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 surgery During 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.

Jul 24, 2014

Breast Lift, Breast Surgery, Educational, Uncategorized / Atlanta cosmetic surgery, atlanta plastic surgery, body contouring procedures, female plastic surgeon, mommy makeover, sagging breasts /

A Patient’s Experience of Breast Reconstruction

As a female board-certified plastic surgeon with over a decade of specialized experience in breast procedures, I can understand that breast reconstruction surgery can take a physical and emotional toll on anyone. For all my cosmetic and reconstructive surgery patients, I am committed to sincerely listening to each and every concern and taking the time to discuss the answers to all of their questions. That’s why I make it a priority to consult personally with all of my patients at every step of their journey in addition to providing educational tools, like Vectra® 3D Imaging, to educate them on all aspects of their procedure.

Breast reconstruction can rebuild the breasts of women after they have experienced traumatic injury or undergone treatment for breast cancer. To achieve this goal, I use a variety of different techniques, each designed to address individual patient concerns, including the use of expanders, augmentation using saline or silicone breast implants, and latissimus flap or TRAM flap reconstruction.

Regardless of the specific procedure used, I find that optimal breast reconstruction results are most likely when I can maintain an open line of communication with my patients both before and after their surgery. To hear about the experience of one of my patients, watch her testimonial below.

“Dr. Maske is a fabulous plastic surgeon. She is very understanding. She is very patient…I would highly recommend her to anyone who is considering plastic surgery or breast reconstruction.”

To learn more about breast reconstruction, or any other procedure I perform, please contact my office today. Be sure to also connect with me, Dr. Allyson Maske, on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for the latest plastic surgery news and updates.

Jul 17, 2014

Breast Surgery, Patient Experience, Uncategorized / atlanta breast augmentation, Atlanta cosmetic surgery, atlanta plastic surgery /

Exercising after Breast Surgery

I frequently tell patients that optimal results can be obtained from plastic surgery when it’s combined with other facets of a healthy lifestyle, including nutritious diet and an active fitness routine. My goal is to provide the best surgical results possible, but the work shouldn’t stop after you leave my office. Our bodies are constantly changing and there are certain recommendations I always advise to make sure you maintain your results for as long as possible. So what are the best ways to ease back into physical activity after a cosmetic breast surgery? Here are some basic guidelines:

Give yourself enough time to heal. Depending on the nature of the surgery, varying times will be needed for healing. The first few days only a minimal amount of activity is recommended, but within a week, light activities are allowed and encouraged. Often, after invasive surgery a period of a month or longer without intense physical exercise will be requires. The last thing a patient should want is to potentially compromise their plastic surgery results and increase any inherent complications. Post-surgical recovery may require extended periods of being sedentary, but remember it’s only temporary.
Limit initial physical activity. Certain low-impact exercises are ideal as they increase blood circulation and help reduce swelling. Practice deep breathing exercises (using your diaphragm) several times each day by lying down on your back and taking slow, deep breaths. Breathe in as much air as you can while trying to expand your chest and abdomen (by pushing your belly button away from your spine). Then relax and breathe out and repeat this 4 or 5 times. This exercise will help maintain normal movement of your chest, making it easier for your lungs to work and help reduce the risk of some breast surgery complications. Walking is always encouraged as it improves lung expansion and decreases the risk of a blood clot forming in the lower extremities.
Wait until you’ve been cleared. As with any exercise routine, make sure it’s tailored to your general health and medical condition. In all cases, until you have been cleared in the office, don’t attempt any strenuous exercises like high-impact aerobics, jogging, swimming, tennis, spinning, or lifting weights. With the first signs of feeling yourself again, jumping back into previous exercise routines can do more harm than good, which is why you should consult with your surgeon before doing any exercise to make sure that your recovery has progressed enough for you to begin. As your surgeon, I recommend specific exercises and plans that take into account the exact cosmetic or reconstructive procedure you have undergone.

If you are interested in breast surgery, or any other cosmetic procedure I perform, please contact us today to schedule a consultation. Also be sure to connect with me, Dr. Allyson Maske on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for the latest plastic surgery news.

Jun 4, 2014

Breast Surgery, Uncategorized / Atlanta cosmetic surgery, atlanta plastic surgeon, breast augmentation, breast implants, exercise after surgery /

Can Breast Procedures Be Combined?

A question I frequently hear from my patients is whether or not multiple breast procedures can be combined into one surgery. Often times my patients will have a general idea of the cosmetic surgery results they would like to see for their breasts, but aren’t quite sure which procedures are necessary to achieve the look they truly are going for. Depending on your goals, breast procedures can be safely performed simultaneously to give your breasts a more enhanced aesthetic. As a board certified plastic surgeon I specialize in cosmetic breast surgery and will briefly explain a popular combination breast procedure below in my blog.

breast surgery in atlanta georgia One of the most popular breast procedures I perform at Atlanta Plastic Surgery, P.C. is breast augmentation. The motivation behind my patients choosing breast augmentation ranges from dissatisfaction with their original breast size or shape, wanting to address changes brought on by weight fluctuations, pregnancy or breastfeeding or simply to improve their self-esteem and body image. No matter the reason, I perform breast augmentation by surgically inserting FDA-approved breast implants for my patients wishing to enhance the size and shape of the breasts for a fuller, more proportionate look. Available in saline, silicone and highly cohesive silicone gel, the implants I use come in many sizes, shapes and textures to suit each unique need of my patients.

For those of you that want an extra lift, mastopexy (breast lift) can be performed to address the physical changes our breasts undergo as we age and battle the effects of gravity. I perform breast lifts by addressing the tissue and skin of the breasts. During the procedure I rearrange and tighten supporting tissue and trim excess skin to raise the breasts to a higher position on the chest. Breast lift alone cannot increase the size of your breasts so a combination procedure with breast augmentation would be needed to achieve your overall effect of having perkier and larger breasts. For women with overly large breasts, breast lift can be combined with breast reduction to help reduce extra weight carried on the chest.

Many of my patients prefer visual examples when deciding which procedures are best suited for them. To help guide my patients through their decision process, I provide Vectra® M3 digital imaging which is a new technology that gives patients the opportunity to preview their cosmetic results through simulations. Capturing three-dimensional images, Vectra® technology allows my patients to “try on” different implants and view results from any angle to increase their expectations and improve satisfaction of your final results.

May 6, 2014

Breast Augmentation, Breast Surgery / atlanta breast augmentation, Atlanta breast implants, Atlanta Breast Lift, Atlanta breast surgery, Atlanta cosmetic surgeon, atlanta plastic surgeon, Atlanta vectra imaging, breast augmentation Atlanta ga, breast enhancement atlanta ga, breast lift atlanta, breast surgery, Dr. Allyson Maske, Vectra Atlanta ga /