'Breast Augmentation'

In the light of the recent controversy in the media regarding the faulty French breast implant manufacturer PIP, I would like to go on record as saying that I have NEVER used these implants as I had suspected their poor quality as early as 2005. Majority of my patients have had the American made Allergan-McGhan or Mentor implants.

Unfortunately there are 4000 Australian women out there with the PIP implants. It is my firm belief as an Breast Augmentation expert that these faulty implants need to be replaced soon as their risk of rupture is too high for a medical grade prostheses.

Dr K TAVAKOLI, FRACS

Plastic Surgeon

2nd January 2012

‘Glee’ star Heather Morris removes breast implants due to pain. This is an example that it’s not imperative not to go too big when choose size options for breast augmentation.

Furthermore, smooth implants in active patients can cause excessive pain and must avoided in gym junkies.

To read the article, click here.

A new serum promises to give women bigger breasts, but does it really work? I share my thoughts on it regarding Breast Augmentation on Channel 7′s Sunrise.

To watch the video, click here.

Dr Kourosh Tavakoli was featured on an ACA exclusive with an Australian model, Mindy Bouchet, whose career has been ruined after a cosmetic surgery holiday to Thailand that left her with botched breast implants.

Dr Tavakoli, said he believed a large number of women return with complications after surgery holidays, and somewhere in the realm of between 20 and 30 percent of people who go overseas will need corrective cosmetic surgery.

Ms Bouchet said will spend $15,000 for surgery back in Australia to correct the damage.

Watch the full story here.

Introduction:  Breast augmentation pre-surgery.

Jen is a mother of three children who has breast fed all, and is going to undergo breast augmentation from an A-cup to a DD- cup. Her cosmetic surgeon is Dr Kouroush Tavakoli. In these video diaries, she takes us through her experience, the healing process and before and after surgery results.

Day 1: Breast augmentation post-surgery

Jen isn’t in much pain and has experiencing minimal swelling.

Day 3: Two days after breast augmentation surgery

Jen is feeling good and is sleeping comfortably. Her swelling has gone down and she is experiencing no pain in the right breast, but the left breast is feeling a bit tender.

Day 11: Ten days after breast augmentation surgery

Jen is actively moving around and drove for the first time today. She finished taking her pain medication a few days ago and experienced a little soreness the following day, but is now feeling no pain. She is putting dressings on both breasts after every shower and will have to wear the sports bra for another four weeks.

Day 22: Three weeks after breast augmentation surgery

Jen went to her three week post op check up with Dr Tavakoli.  Both breasts have recovered extremely well, she has no experienced bruising, swelling has gone down completely and the breasts feel softer.

Dressing has been taken off after ten days and is now replaced by applying silicone which has helped in minimising scarring. She can go back to the gym in a week’s time but running is not advised.

Sydney plastic surgeon Dr Kourosh Tavakoli’s case study shows how cosmetic procedures can be combined.

Sydney plastic surgeon Dr Kourosh Tavakoli’s patient says she had a bump high on the bridge of her nose that, while it didn’t bother her unduly, always caught her eye when she saw herself in a mirror.

She says the bump is a family feature shared by her father and aunt and as she found herself noticing it more and more in her mid-20s, she began to think about having it corrected. When she consulted Dr Tavakoli about a rhinoplasty, she mentioned during their discussion that she had always wanted a breast augmentation. At more than 180cm tall, she says she has always felt she was completely flat-chested.

Dr Tavakoli explained she could have both procedures at the same time and the convenience strongly appealed to her, so she made arrangements to take two weeks off work for her recovery time.

‘The breast augmentation is something I’d always thought about. I used to talk about it with my mum and we’d joke that we’d do it together,’ she says, adding with a laugh that her mother is envious of her now she has gone from an A to a D cup.

She said that Dr Tavakoli reassured her there wasn’t any extra risk involved with undergoing the two procedures simultaneously. Her rhinoplasty and breast augmentation operations took about three hours in total and she says she went into day surgery at 7am and was at home by 2pm. Dr Tavakoli removed the bump from the bridge of her nose and also performed a septoplasty to narrow it. She says she is very happy with the result.

Dr Tavakoli also inserted high profile, round silicone-filled implants behind the pectoral muscle to provide some forward projection and to give her fullness in the upper pole of her breasts, giving her the bustline she says she has always desired.

‘From the moment I woke up until now, which is five weeks later, I’ve had no real pain at all, just a little tenderness with my nose,’ says the patient. ‘even Dr Tavakoli has been impressed by the speed of my recovery.’

She says she took a prescription painkiller for a week and a half after the surgery and that although all the work on her nose was internal, she did have bruises over her upper eyelids, which faded in about a week.

Her breast augmentation incisions were relatively small and are healing well. overall, she is extremely pleased with the outcomes of both procedures.

