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A recent journal article published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery addresses an unresolved problem in breast augmentation surgery, Capsular Contracture.

What the paper concluded was nothing new. Textured implants had lower contracture rates than smooth breast implants. Patients preferred the feel of smooth implants. Implants placed under the muscle, saline and silicone, have lower contracture rates.

In my Louisville Breast Augmentation practice I more often than not prefer to use smooth implants. Placement is determined by your anatomy and preference.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

In my Louisville Breast Implant practice one of the most common misconceptions I encounter deals with breast implant replacement.

A significant percentage of new patients come in with the belief that they have to get new implants every 10 years. This is 100% false. The failure rate for implants that are 10 years old, silicone and saline, is very low. Exact figures aren’t available for the 10 year point but we do know that at 7 years the failure rate on saline is about 2-3% and at 6 years the failure rate for gel implants is about 1%.

So it makes no sense that at 10 years we would throw away 98% of the breast implants out there when they are fine. Said another way, “If they ain’t broke, don’t fix ’em.”

Dr. Lee Corbett

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

I blogged about his topic a few days ago but I wanted to stress how much easier the keller funnel makes Louisville  breast augmentations.

The funnel looks like the bags used to apply icing to cakes. The way it works is I am able to drop the silicone implant into the funnel, place the smaller opening of the funnel thru the incision into the implant pocket. Then I just squeeze and the implant goes in. This keeps it from touching the skin and getting contaminated. Skin bacteria are thought to be one of the causes of scar capsule formation. Thus, the hope is that using the funnels will help reduce capsular contracture rates.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.corbettcosmetisurgery.com

A new product is making Louisville Breast Augmenations easier. The Keller Funnels is a new product that allows silicone implants to be placed more quickly and easily. The implant is placed in the funnel using a “no-touch” technique, the neck of the funnel is placed thru the incision into the implant pocket, and the  implant is then squeezed thru the funnel. This allows placement of the implant without any contact with the skin.

To my knowledge I am the only Louisville Plastic Surgeon using this new technique.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.corbettcosmeticsurgery.com

When doing a Louisville Breast Augmentation using a Louisville breast implant, usually silicone, there is a new insertion technique.

A new device called a Keller Funnel now enables us to do a Louisville breast augmentation more easily. The implant is placed in the funnel, the neck of the funnel is placed thru the incision into the breast. The implant is then squeezed thru the funnel into place.

This allows the implant to be placed without being touched or touching the skin which minimizes infection and capsular contracture.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.corbettcosmeticsurgery.com

I am always surprised when I see a new patient for a Lousiville Breast Augmentation and they ask me if implants, especially silicone implants cause cancer.

The answer is a resounding NO! Why in the world would we ever implant a medical device into a person knowing it causes cancer. That would be wrong on every level there is.

Breast implants, saline or silicone, have no relationship to breast cancer. In fact, a large percentage of women with breast cancer have these same implants placed to reconstruct their breast. Furthermore, when we look at large groups of women with implants in, some studies indicate that they tend to get breast cancer at a lower rate than women without implants.

So, if someone told you you would get cancer because you have implants placed it’s just not true.

Lee Corbett, MD
www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

All posts on this blog are presented by Dr. Lee Corbett, a Louisville Kentucky Breast Augmentation specialist.

An attorney friend of mine called today because a person called his office and wanted to sue a Plastic Surgeon who used different sized implants for her augmentation.

Using different sized gel implants or inflating saline implants to different volumes is very common and not malpractice.

When I do a Louisville, KY breast augmentation , I would estimate that I use different volumes about 75% of the time. A lot of people are surprised to hear this but it shouldn’t come as too big of shock. Our right side and our left sides are different. One arm is longer, one foot bigger etc… and the same holds true for a woman’s breasts. To compensate for this we use different sized and shaped implants.

This isn’t malpractice, it’s a neccessity.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.corbettcosmeticsurgery.com

All posts on this blog are presented by Kentucky plastic surgeon, Dr. Lee Corbett.

Symmastia is a condition where the breast implants have displaced beyond the midline and meet in the middle of your chest. In other words, the pockets that hold the right and left breast implants communicate. It gives you the look of having one large breast.

This is an uncommon, but known problem after breast augmentation. The fix requires surgery and can be very difficult to correct. The problem can occur with either saline or silicone implants placed above or below the muscle.

If you think you have this problem you are welcome to call our office at 502.721.0330 to schedule a complimentary consultation.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

As a Louisville, KY Breast Augmentation surgeon, I am frequently asked when implants need to be replaced. My answer is…”If they ain’t broke, don’t fix ’em.”

The only absolute indication for replacement is deflation.

Other relative indications are weight changes and breast changes resulting from pregnancy and aging. A lot of times I will meet with a patient who has implants that are twenty-soemthing years old, she has had a few kids, and has added a few pounds over the years. The actual implant is usually fine, but the appearance of the breast, particularly out of the bra, may not be. Often, due to weight gain, the original implants are making the breast too large. Another common problem is that the breast is now drooping off the implant and a lift is in order.

So the answer to the question is that implants only need to be exchanged if they have failed or if you are unhappy with your breast’s appearance.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

All posts on this blog are presetned by Louisville, KY Plastic Surgeon, Lee Corbett.

Louisville, KY: Breast Augmentation and Breast Reduction patients are often interested in downsizing their areolae and on occasion even the nipple itself. Most are surprised to learn both procedures are really quite simple.

Areolar downsizing is a typical part of Breast Reductions and Breast Lifts. This is done using an instrument called a “cookie cutter”. This is a circle of varying diameters  that has cross hairs. The cross hairs are placed over the nipple, pressure is applied and a perfect circle is made on the skin surface indicating the new, smaller areolar diameter. A ‘normal’ areola size is 42 mm.

Nipple downsizing is more unusual. This is accomplished by removing the apex of the nipple and closing it to itself. The patients I have encountered who seek this operation have nipples that are about an inch long and are irritated by their bra.

Both operations, if done as stand alone procedures, are doable under local anesthesia in the office.

Lee Corbett, MD

www.CorbettCosmeticSurgery.com

All posts on this blog are presented by Louisville,  Kentucky Breast Augmentation surgeon, Dr. Lee Corbett.