Breast reduction in teens and adults

I wrote a blog post back in March on teens and breast augmentation. When I wrote it, I was writing it from a small to large perspective. Well, what if it’s the other way around? What if your teenager hates her breasts because she thinks they’re too big. What if they’re also causing painful, physical symptoms?

It’s not uncommon to see teenagers with bigger breasts than those of teens from decades ago. I definitely feel that puberty can be accelerated by some of the foods we eat. It’s also not uncommon to see bigger breasts on bigger teenagers. Perhaps the obesity epidemic in the US could be part of the cause. However, regardless of what led to the issue, a solution needs to be found.

It’s already a stressful enough time for a teenager as they enter high school. For a teen with extremely large breasts, this could play a dramatic role on how she feels about herself, which in turn, could affect other areas of her life. Having been a pediatrician, I’ve seen teens experience rebellion and even depression over this issue.

I’ve also spoken with parents who have had concerns about sexual promiscuity and wondered whether having the surgery would lead to that due to emphasis on the breasts. In my experience, this has never been an issue. The heart of the matter is how the teenager feels emotionally and physically.

When I work with parents and teens in breast reduction cases, we go about the Whole Being Plan in the same manner as adult patients; incorporating psychotherapy to help both parties deal with the concerns or fears they have about the surgery. So far, it’s been highly successful. Patient symptoms prior to surgery such as lower back pain, shoulder pain, numbness in the fingers, and grooves in the shoulder are usually relieved by the procedure. Even more important is relief of the social awkwardness caused by having a large chest.

If you have a teen that has been experiencing any of these issues and have any questions, let me know. The same applies to adults. This certainly isn’t just a teen issue. It’s always good to know there are options out there.

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Kate Hudson chooses natural

I’m sure that most of you have seen either on a magazine, online, or on a talk show that Kate Hudson went under the knife for a breast augmentation last month.  I’ve had both patients and listeners ask me about this and what my thoughts are on the subject.  Given that we’ve been talking about celebrities over the past few weeks, this seems like a good time.  It’s not just about Kate though. It’s about size. People question why she chose to go so small.  (My wife talks about her decision(s) in the video below, which comes from a woman’s perspective, but we’ll get to that.)

If you have seen any before and after photos of Kate, you can visibly see she was small. Her frame is also small, so she has always looked incredible regardless.  She has also been verbal in her comfort level in not having large breasts. There is nothing abnormal about women coming in to have a “natural” breast augmentation. She didn’t want to go over the top, which is highly commendable because there are many women in Hollywood that do. Personally, I feel Hudson chose wisely. Here is our discussion on the matter:

There are so many “standards” that women can choose from. These range from those who push the envelope like Pamela Anderson or Heidi Montag, all the way to women like Kate Hudson who just wanted a little bit more. Women who choose to stay in a range that their body can handle have much less risk for any type of complications. However if you’re comfortable with risks, then by all means, go with what makes you happy, and find a surgeon who can do it safely and help you make an informed decision.. What are your thoughts?

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Image from Gossip Check

The Celebrity Obsession

Let’s be honest.  How many of you watch celebrity gossip shows or subscribe to some kind of celebrity magazine? Or, perhaps you even stand in the line at the grocery store and skim through one because something catches your eye.  Guilty pleasure? I think this is totally normal!  It is easy to become semi-obsessed with the lives of celebrities: how they act, dress and look . . . and especially what types of plastic surgery they are having. From breast augmentation and face work to liposuction and lifts, there is no doubt that celebrities have brought public awareness of plastic surgery to the forefront.

At the beginning of the year, Heidi Montag made headlines worldwide because she decided to undergo multiple procedures. The media had a heyday with her, claiming she had 10 procedures at once. Hearing this raised eyebrows and questions, as people wondered why a beautiful, 23 year-old would be making so many changes.

To her defense, the media was a bit exuberant in their portrayal of what she had done. The truth is that not all of the work was a major procedure. Some were things that could have been provided in-office, some of the things she had done were ‘hand-in-hand’ procedures, and she just chose to get it all done at once. This is not uncommon.

In the videos below, we discuss this scenario, why it is common for some people to do multiple procedures at one time, and some of the risks involved.

At the end of the day, for the right patient, there are many advantages of having multiple procedures done in one shot, within reason.  I saw a woman yesterday in my office who would like a browlift, upper eyelid tuck, lower eyelid tuck, lip augmentation, filler, and a facelift.  That sounds like 6 procedures at once, but its really just a “full facelift” and a lip augmentation.

As we spoke about in the Mommy Makeover post, there is much more to it than coming in and having it done. We incorporate the Whole Being Plan to address all the bases…not just the outside, but also the changes that occur on the inside.

Our obsession with celebrities will never really go away, and I welcome the debate and discussion that they bring up!  What do you think?

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Image from TheHeidiMontag

Why do I need to have a breast lift?

In many cases of breast augmentation, more than just an implant is required — a breast lift is required as well.  Why?  Dr Ronel explains that typically, if a patient has had children and especially if they have breast fed, the soft tissues hang too low for an implant to lift them up.  “Several patients I saw recently were misinformed, or misunderstood what an implant can do for a droopy breast: they were told that a large implant could raise the nipple high enough to look good.”  While an implant can do this to a certain degree, Dr Ronel explains that since the ideal position of the nipple is at the apex of the new breast, when the nipple is lying below the breast fold preoperatively, the only way to put it in the right place is to perform a breast lift.  “If this is not done”, says Dr. Ronel, “the patient may end up with a bigger saggy version of what she had before the surgery — I call it the rock-in-a-sock look.” Many patients are concerned about the scarring that they think occurs with a breast lift.  In some cases there is an incision around the perimeter of the areola, and in others there is also a vertical one in the bottom part of the breast.  With Dr. Ronel’s pioneering Surgical Program in Integrative Medicine, patients are able to recover from breast surgery using some of the most innovative methods available, and this may lead to better healing of the incisions. Over time, the incisions heal and the overwhelming majority of patients are thrilled with their results.  

 

Here is a relevant videos from our radio show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRXfdqkRC4E

 

 

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