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 Breast Implants 411 Home > Find A Plastic Surgeon > Washington > Seattle > Richard A. Baxter, M.D., F.A.C.S.
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Visit Richard Baxter's profile.
Although breast augmentation is conceptually not very complicated—find the right size and shape of implant, place it in just the right position behind the breast—a lot of things have to come together in just the right ways in order for the final result to be ideal. One problem that occasionally occurs even with very experienced surgeons is the “double bubble,” a sort of double curve of the lower part of the breast. It can be challenging to correct but fortunately there are some newer techniques which can be very helpful.
One problem is that there is more than one cause to the dreaded double bubble. One is where the inframammary fold, the bottom edge of the breast, is very high; this results in a very short distance between the nipple and the bottom of the breast. So in order to center the implant appropriately, the fold must be lowered or the implant rides much too high. When the bottom edge of the breast is reset in order to follow the outline of the implant, the original fold may cause a tight band across the mid-portion of the bottom half of the breast. I have identified another cause of the double bubble though. This one is a bit sneakier, occurring in breasts that don’t look like they would have this sort of issue. In order to understand it, we need to consider one very important aspect to submuscular implant placement: using the standard (dual-plane) technique, the pectoral muscle is cut where it attaches to the ribs. (This is necessary for implant positioning in most cases.) The cut edge of the muscle then resides in front of the implant, where it heals into the scar capsule as it forms. The point of attachment is typically about halfway between the bottom of the breast and the nipple, exactly where the indentation of the double bubble is seen. In these cases, it is the muscle exerting traction on the capsule that is the cause. Fortunately, there is a solution. If the muscle is split rather than cut, the upper part can be used to cover the upper portion of the implant, while the lower part remains behind the implant. With this technique, all of its attachments remain intact. This gives muscle coverage where it is most needed while avoiding many of the problems with the traditional technique. This split muscle technique has become my most common approach and is also useful for correcting existing problems. See examples of corrective procedures from Dr. Baxter below:     Article Courtesy of Richard A. Baxter, M.D., F.A.C.S., a Seattle Breast Augmentation Surgeon
Additional Articles about Breast Implants by Richard A. Baxter, M.D., F.A.C.S.:
Breast Implants in the Athletic Woman
Whether it’s a professional athlete, fitness model, or the average woman who wants to be in great shape, female athletes of all levels face challenges that their male counterparts cannot even begin to understand. After putting forth so much effort to get into shape and to lower their body fat percentage, women often in turn find a loss of volume in their breasts, turning a positive experience into a negative one. Should losing a sense of femininity be the price paid for getting fit?
Choosing the Right Profile: High, Low, or Moderate?
Once the decision for breast augmentation has been made, the choice of which type of implant to use is one of the next important steps. The wide array of options can seem confusing at first, but in consultation with an experienced plastic surgeon, they can be narrowed down. Round implants now come in a choice of three profile shapes: high, moderate, and low. There are specific reasons for use of each type...
Not All Tummy Ttucks are Ceated Equal: Progressive Tension Suture Method for Better Outcomes
So you’ve done your part: after having kids, or gaining weight around the middle for whatever reason, you got back to the gym and worked on your diet. But you’ve learned something that many still don’t appreciate, which is that no amount of exercise and no dietary breakthrough is going to tighten skin and erase stretchmarks.
Selling out silicone: The real story behind the FDA’s silicone implant ban
After a nearly 15-year ban, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration announced on November 17, 2006 that silicone gel-filled breast implants would be available without restrictions for women who choose them. Yet despite the fact that no medical device has ever undergone more intensive testing and evaluation, myths and misconceptions about their safety persist. How did the safety questions arise in the first place?
The Natural (Result)
Although people may have different ideas about what a “natural” result is, words often used to describe it are “believable” and “proportionate”.
Under or Over? Choosing the Right Plane
Like every other decision about breast implant surgery, the question of whether to place the implant under the muscle or over is the subject of much debate, with confusion and misinformation in every direction. Suffice it to say that there is no single best method that applies to every patient; the key is to establish priorities based upon individual anatomy, implant type, and several other factors... |
