Implants or Uplift? Test Your Breasts at Home!

Are you unhappy with the appearance of your breasts but unsure what surgery you require? Ocean Clinic’s Dr. Michel Saiveau has developed a do-it-yourself test to help you identify where the problem lies.

‘Breast beauty analysis’ involves the assessment of three key elements: volume, position and shape. It’s vital to consider all three before optimal treatment can be identified.

The analysis starts with the ‘bikini test,’ which is easy to do at home and simply requires the patient to stand in front of the mirror wearing a bikini top. Here’s how it works:

·      If you are unhappy with the appearance of your breasts in a bikini then you lack volume and require a breast enlargement

·      If you are happy with the way your breasts look in a bikini but unhappy with their appearance when you’re topless then the shape and/or position of your breasts is the problem

To assess the position of the breasts on your chest, take a tape measure and measure from your collarbone down to the nipple areola complex (NAC). If the NAC is below a distance of 18 to 22 centimetres you have ptotic breasts, which have begun to droop and sag and repositioning is required.

If the NAC does not fall below the mid third of the arm you have a breast in a good position and do not require repositioning.

To analyse the shape of your breasts look at the projection from the side and the upper and lower pole fullness (i.e. the volume of breast above and below the nipple). Are you lacking volume in the upper pole? Are your beasts asymmetrical?

According to Dr. Saiveau, it’s easy to mistake sagging breasts as small breasts in need of enlargement, when actually an uplift is required.

He says: “We have to analyse the volume of the breasts in comparison with the body frame, and in interference with the shape of the breasts. This is a tricky problem. It can lead to unjust feelings of smallness and desire for a breast enlargement, but the bikini test can help patients to see the real problem.”

He adds that understanding exactly what you dislike about the appearance of your breasts is vital if you’re to achieve satisfaction through surgery.

“Patients have difficulty analysing their breasts and they therefore make mistakes in terms of surgical decisions. Their inability to express what they want can lead to unrealistic expectations and consequently they are not satisfied with their surgical results.”

Once you have carried out the ‘breast beauty analysing’ techniques you should have a better understanding of the surgery you require.

Unhappy in a bikini

If you are unhappy in a bikini and decide you require more volume there are three surgical solutions that exist:

·      Implants - where big volume is demanded breasts can be enlarged with implants

·      Fat transfer - for a small volume augmentation or to enhance upper pole fullness

·      Composite augmentation - using both implants and fat transfer in case of thin skin, where the implant might be otherwise visible

Read more about breast enlargement

Happy in a bikini

If you are happy with a bikini but unhappy without then you most likely have a good volume but there is a problem with the position of the breasts on the chest or a lack of symmetry. This can be treated as follows:

·      Mastoplexy – breast uplift can be used for treatment of ptotic (sagging) breasts or to help bring better symmetry where one breast is too large

·      Fat grafting - for asymmetry issues where one breast is too small, fat grafting can be used to even up the breasts

Read more about breast lift surgery

It’s important to note that implants should NOT be used to treat sagging breasts.

Says Dr. Saiveau: “If you use implants in this situation you simply transform a normal size ptotic breast into a big ptotic breast - it’s the worst! “

If you require extra volume in addition to uplifting, a mastoplexy can be combined with an enlargement.

Talking to your surgeon

Your surgeon won’t expect you to have in-depth surgical understanding and will be more than happy to guide your decision, but the aim of this process is to equip you with the knowledge to discuss your treatment pathway.

As Dr. Saiveau concludes: “You will be able to express yourself to your surgeon as an aware and educated patient. You will be able to explain what you want and the surgeon will respect your own interest and your own expectations.”

Dr. Saiveau is highly qualified plastic surgeon, registered to practice in Spain, the UK and France. To arrange a consultation please contact Ocean ClinicMarbella today.

Pioneering Natural Breast Enlargement Techniques Demonstrated at Ocean Clinic Marbella

Developments in cosmetic surgery mean that an entirely natural breast enlargement using a patient’s own fat is now possible.

