The Walnut Creek and San Francisco Source for Breast Augmentation
At our Walnut Creek practice, near San Francisco, breast surgery, including augmentation with implants, has become one of the more popular ways for women to enhance their figures through plastic surgery. Dr. Ramin Behmand works closely with each woman to determine what breast size, shape, and silhouette are right for her; the result of this collaboration is a beautiful, natural looking outcome.
Breast Augmentation
Breast augmentation, or the placement of breast implants, is a surgical
procedure to enhance the size and shape of a woman's breasts. For most women in Walnut Creek and the San Francisco area, the ultimate goal of breast
augmentation is to increase the size of the breasts while maintaining the desired form, firmness, and natural appearance.
If you are considering breast implants, you may have a very different reason than someone else for desiring surgery. For example, the most common reason that women come to our Walnut Creek practice for breast augmentation is to enhance the contours of their existing breasts. Some women, however, would like to regain the breast volume that was lost after pregnancy and breastfeeding. Others are seeking reconstruction after surgery or symmetry between uneven breast sizes.
Good Candidates for Breast Implants
Oftentimes the women who come into our Walnut Creek practice seeking breast implants are anxious to know if they are good candidates for breast augmentation surgery. Dr. Ramin Behmand has provided the following preliminary checklist, with the understanding that it is impossible to know whether you are a good candidate without undergoing a medical review.
You may be a good candidate for breast augmentation if you:
- have been dissatisfied with the size of your breasts for several years and would like to enlarge them.
- would like to balance out breasts that are different sizes.
- have lost breast volume as a result of aging, weight loss, or pregnancy.
- your breasts are a disproportionate size to the rest of your body and you have a hard time finding flattering clothing.
Age is an important consideration as well. Dr. Behmand understands that many young women may be dissatisfied with their current breast size; however, they should wait until their breasts have fully developed before undergoing breast augmentation surgery.
The Breast Augmentation Procedure
Breast augmentation is performed under general anesthesia at our outpatient surgery center in Walnut Creek, convenient to the San Francisco area.
Depending on the type and size of breast implants you have chosen, Dr. Behmand may choose to make the incision in one of three locations:
- Just inside the armpit
- Within the crease underneath the breast
- Around the edge of the areola
This decision will be made with you before the surgery, during your consultation with the doctor.
After making the incision, Dr. Behmand will insert the breast implants either above or beneath the pectoral muscle. Again, you will be able to make this decision with Dr. Behmand based on your body type and activity level.
When the breast augmentation is complete, your new breasts will be wrapped with gauze and a support bra. The discomfort you feel for the first few days after surgery can be controlled with prescribed medications. After about a week, you should be able to resume many of your normal activities, such as driving and working at a computer.
During these first few weeks, moderate swelling is common; you may not be able to see what your breast implants are “supposed” to look like until this swelling subsides. As your healing progresses, your new silhouette will emerge and you will be ready to enjoy your breast implants!
If you live in Walnut Creek or the surrounding San Francisco communities and would like to learn more about breast augmentation with implants, contact the Behmand Institute of Plastic Surgery today to schedule a consultation.
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Breast Reduction
In addition to aesthetic concerns, women who have breasts that are proportionately too large for their bodies may also face medical and emotional problems. Dr. Behmand can help relieve some of these issues by performing breast reduction, also known as reduction mammaplasty. This surgery is designed to decrease the size of the breasts and make them more proportional to the rest of the body.
Who is a Good Candidate for Breast Reduction?
As with any other plastic surgery procedure, such as breast augmentation, breast reduction requires careful consideration of a woman’s medical and aesthetic requirements before surgery.
In general, if you have experienced any of the following symptoms, you may benefit from breast reduction surgery:
- Persistent back or neck pain
- Frequent headaches
- Indentations in your shoulders caused by tight bra straps
- Redness and chafing caused by tight bra straps
- Reluctance to participate in active sports
- Difficulty finding clothes that flatter your chest
- Trouble breathing at night or sleeping on your stomach
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Dr. Ramin Behmand was the principal author of an extensive patient study conducted at the University of Michigan to evaluate the outcomes of breast reduction surgery. The findings of the study confirmed the therapeutic role of breast reduction surgery in alleviation of symptoms associated with disproportionately large breasts and in restoration of normal physical and emotional functioning. The results of this study were published in the Annals of Plastic Surgery in the year 2000.
To schedule a consultation with Dr. Behmand regarding breast reduction, contact our office today. This procedure is an opportunity to pursue activities you thought were impossible, and to wear clothing styles that you never dreamed of.
The Breast Reduction Procedure
Since the goal of reduction mammaplasty is to remove excess skin and tissue, more incisions are needed than for other breast surgery, such as augmentation. Dr. Behmand will create an incision that goes around the areola, down the lower front of the breast, and along the crease beneath the breast. After removing the desired amount of tissue, Dr. Behmand will tighten up and remove any excess skin, reposition the nipple to its new location, and close the incisions.
As with any surgery, the scars from breast reduction will never go away completely; however, since they are located on the lower areas of the breasts, you will be able to wear a variety of lingerie, swimsuits, or low-cut gowns with no scars showing at all.
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Breast Lift
Many women’s breasts begin to droop and lose their firmness due to age, pregnancy, and nursing. Breast lift surgery, also called mastopexy, can help give your breasts a more youthful looking silhouette and level of firmness. If you have lost volume in your breasts as well as firmness, you may choose to combine this procedure with breast augmentation. Implants often help many of our San Francisco area patients regain the breasts of their youth.
Am I a Breast Lift Candidate?
Breast lift surgery generally provides the best results in women who have small to moderate sized breasts that are sagging. It is possible to treat large and heavy breasts as well, but the weight of such breasts tends to undo the effects of the breast lift in a shorter amount of time.
Because pregnancy and breastfeeding tend to enlarge the breasts, it is usually a good decision to postpone your breast lift until after you are finished having children. Also, if you have decided to get breast implants in conjunction with a lift, Dr. Behmand will discuss with you in more detail the combined procedure.
The Breast Lift Procedure
The incision for breast lift surgery is very similar to that used in a breast reduction; however, instead of removing excess tissue, Dr. Behmand will simply tighten up the existing skin and reposition the nipple to a more flattering location. If the areolas have expanded due to pregnancy, you may choose to have their size reduced at this time.
To add more fullness to their breasts, many of our San Francisco and Walnut Creek breast lift patients request augmentation with implants as well. Having these procedures completed at the same time allows for minimized recovery time and scarring.
Your comfort level with your breasts can have a profound impact on how you interact with others and go about your daily activities. If you’ve been waiting for years to change the appearance or size of your breasts, talk to Dr. Ramin Behmand at his Walnut Creek facility near San Francisco. Whether you are seeking breast augmentation with implants, reduction, or a breast lift, he can combine artistic skill and medical expertise to give you a beautiful, natural looking profile. Contact the Behmand Institute of Plastic Surgery today to schedule a one-on-one consultation with Dr. Behmand.
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