Olympia Doctors

African American Worried About Benelli Lift Scar, What Can I Expect?

In my reading the Q/A in realself, I came across a PS that said African americans should NEVER use an areola incision beacuse of scarring. this has really bothered me because i was finally happy that I didnt have to have the lollipop scar and I thought this scar would be much less noticable. I also have very large areolas and my PS is making them smaller. Please let me know if I will absolutely have terrible scarring or does it vary from cast to case. Also, 400cc too big for Benelli lift?

You have very good reason to be concerned, but not necessarily because you are African American. While its true that some people of color tend to make thicker or keloid like scars, this is actually quite unusual on the breast unless there is some problem with wound healing. I do lifts and reductions on African Americans all the time and they get very satisfactory results.

It is a misconception to think that a Binelli Lift always results in a lesser scar. As Dr. Rand pointed out, the very worst scars from Binelli Lifts are a result of trying to avoid the scars of a more complete lift is needed (which can turn out quite good), and trying to accomplish too much with a Binelli lift which results in excessive tension on the wound leading to widening, pigmentation irregularities, and generally poor scarring. With a very large areola you are at even more risk for problems. Adding an implant tends to put even more tension on the scar. Also Binellin lifts tend to flatten the breast, so if your breast is already flat, the Binelli lift would not be a good choice.

Although you might prefer to avoid the scars of a lollipop or traditional lift, those might ultimately be a better choice for your situation.

Braden Stridde, MD

Federal Way Plastic Surgeon

How Durable Are Saline Implants if a Bad Fall is Taken? I Ride Horses and Am Afraid To Rupture Them.

I am a horseback rider & I compete & do a lot of jumping, not just a casual trail rider. My biggest worry is taking a fall & breaking the saline implants. They are going to be subpectoral. Falls do happen, not usually on the chest, but I am still stressing over the fact that I might rupture them. How durable are saline implants & can they withstand a bad fall? I haven't had the surgery yet, this is the biggest drawback for me, worrying that I won't be able to jump anymore due to the risk!

Saline implants are very durable and quite difficult to break even with a significant fall. In fact, it usually takes so much trauma to break an implant, that it is actually probably protective of your chest wall if you do crash.

I would not worry about this. You are getting saline implants which, if one ruptures, is a relatively easy thing to replace, and the only thing that comes out of it is saline. Unless you are getting a quite large implant that could interfere with your activities, you should not be limited by an augmentation. Follow your surgeons advice regarding limitation of activity early on after surgery. Once healed you can return to riding and jumping. Have fun!

Braden Stridde, MD

Federal Way Plastic Surgeon

Will High Profile Implants Give Me Natural-looking Breasts Or More Fake Looking? Surgery on Feb.27,2012

I am 5'11.5" 157lbs. I have an athletic build and my bf is 17%. I have no idea what my ribcage is, but my current bra size is a 36C. I also have no idea what my breast measurement is either. I currently have implants: 215cc saline, moderate profile, textured, under muscle. I'm getting them replaced with 350-400cc smooth silicone under muscle. My PS is insistent on HP, I am not. I feel they are too unnatural looking and "torpedo" like. I'm scared I may not be happy with the outcome.Help/Opinions?

The "Profile" of the implant depends on the manufacturer. Mentor HP silicone implants are actually the same profile as their intermediate profile saline implant, so they are not really that high profile. Allergan HP silicone implants are a higher profile, but not extremely so as some saline implants are. So your surgeon's recommendation may be quite reasonable. Some of it depends on what your goals are. You are a big person and your current implants are quite modest for your frame. Upsizing into the range you indicated seems very reasonable. Gel implants tend to look much more "natural" than saline implants, and you are staying under the muscle which also tends to flatten the implant and make it less projecting, so you may be overly concerned.

You should directly discuss your concerns with your surgeon and ask him/her to explain their reasoning for their implant choice. If you are still not comfortable then you may wish to get another opinion.

Braden Stridde, MD

Federal Way Plastic Surgeon