Breast Augmentation in Phoenix & Scottsdale

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Women from all walks of life and all parts of the country choose breast augmentation. In fact, the women who visit our practice from Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona, as well as other nearby cities and beyond, have made breast augmentation one of the most popular cosmetic procedures our board-certified plastic surgeons perform.

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Restore Volume, Enhance Shape

Most women we see at our office who are considering breast enhancement feel that their breast size is disproportionately small compared with the rest of their body; however, those patients aren’t the only good candidates for this procedure.

Other women are concerned that their breasts have lost volume after childbirth and would like that volume restored. Some women are unhappy with the shape of their breasts, would like to increase breast fullness, or are concerned about breast asymmetries (size and shape differences between sides).

Request a cosmetic consultation with Dr. Cohen or Dr. Sigalove or call (480) 470-5820 to learn more about breast augmentation. Our facility is conveniently located for patients living in Tempe, Paradise Valley, and other areas of Greater Phoenix. We often serve patients from throughout North America and overseas.

Your Personalized Breast Augmentation Consultation

We are able to improve a woman’s breast appearance through surgery that is carefully planned and performed. Proper breast enlargement is not a “cookie-cutter” procedure where the same technique is applied to every patient. As some of the best breast augmentation surgeons in the Phoenix and Scottsdale, AZ, region, Dr. Cohen and Dr. Sigalove understand every woman who comes to their practice has her own needs and cosmetic goals. They always listen carefully to their patients’ concerns and thoroughly discuss the key points of the procedure.

Before & After

Breast Augmentation

*Each patient is unique, and individual results may vary.

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Case #808

Provider: Dr. Cohen
The patient is a 27 year-old female who presented to my office with complaints of breasts which were smaller than desired. The patient also has excess fullness in the bra fat area which bothered her in her sports bras. I recommended breast augmentation with liposuction of the bra fat for the best results. During surgery I placed Sientra… Read More

Case #798

Provider: Dr. Sigalove
This pleasant 24 year old female presented to my Scottsdale office requesting a breast augmentation. She was particularly interested in achieving a “natural” look without looking overly “augmented” or “fake.” After a long discussion on implant options and sizes, we decided that she would achieve her best outcome with… Read More

Case #791

Provider: Dr. Sigalove
This is pleasant 27 year old female who presented to my Scottsdale office requesting a natural and beautiful breast augmentation. She specifically requested anatomical implants for their extremely natural teardrop appearance and also came to me because of my subfascial augmentation with Galaform, AKA, the SIGALIFT. We decided that use of… Read More

Case #792

Provider: Dr. Sigalove
This lovely 25 year old female presented to my Scottsdale office requesting a breast augmentation. She had done a lot of research and came to me because I specialize in subfascial breast augmentation, using Galaform 3D mesh for lower pole support. She was looking for a full and “augmented” look. We discussed the technical considerations… Read More

Case #813

Provider: Dr. Sigalove
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Case #438

Provider: Dr. Cohen
This patient is a 28-year-old female who presented to my Scottsdale office with complaints of breast size being smaller than desired. I felt the patient would benefit from bilateral breast augmentation with textured anatomical implants. Preoperative sizing indicated the patient wished to be approximately 275-310 cc and l explained… Read More

Case #54

Provider: Dr. Cohen
This patient is a professional model in her early 20s from the Scottsdale area who visited my plastic surgery practice near Phoenix with interest in breast augmentation. Because of her career, she needed to have an extremely aesthetic, natural result. She also wished to go from a small B to a large B / small C cup. Due to… Read More

Case #347

Provider: Dr. Cohen
This 24-year-old woman from the Phoenix area met with me at my Scottsdale area medical practice to discuss how she could change her small breast size. She had always been very self-conscious about her small breasts, and felt they were disproportionate to the rest of her body. I felt that this patient would do best with the new Sientra “gummy… Read More

