How Breast Implant Placement Affects Your Results

    PHOENIX, AZ, June 15, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- One of the most common questions women have when they are considering breast augmentation is how large and noticeable any post-surgical scarring will be. Plastic surgeons understand that this is a key concern for many patients, and use every technique at their disposal to minimize scarring and its visibility. While it is possible to make scars less noticeable, it is impossible to eliminate them altogether.

There are several different methods of breast implantation that can affect scar length and scar positioning to varying degrees.

The TUBA Method

The Trans-Umbilical Breast Augmentation (TUBA) method is performed using an endoscope - a long, flexible rod with a camera on the end of it - in order to observe the procedure on a monitor while it is occurring. The TUBA method is unique because your incision is made in your naval, where it is virtually undetectable due to your natural skin folds. A TUBA incision is generally only an inch long, and since your abdominal skin is more elastic than other areas of your body, it helps prevent the incision from stretching. Your breast implants will be placed above your muscle, and you will lose very little blood.

The Transaxillary Method

During this method, your breast implants are placed through a pair of incisions made in the natural folds of your underarms. Again, these incisions are small - around one inch long - and this time well-hidden in the depth of your armpits. When healed, the scars are barely noticeable.

Transaxillary breast implants are placed either above or below the chest muscle. An endoscope is used during this procedure as well, in order to ensure the precise positioning of the implant.

The Peri-Areolar Method

The peri-areolar method of breast augmentation involves an incision around the bottom half of your areola. Since this area of the breast is darker than its surrounding skin, scars are more easily camouflaged, although they can still be detected by careful observation. The peri-areolar technique is recommended for women with larger areolas that can easily hide scars; women with smaller areolas may have scars that extend below the naturally dark circles, rendering them more detectable.

The Inframammary Method

This final breast augmentation method uses incisions that are made beneath your breasts in the natural crease where your breast meets your chest wall. The scars from this method are the longest of all the other methods, and will be noticed when your arms are raised high above your head. Otherwise, the scars are well-hidden by your tissue. Larger-breasted women will more successfully hide scars resulting from this method.

Understanding the differences between each technique is important when considering breast augmentation; however, it should be noted that scarring will vary from person to person, even when the same methods are applied. Consulting with a skilled plastic surgeon can help you determine which procedure is best in your particular case.

If you live in the Phoenix, Arizona area and would like more information about breast augmentation, please visit the website of board-certified Phoenix plastic surgeon Dr. Bryan W. Gawley, MD at http://www.gawleyplasticsurgery.com.

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