Breast Implants in Athens, GA
Women unhappy with the size or shape of their breasts often seek breast augmentation to enhance their chest silhouette and restore their full, feminine curves that have lost shape due to pregnancy, breastfeeding, or aging. Avenue Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery offers numerous breast implant options for a uniquely customizable approach to breast augmentation in Athens.
Patients can trust Dr. Chelsea Venditto’s skill, artistry, and meticulous attention to detail, helping you feel confident in your choice for breast implants in Athens, GA.
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What Is Breast Augmentation?
Breast augmentation, often referred to as breast enhancement or augmentation mammoplasty, is a popular cosmetic surgery procedure designed to enhance the size and shape of a woman’s breasts with breast implants. If you’re looking for a breast enhancement without the use of implants, learn more about our fat grafting to breasts for a natural and subtle alternative.
This transformative surgery has empowered countless women to achieve their desired appearance, boost self-confidence, and embrace a newfound sense of femininity.
What Are My Breast Augmentation Options?
Breast augmentation is a highly customizable procedure. You have many options for breast implants in Athens, Georgia, including implant materials, shapes, incisions, and placement.
Types of Breast Implant Material
- Silicone Gel Implants: Silicone gel implants are filled with a cohesive silicone gel that closely mimics the feel of natural breast tissue. This option offers a natural look and feel with a decreased risk of rippling, making them a popular choice among women. Monitoring silicone implants with ultrasound or MRI every several years is recommended to detect ruptures. Silicone gel implants can be placed into the breast pocket with a funnel utilizing a completely no-touch technique.
- Saline Implants: Saline implants are filled with sterile saline solution (salt water) after being placed in the breast. This option allows for adjustable volume during surgery and may have smaller incisions. If a rupture occurs, the body harmlessly absorbs the saline. Some patients find saline implants feel and look slightly less natural, especially compared with silicone gel implants. They may be more prone to visible rippling in women with little natural breast tissue.
If you’re weighing the two, our post on saline vs. silicone implants breaks down the differences in more detail.
Breast Implant Shape
- Round Implants: Round implants have a uniform shape and add fullness to the upper and lower portions of the breast, often creating a youthful, voluminous look.
Incision Locations
- Inframammary Incision: This incision is made in the natural fold under the breast (inframammary fold). This option provides direct access for implant placement, allowing for precise positioning and symmetry with well-hidden scars that typically heal well.
- Periareolar Incision: This incision is made around the edge of the areola (the pigmented skin around the nipple) and allows for direct access to the breast tissue and implant placement. The scar tends to blend in nicely with the darker areolar skin. In some cases, the incision may affect nipple sensation or breastfeeding ability. The periareolar approach to implant placement is less common and is often utilized in specific anatomical conditions such as tuberous breast deformity.
Implant Placement
- Subglandular/Subfascial (Over the Muscle): The implant is placed between the breast tissue and the chest muscle (pectoralis major). This placement technique may offer a shorter recovery time and less postoperative discomfort and is a suitable choice for women with sufficient breast tissue or those who are active in the gym. Subglandular/subfascial placement may be more prone to visible rippling, especially in women choosing saline implants with insufficient natural breast tissue to adequately cover the implant.
- Submuscular (Under the Muscle): The implant is positioned beneath the pectoralis major muscle. This placement method provides additional tissue coverage, reducing the risk of visible rippling. It may also make mammograms more straightforward to perform. However, recovery may be slightly longer, and you may have temporary muscle-related discomfort. Additionally, after surgery there are often long-term restrictions in pectoralis major muscle exercises. Submuscular placement is sometimes a more ideal option for thinner patients.
Choosing the right breast implant options is a highly customizable process. Dr. Venditto will work closely with you to understand your goals, anatomy, and preferences, and help you choose the best implant material, shape, size, incision, and placement to meet your needs and help you achieve the results you want.
Am I a Candidate for Breast Augmentation?
Ideal candidates are healthy adults who do not smoke or use other nicotine products, have realistic expectations, desire breast enhancement, and understand that breast implants are not lifetime devices and do require upkeep and maintenance with plastic surgeon visits and imaging. An in-depth consultation with Dr. Venditto will help determine your candidacy and the best breast augmentation options.
Dr. Venditto is a board-certified plastic surgeon and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Learn more about what board certification actually means for your care here.
How Is Breast Augmentation Performed?
Before: What Happens During A Breast Augmentation Consultation?
You’ll discuss your goals, preferences, and concerns during your consultation. Dr. Venditto will conduct a thorough medical evaluation to ensure you are a suitable candidate for breast augmentation by reviewing your medical history and current health and assessing your breast tissue and skin elasticity.
During: What Does Breast Augmentation Surgery Look Like?
Breast augmentation is typically performed under general anesthesia to ensure your comfort and safety throughout the procedure.
Dr. Venditto will make incisions in the predetermined locations and create a special breast pocket under the breast tissue or beneath the chest muscle to place the implants. Once the implants are positioned correctly, she will meticulously close the incisions with sutures and dress them with surgical tape. This procedure typically takes about 45 minutes to an hour.