‘I don’t think it’s changed me as a person; I just feel so much more comfortable when I look in the mirror – and the breast augmentation has given me a lot more confidence about wearing summer clothes,’ she says. ‘I haven’t needed to buy more clothes, the ones I have still fit, they just look better!’

Dr Tavakoli says the safety of modern procedures and technologies means patients can combine procedures for two-in-one cosmetic results. acsm

Toni went to see Sydney plastic surgeon Dr Kourosh Tavakoli to have her breasts rejuvenated following two pregnancies.

Following considerable weight fluctuations and breastfeeding associated with her two pregnancies, Toni noticed significant sagging and volume loss in her breasts. ‘My self-esteem was so low, I didn’t want to wear revealing tops and I basically had to wear industrial strength bras to get any lift – I was desperate to get my pert breasts back!’ she says.

Toni researched the procedure and possible surgeons for seven years prior to taking the plunge and found Sydney plastic surgeon Dr Kourosh Tavakoli through a friend’s recommendation. ‘Dr Tavakoli’s reputation is that he is precise, caring and strives to get great results for each of his patients,’ she says. ‘His team is professional, cohesive and make you feel confident about your procedure.’

Toni and her husband attended her initial consult, where they discussed the breast lift and breast augmentation she wished to undergo with Dr Tavakoli. ‘We had a talk about my concerns, then after he conducted an examination and took some measurements we looked through pictures of his previous work and discussed how we could achieve the best results.’

Toni says the whole process was easier than she imagined it would be, and describes the pain following as minimal. ‘It was similar to the discomfort and tingling when you first begin to breastfeed. For me, it was very manageable and had disappeared within a few days,’ she says.

‘Now, you wouldn’t even know I’ve had the surgery done! My new breasts are perky and natural-looking and the scars have faded to a vague silver,’ she says. ‘Importantly, my self-esteem has returned, I feel beautiful again and having such a positive experience has really changed my outlook.’

The future of breast augmentation is to visualise the end result of Breast Implant Augmentation before embarking on this operation. The simulation programmes are getting better and better and won’t be long before we have the first commercially viable model in Australia.

3-D Imaging for Breast Augmentation – Video Feature

Today’s affordable 3-D imaging technology is revolutionizing the results patients can get from breast augmentation surgery. In this five-minute video you’ll learn how finding a surgeon who uses 3-D imaging to simulate augmentation outcomes can ensure you get the results you want from breast implant surgery. In this interview, Dr. Steve Teitelbaum explains the difference the 3-D imaging can make, as well as the limitations that exist. Click here to watch now!

Sydney plastic surgeon Dr Kourosh Tavakoli explains the key elements to a natural-looking breast augmentation.

The number of breast enlargement operations is on the increase, as is the demand for natural-looking breasts. A well-augmented breast has a natural fullness, with gentle sloping off the chest wall. There should be natural cleavage without webbing between the breasts and only a certain amount of perkiness.

There three main telltale signs of an unnatural-looking breast augmentation are:

• Breast implant margin. This should be imperceptible as obvious implant edge visibility, especially in the midline, will resemble the ‘Tori Spelling look’.
• Breast implant size. An implant that is too large for a small frame is a dead giveaway. Pamela Anderson’s breasts are an example of this.
• Perkiness. An augmented breast that is too perky will tend to look fake, as a small amount of droop is natural. When the patient lies on her back the breast implants should roll to the side like natural breast tissue and not sit up like mountains.

Before undergoing surgery, it is beneficial for patients to review photographic examples of the breasts they would like, and to convey their wants to the surgeon so there is a clear, visual understanding of the desired result.

There are six main clinical parameters for breast implants on initial consultation:

• Patient’s body build and height
• Breast size, shape and symmetry
• Nipple position in relation to the breast
• Quality of breast skin
• Chest wall shape and dimension
• Patient’s desired cup size and shape.

After establishing the crucial parameters in the clinical examination, the process of tailor-making the right breast augmentation begins.

The key considerations when customising a breast augmentation to gain a natural-looking result are:

1. Incision placement

There are three choices about where to make the incisions for breast enlargement. They can be in the breast fold (inframammary), around the nipple (periareolar) or under the arm (transaxillary). These incisions can all produce scarring. Although patients may have some initial concerns about the location of their scars, they are ultimately far more concerned with the final shape and size of their breasts.

Most of my patients opt for the inframammary incision. I believe this incision has the least interference with breastfeeding and nipple sensation and generally heals very well.

2. Breast implant shape

The choice of shape varies from round to teardrop. The shape variation is in the width and projection of the implant for any given size. The range of breast implants available offers great versatility in achieving a natural look.

Most of my patients choose round breast implants. The round implant tends to be ideal for those patients with a nice existing shape who desire a straightforward enlargement. Since I prefer placing the implant in a sub-muscular pocket, implant edge visibility in the upper pole of the breast is not a major issue.