Case #815

Provider: Dr. Cohen
This 25 year old female presented to my Scottsdale office dissatisfied with the appearance of her breasts. The patient was thin framed and had asymmetry of her breasts. She wanted to look more full and shapely. During her consultation, we discussed a classic dual plane breast augmentation given her lack of soft tissue. We… Read More

Case #824

Provider: Dr. Cohen
This pleasant 22 year old female presented to my Scottsdale office dissatisfied with the appearance of her breasts. She complained of a small chest with mild asymmetry. We discussed various options of performing augmentation and together, we decided that she would be an excellent candidate for a dual plane breast augmentation with… Read More

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Can You Benefit From Breast Augmentation?

Just as important as the physical factors are the goals and expectations each patient has. Our surgeons do not have an agenda to make every woman considering breast augmentation into a C cup. Some women prefer smaller augmentations and wish to end up with a modest B cup, while others feel more confident with a D cup. Our role as plastic surgeons is to help our patients achieve their ideal appearance using our experience, in-depth knowledge of anatomy, and understanding of the latest implant technology and surgical advances to advise them on how best to reach that goal during their consultations.

You can see the results of our surgical philosophy when you view photos of some of our doctors’ breast augmentation patients to compare their pictures before and after surgery. Examples of the factors our doctors consider when developing a personal recommendation for a patient include:

  • Overall height and weight
  • Size and shape of the underlying chest and ribcage
  • Tightness and elasticity of the skin
  • Amount of natural breast tissue
  • Desired results

How To Choose the Best Breast Augmentation Surgeon | Scottsdale Center For Plastic Surgery

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How Do I Know if I Need Breast Augmentation or a Breast Lift?

While breast augmentation and breast lift surgery are both breast enhancement procedures, they provide different benefits. Breast augmentation adds volume to the breasts, but it will not correct significant sagging. Breast lift surgery removes excess lax skin to raise the breasts and restore a rounded, youthful shape. While no breast tissue is removed, a breast lift can make the breasts look smaller by compacting the tissues. If you’d like your breasts to be fuller, higher on your chest, and firmer, it is likely you need a combination breast augmentation and lift procedure.

Breast Augmentation Choices

There are many choices you need to make before your breast augmentation surgery, explained in the sections below, including the location of the incision, whether to place the implant under or over the chest muscle, and what type of implant to use. We offer multiple types of silicone gel breast implants. You can learn more about breast implants by exploring our breast implant options page and by talking with your breast surgeon personally.

With regards to implant selection, our plastic surgeons are not committed to any specific implant, because each patient will have an array of implants that will work for them. Our job is to understand each patient’s goals and use our knowledge to help her select the implant that will allow us to achieve the finest possible results with her breast augmentation. This includes considerations of shape, size, symmetry, and longevity. During the consultation for breast augmentation in Phoenix & Scottsdale, your surgeon will have a lengthy discussion about breast enlargement choices with every patient so that they feel confident about their decisions.

Implant Placement & Incision Options

Is It Better to Place the Breast Implant Above or Below the Muscle?

In our practice, many of our patients have their breast implants placed underneath the pectoralis major (chest) muscle. In reality, when surgeons say “under the muscle,” they generally mean “partially under the muscle,” or “dual plane” as the pectoralis covers the upper and inner part of the breast, but not the outer and lower part. This is a more meticulous and advanced technique than placing the implant over the muscle, but it provides some major advantages. Placing the implant under the muscle:

  • Allows extra padding and soft tissue coverage over the upper and middle parts of the implant. This creates a natural slope at the top of the implant rather than a more pronounced shelf and also reduces the risk of visible wrinkling or rippling. Our surgeons believe this is a very important factor, particularly in thin patients, with regard to obtaining the most natural and aesthetic final result.
  • Creates a situation where the implant is constantly “massaged” by the muscle. This has been shown to reduce the risk of capsular contracture, a condition in which tightening of the scar tissues around the breast implant makes the breast look or feel firmer than it should.
  • Can make it easier to get an accurate mammogram as there is less distortion of the breast tissue itself.