After: How Long Is Recovery From Breast Augmentation?
Following your breast augmentation, you will be monitored in the recovery room until you fully wake up from the anesthesia. Some discomfort is typical but should be tolerable with pain medications, and patients can return home the same day. No drains are used and patients can shower within 48 hours.
Dr. Venditto will provide postoperative care instructions, including guidelines for pain management, activity restrictions and wearing a supportive bra. It’s essential to follow these instructions diligently.
Most women can return to light activities within a week and gradually resume regular exercises and daily routines as directed by Dr. Venditto. The entire recovery period varies but typically ranges from several weeks to a few months.
Long-Term Safety: Implants are very safe, but they are prosthetic devices we have to monitor. The FDA recommends either MRI or ultrasound surveillance around the 5- to 6-year mark post-augmentation. Dr. Venditto is proud to offer high-resolution ultrasound directly in the office for breast augmentation patients.
The risk of rupture is about 1% per year, whether a saline or silicone implant is placed. Implants aren’t lifetime devices, so younger patients often need to return later for a different implant because they’re so young during their first procedure, while older patients may not need another procedure.
How Much Does Breast Augmentation Cost?
The cost varies based on several factors, including the surgeon’s fees, facility fees, anesthesia costs, and the type of implants used. You will receive an accurate cost estimate after your consultation.
Financing options are also available if you’d like to spread the cost over time. Our post on paying for plastic surgery procedures walks through the options.
When Will I See My Breast Aug Results?
You will be able to see your initial results immediately, but it will take some time (up to six months) before your outcome is apparent. View our patients’ results in our gallery below.
View Before & After Photos
Board-Certified Breast Augmentation Surgeon in Athens, GA
Dr. Chelsea Venditto provides the highest level of care for her Athens, GA breast augmentation patients. Contact us today to schedule your breast implant consultation!
Breast Augmentation FAQs
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What are the benefits of breast augmentation?
There are three central outcomes of breast augmentation surgery that make it a life-changing surgery for so many women:
- Breast augmentation can significantly boost self-confidence by enhancing breast size and shape, helping women feel more comfortable and attractive in their bodies.
- Cosmetic breast surgery also allows for the creation of balanced and symmetrical breasts to address several issues that may have contributed to insecurity from chest wall abnormalities or breast volume asymmetries.
- Many women choose breast augmentation to achieve a more proportionate figure that complements their overall physique.
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How long do breast implants last?
While there’s no specific expiration date, breast implants are not considered lifetime devices and they require maintenance and upkeep. Most women can expect them to last 10-20 years before requiring reoperation.
During your consultation, Dr. Venditto will discuss FDA recommendations for implant surveillance. Dr. Venditto sees all of her breast augmentation patients every 1-2 years once they are beyond the acute postoperative phase to ensure appropriate healing. See the video above for more information on implant longevity.
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Will breast augmentation affect my ability to breastfeed?
Breast augmentation is unlikely to affect breastfeeding unless combined with a breast lift. Discuss your breastfeeding plans with your surgeon.
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Are there risks associated with breast augmentation surgery?
Like any surgery, breast augmentation carries potential risks, including infection, bleeding, injury to nearby structures such as sensory or motor nerves, implant rupture, capsular contracture, implant malposition, asymmetry, and changes in nipple sensation. Your surgeon will discuss these risks during the consultation.
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Should I get saline or silicone implants?
It depends on your anatomy and what you’re looking for. Silicone tends to feel more natural and has a lower risk of visible rippling, while saline allows for smaller incisions and adjustable volume during surgery. Our post on saline vs. silicone implants covers the tradeoffs in more depth.
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What’s the difference between a breast augmentation and a breast lift?
Augmentation adds volume with an implant, while a breast lift repositions and reshapes sagged breast tissue, without necessarily adding size. Many patients choose both to get the result they want. We wrote more about why implants are sometimes placed with a breast lift if you’re not sure which fits your goals.
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Are there financing options for breast augmentation?
Yes. Since breast augmentation is typically an elective procedure, it isn’t usually covered by insurance, but financing plans are available to help spread out the cost. See our post on paying for plastic surgery procedures for details.
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How will breast augmentation surgery affect my physical activity levels?
If we place the implant under the muscle, you cannot do dedicated pec muscle exercises for about 3 months post-augmentation, but that restriction is less intense for patients who get above-muscle augmentations. However, for both above- and below-muscle augmentations, you can’t lift more than 10 lbs for about 4 weeks. It’s 6 to 8 weeks until you can run, jump, or do high-intensity interval training.
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How do I know Dr. Venditto is qualified to perform breast augmentation?
Dr. Venditto is a board-certified plastic surgeon and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. You can read more about what board certification actually means for your care on our blog.
Can I combine breast augmentation with other procedures?
Yes, it is extremely common to pair a breast augmentation with a breast lift, and you can determine if this is an ideal combination for you during your consultation with Dr. Venditto. It can also be combined with other procedures like liposuction or tummy tuck for a comprehensive makeover, often referred to as a “Mommy Makeover.”
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