 

Breast augmentation using fat being carried out during MIPSS 

Ocean Clinic’s Head Surgeon Dr. Kaye was among one of the first doctors to fully embrace the possibilities of fat grafting and has been using the technique to great acclaim for all manner of procedures, including breast augmentation.

Through his work, Dr. Kaye has attained impressive skill in the technique and, in order to share this with his peers, he invited more than 50 plastic surgeons from all over Europe and Africa to watch him carry out live surgery.

The demonstration was staged as part of the inaugural Marbella International Plastic Surgery Summer School, which was organised by Ocean Clinic from July 28-30.

Surgeons watch the operation taking place live

The surgeons watched three surgeries transmitted live from Ocean Clinic’s operating theatre into the conference venue Hotel Fuerte. These included a breast enlargement carried out purely with fat and a breast reduction.

One of these patients was Veronica Parker. Veronica, aged 51 and from the UK, had fat removed from her stomach by liposuction and grafted into her breasts. We asked her to share her experience:

Why did a breast enlargement using just your own fat appeal to you?

It appealed to me because it’s all-natural and you haven’t got any foreign bodies in your body. You haven’t got to go back and have anything checked or removed after so many years, like you do with implants. And you don’t get many complications. Also, it’s like having two procedures in one – a breast enlargement and lipo, which is great!

What was your experience like at the clinic?

The team at Ocean Clinic is very professional and friendly. They talk you through every single step and they make you feel really comfortable.

I attended a pre-op appointment two days before the surgery, where I filled out forms, took a medical questionnaire and had a blood test.

On the day of the surgery I was asked to arrive early and was shown to my room. It had a big television, air conditioning, and a private bathroom.

I was asked to put on a special gown, hat and socks and wait for the consultants. They came in and drew pictures all over me – they were working out where the fat was that they were going to extract from me.

Shortly after I was walked through to the operating theatre where I met Dr. Kaye and his mentor Dr. Ubeerreiter from Germany; the specialist who trained him in fat grafting and was going to be carrying out the operation with him.

Then the anaesthetist came in and explained what he was going to do, so I was put at ease every step of the way.

The surgery was carried out under ‘twilight sedation’ rather than full anaesthetic - did you feel anything?

No, nothing at all. I don’t remember anything. After two minutes of lying down on the bed I was asleep. I just remember waking up and I was in no pain, I just felt fine.

They wheeled me to my room to recuperate and then came round with some lunch, which they get from a local restaurant and is delicious.

I just had to wait for Dr. Kaye to come and see me a bit later in the day before I could be discharged. I thought I’d be in some pain but there was none at all and I felt fine to leave the clinic.

How has the recovery been?

Since then I’ve not been in any pain at all. There have been no complications, no discomfort and everything is fine.

I have to wear the compression belt around the abdomen for three weeks but you get used to it, and I’m allowed to take it off for showering.

The incisions they made are really tiny and after just five days they’ve nearly disappeared. It’s just the bruising to go down and then it’s back to normal.There was some swelling but that’s virtually all gone now too.

Other than having to wear the belt and sleep on my back, I’ve been able to continue with life completely as normal. I will return to the clinic in a couple of days for a final check and then I will be able to fly home.

What do you think of the results so far?

My tummy already looks great and I’ve finally got some boobs! They’re not massive, but I’m really pleased with them.

The doctors had explained to me that they wouldn’t be able to make them really large because my skin is too good quality and doesn’t stretch enough. And because I was extremely flat chested the breast pocket was small, so what they put in (260 cc each side) was all they could put in.

However, they have said I can return in the future to have more fat put in once the tissues have stretched out, should I want to.

Would you recommend this procedure to others?

Definitely, providing you’re a good candidate. If you’re a Skinny Minnie you can’t have it done; you have to have a bit of body fat on you.

It also depends on how big you want to go. If you don’t have enough fat or, like me, you don’t have the capacity in your breasts, then you’d need to look at combining fat grafting with implants.

But if you have realistic expectations about what’s achievable then I’d definitely tell you to go for it.

Want to know more about breast augmentation with fat transfer? Contact Ocean Clinic on (+34) 951 775 518.