Sourced directly from Dr. Ted Eisenberg, DO, FACOS, FAACS's social posts and replies.
What are the post-operative restrictions for swimming, tanning, and hot tubs after breast augmentation or breast lift?
Patients should wait at least three weeks after breast augmentation or breast lift surgery before engaging in activities like swimming, tanning, or using a hot tub. This allows incisions to heal sufficiently, preventing water penetration and potential infection. When tanning, it's crucial to protect incisions with sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher, as ultraviolet light can prolong scar redness.
When can patients purchase new bras and swimsuits after breast augmentation?
It is recommended to wait at least eight weeks after breast augmentation surgery before purchasing new bras and swimsuits. This allows for a more accurate determination of postoperative breast size and shape, leading to a truer fit.
What are common reasons for seeking a second breast augmentation?
Women sometimes seek to increase their breast implant size after pregnancy or significant weight loss.
What is a typical size increase for patients seeking larger breast implants?
Most patients seeking larger breast implants desire an increase of about one cup size, which corresponds to 150–225 ccs.
How does implant size and type affect the cost of breast implants?
Choosing a larger implant does not necessarily result in a higher price for the implant itself, as manufacturers charge a single price for all saline implants and a single price for all silicone implants, regardless of size. However, silicone implants typically cost about $1,000 more than saline implants from manufacturers.
Is recovery from a second breast augmentation different from the first?
A second breast augmentation procedure is often easier than the first. Recovery is typically easier with significantly less discomfort because the pocket around the implant has already healed.
What is the surgical approach for a second breast augmentation?
During a second breast augmentation, the surgeon typically places a larger implant through the initial incision, which is usually made in the crease below the breast.
What post-operative care is required after a second breast augmentation?
After a second breast augmentation, patients should wear a supportive or sports bra for three weeks to protect the incision.
Can breast implants freeze or get too cold?
No, breast implants will not freeze in the cold when inside the body. Your body's core temperature of 98.6°F keeps them warm. While a saline implant outside the body would freeze around 28°F and a silicone gel implant around –170°F, you would experience hypothermia long before your implants would get chilly. Implants change temperature slowly, especially when placed behind the muscle. You might feel them a little cooler after a cold pool or warmer after a hot tub, but there's no need to worry about them freezing during winter activities.
Can breast implants correct droopy breasts?
For mildly droopy breasts, saline or silicone gel implants placed behind the pec muscle may create the illusion of perkiness by filling out the top and bottom of the breast, making the nipple appear higher. However, breast implants do not actually move the nipple higher.
When is a breast lift recommended over breast implants for droopy breasts?
If breasts are moderately to severely droopy, getting only breast implants could result in an undesirable 'four breasts' appearance, with implants positioned high and natural breasts low. For these cases, a breast lift (with or without implants) is a better choice, as it restores breasts to a more youthful look by repositioning nipples at a higher position and removing excess skin.
What is the I.D.E.A.L. Breast Lift?
The I.D.E.A.L. Breast Lift is a ground-breaking technique created by Dr. Eisenberg for a breast lift alone or simultaneous breast augmentation and lift surgery. It perks up saggy breasts by raising and reshaping them and giving them a more youthful look.
What is the typical timeline for seeing final results after cosmetic breast surgery?
Patients should be patient after cosmetic breast surgery, as it takes a few months to see the final result. The process is a temporary inconvenience for a permanent improvement.
What is the process for in-office consultations and surgery, especially for out-of-town patients?
During an in-office consultation, patients undergo an examination, discuss the procedure, and view over a dozen before & after photos of actual patients similar in height, weight, and body frame size. If goals align and the patient decides to proceed, surgery can be scheduled within a few days. Patients are required to remain in Philadelphia for a short period after surgery for a post-operative appointment before returning home. Accommodations are available at a comfortable hotel in Northeast Philadelphia, within a mile of Dr. Eisenberg’s office and Nazareth Hospital, where surgeries are performed.
How does Dr. Eisenberg help patients choose their breast implant size?
During the consultation, Dr. Eisenberg measures the patient and discusses their surgical goals. Patients are shown more than a dozen before and after photos of actual patients who started with similar height, weight, and body frame size. These photos display post-operative results at three and nine months, when implants have fully dropped and fluffed. Photos also show women in bras or tank tops to demonstrate how breast size looks both with and without clothes. Patients vote on results ('too big,' 'too small,' or 'just right'), often discovering consistency in their preferred cubic centimeters (ccs). Every photo notes the implant size used, which helps Dr. Eisenberg determine the exact size of saline or silicone gel implants to order for the desired look.
What types of breast implants does Dr. Eisenberg offer?
The practice offers both saline and silicone gel implants.
What is the typical recovery timeline and return to activities after cosmetic breast surgery?
Patients are discharged home the same day after surgery and should take it easy for one week. You can shower the day after surgery. Many women can comfortably lift small children by the third day and can drive if not taking narcotics. More than 90% of patients in office settings with limited physical activity can return to work on the 5th day (e.g., if surgery is Wednesday, back to work Monday). For work requiring lifting, pushing, or pulling (e.g., nurses, bartenders, hairstylists), return to work is typically around the 14th day. Patients can generally return to aerobics in three weeks and upper body weightlifting in six weeks.
How does Dr. Eisenberg address natural breast asymmetry?
Breasts are naturally asymmetrical, with size differences ranging from slight to more obvious. Dr. Eisenberg cannot make breasts perfectly identical through surgery, but aims to make them appear more harmonious, like 'sisters from the same family.' If there's a difference in breast volume, he can make them closer in size by either enlarging them with breast implants of different sizes or by augmenting only the smaller breast.
Can I get a mammogram if I have breast implants, and what should I know?
Yes, it is possible to get a mammogram with breast implants. Implants are designed to be sturdy; for example, one company tests implants by exerting nearly 55 pounds of force repeatedly, up to 6.5 million times, while a routine mammogram exerts about 25 pounds of force. It's important to inform the mammogram facility when scheduling your appointment that you have breast implants. To maximize the amount of breast tissue seen, the technician will gently displace (push up) the implants and take extra views of each breast.