Don’t forget to connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for the latest plastic surgery news and updates.

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Alleviating Discomfort with Breast Reduction

While some women choose to enhance their breasts with breast augmentation, many women with large breasts, or macromastia, may benefit both aesthetically and physically by having a breast reduction. These larger breasted women can suffer from debilitating back, neck and shoulder pain, improper posture, and even skeletal deformities.  Often, the condition can make physical activity and exercise difficult, leading to the health problems that can result from a sedentary lifestyle, lowered self-esteem, and depression.  Moreover, these issues can affect men as well as women.  Gynecomastia, a condition marked by enlarged male breasts, can affect men of any age or size, not just those who are overweight as is commonly believed.  Fortunately, reduction mammaplasty, or breast reduction surgery, is performed to alleviate the embarrassment and discomfort associated with overly large breasts.

breast reduction for men and women atlanta gaThe goal of breast reduction is to remove excess fat, glandular tissue, and skin from the breast in order to make them smaller, lighter, and more firm.  Women who are best suited for the procedure are those who have breasts that hang low and have stretched skin, whose nipples rest below the breast crease when the breasts are unsupported, or who have enlarged areolas caused by stretched skin.  Typically, after the incision is made, the nipple, which remains attached to its original nerves and blood vessels, is repositioned to a higher place on the breast.  If necessary, the size of the areola can be reduced by excising skin around the perimeter, a procedure known as areola reduction.  Then underlying breast tissue is reduced, lifted, and reshaped.  Often, the most optimal breast reduction results can be attained when the procedure may be done in conjunction with a breast lift, in order to position the breasts higher on the chest, or with liposuction to better shape and contour the breast region.  In some cases, particularly in men suffering from gynecomastia, where the enlarged breasts are primarily the result of excess fatty tissue, liposuction techniques alone may be used.

If you are interested in a procedure I perform, please contact my office to schedule a consultation today. Additionally, a number of medically necessary procedures may be covered by insurance and we can provide a variety of options for financing, including Care Credit® to assist you.  Please contact us with any questions you may have concerning the financial planning of your procedure.  Be sure to also connect with me, Dr. Allyson Maske, on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for the latest plastic surgery news and updates.

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Giving Your Breasts a Lift

Many of my female patients initially meet with me because they would like their bodies to appear the way they did when they were younger.  Specifically, they would like to restore their breasts to their once-perky position and shape and are interested in mastopexy, or breast lift surgery.  Recent statistics published by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons show that the popularity of breast lift procedures has increased by 70% since 2000, nearly twice the increase of breast augmentation procedures.  Although the effects of aging, gravity, weight gain, and particularly pregnancy can cause many changes to a woman’s body, breast lift procedures may be able to address the specific concerns many women have in regards to aging breasts.

breast lift surgeryDuring pregnancy a woman’s breasts become larger as her body prepares for nursing.  Several days after she gives birth, the breasts grow even fuller and heavier as the milk is produced.  Due to the natural shifting in size and weight, inevitably stretching and ptosis, or sagging of the breasts, is a common result.  There is very little that one can do to avoid ptosis; it is an outcome of aging and eventually occurs in all women whether they become pregnant or not.

A breast lift raises the breasts to a higher position by removing excess, sagging skin and tightening the surrounding breast tissue.  Optimal candidates are physically healthy women who maintain a stable weight, who are happy with the size of their breasts but wish to give their breasts added shape and a naturally higher position on the chest.  Breast lift surgery is designed to correct breasts that have a flatter, elongated shape or are pendulous as well as cases where the nipples have fallen below the breast crease or have started to point downward.  Breast lifts can also be safely combined with either breast augmentation or breast reduction to further accommodate the patient’s overall aesthetic goals.

If you are interested in a procedure I perform, please contact my office to schedule a consultation today. Additionally, Atlanta Plastic Surgery, P.C. provides a variety of options for financing, including Care Credit®, to assist you.  Don’t forget to connect with me, Dr. Allyson Maske, on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for the latest plastic surgery news and updates.

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