So you’ve had just had your breast augmentation. Not sure what to expect? Here’s a few things Sam Jejurikar and his staff at Dallas Plastic Surgery Institute reminds all of their patients:

• Breast Implants do not look natural immediately after surgery. The skin envelope is usually quite tight and the implants sit abnormally high. This can make your breasts look like “bowling balls” or “cantaloupes” (actual descriptions from some of Dr. J’s patients). Relax. This is normal and transient. Over the first few weeks, the breast skin relaxes and implants drop. As this happens, the breasts develop a more natural appearance
• Surgery hurts. Sounds obvious, right? Although many doctors advertise a quick recovery from surgery or a recovery not utilizing narcotic pain medications, this does not mean that their patients do not experience pain with surgery. Many of Dr. Jejurikar’s patients take narcotic pain medications after surgery and many do not. They all have pain.
• Take it easy. Doing household chores, exercising, driving can all exacerbate your postoperative swelling. This can worsen your pain and delay your recovery. In the worst case scenario, it can actually cause a postoperative bleeding complication (hematoma) that requires additional surgery. Take it easy for at least 3-4 weeks.
• Ask questions. You’ve never had breast augmentation before and the process is entirely new to you. It’s not new to Dr. Jejurikar and his staff at Dallas Plastic Surgery Institute. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to call or email.

To set up a consultation to discuss breast augmentation, contact Dr. Sam Jejurikar’s office at 214-827-2814.

Gummy bear silicone breast implants, or form stable cohesive gel implants, are the most recent generation of silicone breast implants to be approved by the FDA. The popularity of gummy bear implants has dramatically risen over the last year. That being said, many patients truly don’t understand what makes these implants different from saline breast implants or earlier generations of silicone implants. In this blog post, Dr. Sam Jejurikar, Dallas board certified plastic surgeon, provides a general overview of the pros and cons of form stable gummy bear silicone breast implants.

Pros

Firmer shape and feel – Gummy bear silicone implants hold their shape, meaning that your plastic surgeon can use the implant to shape the breast. Saline or earlier generation silicone breast implants, are more easily deformed, meaning they are more likely to be shaped by gravity and the breast skin and soft tissue; this is the opposite of what you see with gummy bear implants.

Virtually no folds or rippling – because the form stable cohesive gel does not shift within the breast implant shell, folds are much less likely to occur.

Capsular contracture – Data demonstrates a much lower rate of capsular contracture (pathologic scar tissue around a breast implant) with these implants as compared to saline or earlier generation silicone breast implants.

No leakage – Although the breast implant shell can break, the highly cohesive nature of the silicone within means it should not leak out of the breast. Doesn’t make sense – look at the video that follows.

Cons

Firmer Feel – Some women view this as a con, although its also definitely a pro (see above). These implants feel a little bit more firm than earlier generations of silicone. Younger patients with fuller and firmer breasts don’t tend to notice this as much. Women who have lost massive amounts of weight or whose breasts have stretched considerably after pregnancy are more likely to perceive these implants as firm. A firm breast, however, should not be confused with a hard breast; the firm feel from a gummy bear implant feels simulates youthful breast tissue, making it more of a pro than a con!

Cost – Gummy bear silicone implants costs approximately twice as much as saline implants.

Larger Incision – Because these implants are firm and cannot be deformed, incisions need to be slightly larger. They generally range between 4.5 cm to 5.0 cm. Because of this, incisions within the armpit often times become larger than desirable. Furthermore, depending on the size of the patient’s areola, an incision around the areola may be exceedingly difficult.

Incision location – An inframammary incision (crease at the base of the breast) really gives the surgeon the best visibility to place a gummy bear silicone implant. Also, given the larger length incision required to place these implants, it is reliably camouflaged, which is not always the case with incisions within the armpit or around the areola. Conclusive data in the plastic surgery literature demonstrates a far lower rate of capsular contracture (pathologic scar tissue formation around breast implants) for implants placed through an inframammary incision. For these reasons, although not the only choice, the inframammary incision tends to be the preferred choice for patients undergoing breast augmentation with gummy bear implants.

If you would like to learn more, contact Dr. Sam Jejurikar’s office at 214-827-2814 or click here.

So you’re thinking you want to proceed with breast augmentation at Dallas Plastic Surgery Institute? Here are few useful tips from Dr. Sam Jejurikar to keep in mind to enable you to get your breast implants placed quickly and safely:

1. Avoid all medications that thin your blood for 2 weeks prior to surgery (i.e., aspirin, Motrin, Advil, Alleve, ibuprofen, naprosyn, Anacin, Bufferin, etc.) and 72 hours after surgery. This include medications such as Aspirin and NonSteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Agents (NSAIDs), such as Motrin, Ibuprofen, Advil, Naprosyn, Toradol, etc.). Tylenol is safe to take. If you’re not sure, contact Dr. Jejurikar’s office to ask!
2. Dr. Jejurikar provides a post-op bras; that being said, you will find it beneficial to purchase one or two sports bras that zip in the front. For a list of bras that he and his staff find helpful, click here.
3. Arrange for transportation to and from the surgical facility and for a friend or family member to care for you on the day of your breast augmentation surgery.
4. Fill all your prescriptions in advance and bring your medication with you to the surgery center.
5. Make sure you are comfortable with the choices you have made for your procedure regarding size of implants, type of implant (saline versus silicone), incision choice and location of implant. If you’re not, contact Dr. Jejurikar’s office and his staff can review your choices.
6. Take a shower the night before surgery and the day of surgery and using surgical soap (Hibiclens or Chlorhexidine).
7. Wear comfortable, loose fitting clothes on the day of surgery and remove all earrings and body piercings.
8. Don’t wear a tampon to the surgical facility – they can cause bacterial infection and must to be removed prior surgery. Use an external pad if you must.
9. Stop using all tobacco products and e-cigarettes two weeks or more prior to surgery.

If you would like to schedule a consultation to discuss breast augmentation, contact Dr. Sam Jejurikar’s office at 214-827-2814.