Valley Institute of Plastic Surgery

Valley Institute of Plastic Surgery

4.7 rating from 19 reviews
Practice Information
6175 N. Fresno St., Ste. 101, Fresno, California

About the Practice

Doctors & Other Staff Members

Mark Chin, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
4.7

68 Before & After Photos

19 Valley Institute of Plastic Surgery Reviews

Resourceful878029
Breast Lift with Implants18 months post-opJuly 4, 2023
THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS! The Only Office I Trust
Fresgirl86
Chin Liposuction2 months post-opJanuary 6, 2022
So happy with his work - chin has never looked better
BEBE90210
Breast Augmentation23 days post-opApril 23, 2021
Artistic surgeon - Hands down one of the best decisions I made in my whole entire life!
Khar1984
Breast Lift with Implants22 days post-opFebruary 23, 2021
I Should’ve Done This Sooner!
happymom65
Tummy TuckDecember 29, 2019
I Am Very Pleased with Dr Chin!!!
kahaluu77
Breast Implant Removal4 days post-opApril 13, 2019
Great Surgeon
MNAK
Mommy Makeover15 days post-opJanuary 12, 2019
30 years old, 2 kids, having full TT with muscle repair, 450cc moderate profile silicone implants. 5’7 and 148lbs
misscali05
Breast Implant Revision8 days post-opAugust 14, 2018
Dr. Mark Chin is amazing
theshoediva
Breast AugmentationDecember 18, 2017
Every procedure was perfect
rockystart
Breast Implant Removal14 days post-opSeptember 22, 2015
54 Year Old with 10 Year Old Saline Breast Implants - Fresno, CA

4 Answers

A

What you describe is common which is the implant shell that could be folding on itself with time. The upper part of the breast implant is typically covered by the pectoral muscle and upper pole breast tissue compared to the lower pole where the implant which is mostly covered with breast tissue or nearby chest skin that is now part of the breast. The tissue is thinner here which can also thin even more with time making the implant more palpable. This is especially true near the old breast fold (inframammary crease) and the new fold created with an implant larger than the breast mound is placed. The capsule (scar tissue surrounding the implant) can tighten and deform the implant, folding and creating a crease and can create a buckle or "point" that can be pushed in and out as you have described. This can be demonstrated with a sample implant in the office. It is common in the lower pole and on the outside of the implant to feel the implant more. The contracture can worsen creating a firmer less mobile implant which can cause asymmetry and discomfort. A slowly leaking implant will loose volume and the shell can fold with time and the breast size will get smaller. Any "lump" should be evaluated by a physician as well as the the status of the implant to determine recommendations for further examinations.

Answered by Dr. ChinJuly 29, 2022
A

Thank you for submitting your question. Cleavage, projection, upper pole fullness, and side breast are important in determining the shape of the breasts. Many measurements are taken on the breast including the base width of your breast and distance between the nipples.  Implants are generally centered under the nipple-areolar complex and wider implants create more cleavage and side breast.  I determine the maximum width of an implant that I can fit in the breast (usually under the pectoral muscle) by measuring the patient in the upright and laying position.  The nipples tend to spread apart with the patient laying on her back.  For a given volume, a narrower base implant (think 500 cc water bottle shape) will give you less cleavage and more projection while a flatter (500 cc pancake) will have less projection but more width.  Both may have the same volume yet very different shapes. For a given volume, high profile implants will be wider than ultra high profile implants but a patient can still get the same cleavage with an UHP by going larger, if the tissues permit.  Implant charts have the width and projection of all implants.  Nipples too close together limit the size of the implant and placing too wide of an implant or too big may lift the muscle attachment off the breast bone and result in what is called a "uni-boob" or symmastia/synmastia where the implants are too close together and lifts the skin; this is a difficult condition to repair.

Answered by Dr. ChinOctober 14, 2017

Opening Hours

Monday8:00am - 5:00pmTuesday8:00am - 5:00pmWednesday8:00am - 5:00pmThursday8:00am - 5:00pmFridayClosedSaturdayClosedSundayClosed