University of Virginia Plastic Surgery
1300 Jefferson Park Avenue 4th Floor
Charlottesville, VA 22908
Phone: (434) 924-1234
Location Hours: Monday–Friday | 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
The breasts provide a sense of confidence and femininity for women of all ages. When the course of life, including motherhood or weight changes, takes a toll on the breasts or they develop smaller than desired, breast augmentation may be the answer. The world-class plastic surgeons at UVA Plastic Surgery perform breast augmentation in Charlottesville and Fishersville, Virginia, using the latest evidence-based practices and FDA-approved breast implants to provide patients from Richmond, Roanoke, and surrounding areas rewarding outcomes while minimizing complications.
At UVA Plastic Surgery, ideal candidates for breast augmentation are women, often from Harrisonburg and Richmond, VA, Washington, D.C., and nearby communities, who are at least 18 years old, in good health, and have realistic expectations about how the surgery will affect their lives. This procedure provides one or more of the following improvements:
It’s not unusual to be unsure about which breast enhancement procedure you need to attain the beautiful breasts you want. Breast augmentation and breast lift are two distinct breast enhancement procedures. Here are some differences:
Women who want to add fullness and have moderate to significant sagging may require a combination breast augmentation and lift to enhance breast shape while increasing size.
Ready to discover how breast augmentation can reshape your body? Get the facts about the procedure when you download our free eBook, A Guide to Breast Augmentation. The guide offers extensive information about breast augmentation, including what to expect before, during, and after the surgery. You’ll also find answers to your most pressing breast augmentation questions and a helpful surgery prep list.
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Our surgeons offer all FDA-approved breast implants available in the U.S. made by MENTOR® and Allergan®. Patients have a variety of options, which include:
Because each breast augmentation patient has her own unique anatomy and aesthetic goals, no single type of breast implant is best for every woman. Together, the patient and surgeon determine the combination of implant options, including size, that will best achieve the patient’s desired breast size and shape. The surgeon will account for the patient’s anatomy, measurements, existing breast tissue, elasticity of breast skin, and other factors.
Women who want a modest increase in size may consider fat grafting breast augmentation, which transplants fat from another area of the body to the breasts. This procedure involves very small incisions and the resulting scars are usually not visible after healing is complete. Transferred fat can be absorbed or break down over time, so results may not last as long as with implants.
If you want to enhance body contours as well as your breasts with a single surgery and recovery period, you may be a candidate for a personalized mommy makeover. Popular options include:
Patients also combine breast augmentation with nonsurgical procedures to enhance other areas. Popular options include:
During your consultation, your surgeon will create a treatment plan to help you attain the improvements you desire.
Our surgeons follow an evidence-based approach to breast augmentation to provide the most beautiful, natural-looking results and minimize the occurrence of complications. In general, they perform breast augmentation using:
These practices are not absolute; our surgeons take care to personalize each procedure to each patient’s individual preferences, lifestyle, and aesthetic goals.
Our surgeons perform most breast augmentation procedures as outpatient surgery with the choice of either local anesthetic with IV sedation or general anesthetic. After making the incisions, the surgeon creates a “pocket” behind each breast to hold the implants. Depending on the implant chosen and other factors, the surgeon may use the Keller Funnel™ to insert the implants. This simple device is shaped much like a pastry bag and allows the surgeon to insert silicone implants, without touching them, through the smallest possible incision. Once the surgeon is satisfied with the size, shape, and symmetry of the breasts, he closes the incisions with sutures and surgical tape. Patients are usually cleared to return home the same day in the care of an adult friend or family member.
At UVA Plastic Surgery, our highly regarded surgeons offer expertise and personalized care for a rewarding patient experience.
Meet Our SurgeonsIt is normal to experience swelling, bruising, and numbness in parts of the breasts for the first few weeks. Prescription pain medication may be helpful for discomfort during the first few days. While the difference in your breast size will be noticeable right away, your breasts may look and feel tight initially. As muscle and skin relax, your breasts will settle into a beautiful, natural shape.
While experiences vary with the specifics of the surgery and individual patient factors, recovery generally follows this timeline:
For the easiest, quickest recovery, follow your surgeon’s recovery instructions closely, which will include the following:
The saline and silicone implants our surgeons use are fully FDA approved and have been found to be highly safe medical devices. Patients must be at least 18 for saline implants and at least 22 for silicone implants.
This procedure involves slight discomfort, but it is not especially painful. Soreness is mainly due to implant placement behind the chest muscle, but it usually subsides quickly over the first few days. It is common to feel tightness in the chest and increased (or decreased) sensitivity in the nipples initially. Our surgeons prescribe pain medication that most patients take for the first few days, if at all.
Most breast augmentation patients have implants that range from 300 to 500 cc. When selecting your breast implant size (measured in cc, not cup size), your surgeon will account for your anatomy, measurements, amount of existing breast tissue, and other factors, to give you the final breast size you want.
There is no single “best” age for having breast augmentation. You should be at least 18 years old (22 if you want silicone implants), have realistic expectations about your results, and be prepared to spend some time taking it easy for recovery. If you plan to become pregnant in the near future, it may be best to hold off on getting implants until your family is complete and you have stopped breastfeeding for at least 6 months.
Breast implants typically last 10 to 15 years; however, patients do not need to have them replaced if they are happy with how they look and feel and are not having any complications. Review our gallery of before-and-after breast implant exchange photos to see some of the reasons patients had their implants replaced.
To meet with one of the world-class plastic surgeons at UVA Plastic Surgery in Charlottesville or UVA Plastic Surgery, Augusta in Fishersville and learn more about breast augmentation, request a consultation using our online form or call (434) 924-1234 for an appointment.