Breast Enhancement Surgery Incision Options

Although plastic surgeons offer many options for incision locations, our plastic surgeons have a strong preference. In general, the most common routes are through the:

  • Inframammary fold (the fold under the breasts)
  • Areola (the pigmented circle surrounding the nipple)
  • Axilla (armpit)
  • Umbilicus (belly button)

Our plastic surgeons do not like to place implants through the armpit or through the belly button for a few reasons. Most important, both these approaches represent an indirect means of creating the breast pocket, the space that is surgically created to fit the implant. In our plastic surgeons’ opinion, extreme accuracy in creating a breast pocket is the key to a natural and symmetric final result.

When creating a breast pocket from a distance (i.e., the belly button or armpit), the surgeon relies on a long metal instrument or an inflating device to stretch and create the pocket. In our view, this is a less accurate technique than performing the dissection directly with your hands. Additionally, armpit scars can sometimes be visible and are associated with a higher capsular contracture rate, while the belly button approach does not allow the option of using silicone implants and is by far the least accurate approach.

Is Over the Muscle Implant Placement Ever Recommended?

There are certain situations based on lifestyle and anatomy, where sub-fascial placement over the muscle but under the muscle fascia) or subglandular placement (over the muscle and fascia but under the breast tissue) makes sense, especially with mesh reinforcement. If applicable, these options will be discussed as well.

Advantages of the Inframammary (Breast Crease) Incision

With the vast majority of our patients, our plastic surgeons use an inframammary approach to placing implants. This involves a fine incision along the lower crease of the breast. Although Dr. Cohen used to perform mostly periareolar incisions, new data has shown that the inframammary incision has the lowest risk of capsular contracture. When a funnel placement device is added, the risk of capsular contracture is even lower. This technique has a number of advantages:

  • The incision is blended in along the natural crease under the breast, which helps to camouflage it.
  • The skin in this area tends to heal with a very fine scar.
  • The breast tissue, milk ducts, and lymphatics of the breast are not significantly affected by this approach.
  • If simultaneous (or future) breast tightening procedures need to be performed, these scars will rarely get in the way of further surgery.

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Additional Considerations for Your Procedure

The periareolar approach is still a reasonable technique, particularly for patients with tuberous breasts or the need for areolar tightening, and our plastic surgeons are very comfortable using it as long as the patient understands she will have a modestly higher risk of capsular contracture. Our doctors want to clarify one common misunderstanding of this technique: The majority of the nipple/areola is left untouched during the periareolar approach, and the nipple/areola is NOT flipped up or removed during this type of surgery. The technique involves an incision halfway around the areola that is carried straight down to the chest muscle, creating a tunnel through which an implant can be placed. Because of this, the technique is better when patients have larger areolas and relatively smaller amounts of breast tissue.

This is a major concern for breast augmentation patients. Nipple and areola sensation is primarily provided by a branch of the fourth intercostal (between the ribs) nerve. This nerve starts at the lateral part of the chest on each side (where your arm would normally rest when it is hanging down) and travels toward the breast. Studies have shown that the placement of excessively large implants increases the risk of nerve damage; however the location of the incision (periareolar versus inframammary) is not a significant factor. Obviously, any time a woman has breast surgery, there is always a possibility of damage to nipple sensation, however the risk is very low (less than 1% chance of permanent numbness) if performed by an experienced surgeon.

With regard to breastfeeding, women who have never had breast surgery have, on average, an approximately 70% chance of being able to breastfeed successfully. For various reasons, some women are unable to produce enough milk to support a baby’s needs. With breast augmentation surgery, the chance of being able to breastfeed may go down slightly (by less than 5% or so), but most women with breast implants are able to breastfeed successfully. The location of the incision is not a significant factor as the majority of the milk ducts are left unharmed regardless of the surgical approach.