Use of the teardrop (anatomical) shape depends on the patient’s wishes as well as her body shape. They are ideal for women who have tuberous breasts. Mild elevation of the nipple in relation to the breast mound can be achieved without the need for extra scars on the breast (which occur with a breast lift). In these situations, the implants are inserted in a subglandular (subfascial) pocket under the breast tissue.

Some patients specifically want less fullness in the upper quadrant. Teardrop-shaped breast implants certainly offer less fullness in this area. This request tends to be very personal as most women seek breast augmentations in order to obtain upper pole fullness. Teardrop implants do have a slight tendency to rotate, and this problem can only be corrected by secondary surgery.

3. Breast implant fill

I use both cohesive silicone gel and saline-filled breast implants. The new generation silicone-gel implants are very safe and feel and look more like a natural breast. Most breast augmentations in Australia are performed with ilicone-gel implants. In December 2006, the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of gel implants in the United States. The decision was based on extensive scientific research into silicone-gel implants. acsm

In the first of a two-part series, Sydney plastic surgeon Dr Kourosh Tavakoli explains the key elements of a natural-looking breast augmentation.

The number of breast enlargement operations is on the increase, and the demand for natural-looking results is even more apparent. As a plastic surgeon specialising in breast augmentation and lifting procedures, I have been privileged to treat a large number of patients every year in my Sydney clinics. Therefore, I have drawn from this wide experience to develop the formula for successful and attractive breast augmentation.

Telltale signs

There are three main telltale signs of unnatural-looking breast augmentation to be avoided:

1. Breast implant margin:

This should be soft and imperceptible, as obvious implant edge visibility, especially in the midline, will resemble the look of Tori Spelling or Posh Spice’s implants.

2. Breast implant size:

An implant that is too large for a small frame is usually an obvious giveaway that a patient has had a breast augmentation. The best example of this is Pamela Anderson-style breasts. Women wanting to go from an A cup to a full D cup need to understand this point.

3. Perkiness:

An augmented breast that is too perky will tend to look fake, as a small amount of droop is natural. When a patient lies on her back, the breast implants should roll to the side like natural breast tissue and not sit up in rigid peaks.

Before undergoing surgery, it is beneficial for the patient to review photographic examples of the breasts they would like and to convey their wants to the surgeon so there is a clear, visual understanding of the desired result.

Clinical parameters and key considerations

There are six main clinical parameters for breast implants on initial consultation:

• Patient’s body build and height
• Natural breast size, shape and symmetry
• Nipple position in relation to the breast
• The quality of breast skin
• Chest wall shape and dimension
• Patient’s desire for new cup size and shape

After establishing the crucial parameters in the clinical examination, the process of tailor-making the right breast augmentation begins.

I believe there are six key considerations for a surgeon when customising a breast augmentation to gain a naturallooking result:

1. Incision placement

There are three choices about where to make the skin incisions for breast enlargement. They can be in the breast fold (inframammary), around the nipple (periareolar) or underneath the arm (transaxillary). These incisions can all produce scarring. Although patients may voice some initial concerns about the location of their scars, they are ultimately far more concerned with the final shape and size of their breasts.

2. Breast implant shape

The choice of implant varies from round to teardrop shapes. The round implant comes in both low and highprofile varieties. The shape variation is in the width and projection of the implant for any given size. The spectrum of breast implants available to the surgeon can therefore provide great versatility in achieving a more natural look.

Use of the teardrop (anatomical) shape depends on the patient’s desired outcome, as well as her breast shape. In general, there are two groups of women who benefit from teardrop-shaped breast implants. It can be the ideal choice for women who have droopy or tuberous breasts. Mild elevation of the nipple in relation to the breast mound can be achieved without the need for extra scars on the actual
breast (unlike breast lift scars). In these cases, the implants will be inserted in a subglandular or subfascial pocket (under the breast tissue). In severe cases of droopiness, breast lift must be performed to restore aesthetic shape.

Secondly, some patients specifically want less fullness in the upper quadrant. Teardrop breast implants certainly offer less fullness in these particular situations. It should be noted, however, that this request tends to be very personal, as most women are seeking breast augmentations in order to obtain upper pole fullness.

It should be noted that teardrop or anatomical implants do have tendency, estimated at about 5 percent, to rotate. Unfortunately, this problem can only be corrected by secondary surgery.

3. Breast implant fill

I use both the cohesive silicone-gel and saline-filled breast implants. The new generation silicone-gel breast implant is very safe and generally feels and looks more like a natural breast. The gel is always my first preference.

The gel usually comes in low and high cohesiveness (soft or firm), and patients should ask their plastic surgeon for different samples at the time of the consultation so that they can make the most informed choice possible.