At Scottsdale Center for Plastic Surgery, our surgeons offer a natural breast augmentation approach with a fat grafting technique. This procedure involves harvesting fat with liposuction, purifying it, and injecting it into the breasts. With fat grafting, our surgeons can increase overall fullness and enhance specific areas of the breasts (such as the cleavage). The fat transfer technique is an option for women who want a modest increase in the size of their breasts, such as going up one bra cup size.

How Long Does It Take To Recover From Breast Augmentation Surgery?

While patient experiences vary, the recovery process following breast augmentation generally proceeds as follows:

  • Right after surgery: Patients return home the day of surgery. Prescription pain medication may be taken to control discomfort.
  • 3 to 5 days: Most patients can return to work or school.
  • 1 month: Light exercise can start.
  • 2 months: Most patients are close to full recovery and can resume normal physical activities.
  • 3 months: Final results are achieved for most patients.

Can I Combine Breast Augmentation Surgery With Other Procedures?

Definitely! Our surgeons often combine breast augmentation with other procedures to give patients multiple improvements with a single surgery and recovery period. Popular options include:

FAQs

Breast augmentation is one of the most frequently performed cosmetic surgeries in the world and has an excellent safety record. However, every surgery includes a certain amount of risk. The best way to guarantee safe, satisfying results is to find a board-certified plastic surgeon to perform your procedure.

In most cases, improving the appearance of tuberous breasts is more complicated than adding implants. Our surgeons are experienced in the specialized techniques needed to give tuberous breasts a beautiful, natural shape, such as expanding the breast skin, lowering the breast crease, grafting fat into the breast, and reshaping the areola.

Yes. Our surgeons can make improvements to one or both areolas (as well as nipples) as part of a breast enlargement procedure.

Breast implants settle into their final position (“drop and fluff”) in about 3 months once swelling fades and the chest muscles and breast skin relax.

Your surgeon will customize your post-op care instructions to account for your implant placement and other factors. Once healed, patients may be instructed to gently move the implants within the pocket to help the breasts feel soft and natural. Make sure to follow your surgeon’s instructions and ask about any tips you see on other websites.

No, most scars aren’t particularly noticeable after breast augmentation. Incisions are placed in easily hidden locations (such as underneath the fold of the breast), and the marks will fade with time.

While scarring differs between individuals, there are ways to help your scars end up as fine as possible. First, as discussed in the previous answer, your surgeon can place the incisions where the scars will be unlikely to be seen, such as along the breast crease. Next, intentional aftercare, such as wearing a proper bra, applying scar cream, and performing scar massage, can help improve your scars’ final appearance. Learn more in the last part of this blog post.

While breast implants don’t have a specific “expiration date,” they also don’t last forever. Most women replace their implants about 8 to 15 years after their initial breast augmentation. Sometimes, they choose replacement because their aesthetic preferences for size and shape have changed. Other times, replacement is needed to address implant movement or other device-related issues. Each patient is unique, and there is no set timeline for breast implant removal. Revision surgery is only necessary if you experience complications, have an implant rupture, or wish to upgrade to a newer model. You can read more about the longevity of breast implants in one of our blog posts.

Each breast implant material type has unique benefits. Silicone implants move with the body like real breasts and create a more natural look and feel than saline implants. Most women today choose highly cohesive (gummy bear-style) silicone gel for their breast implants.

You can notice a larger breast size immediately after surgery. The swelling will subside, and your breasts will fully “settle” within 3 months. Your healing process may take less or more time, depending on your surgery details and your overall health.

If your personal preferences change or you experience complications at some point, our surgeons can perform breast implant removal (also called explant surgery) along with other breast enhancement procedures, such as a breast lift and fat grafting.

Begin Your Journey

To learn more about all of your breast enhancement options, request a consultation using the online form or call Scottsdale Center for Plastic Surgery to schedule a detailed and customized evaluation with Dr. Sigalove or Dr. Cohen.

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