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When to Replace Old Breast Implants

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Breast implants can last for decades, but they are not indestructible. Eventually, they will start to break down inside your body. When a breast implant ruptures or causes capsular contracture, you should have it replaced as soon as possible.

If you received a breast augmentation decades ago – for example, in the 1980’s – it may be high time for you to have them replaced with new implants. Modern silicone gel implants come with a wide range of advantages over old implants, including:

A more natural look and feel
A lower rate of capsular contracture
Less prone to rupture
No deflation if rupture occurs

If you received old silicone breast implants in the 80’s, they may now be hard on your chest, or you might have been told by your doctor that a rupture has occurred. Likewise, if you received old saline breast implants that have since deflated, now may be the time to experience the benefits of modern breast implants.

Click here see more plastic surgery procedures and treatments performed by Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Eugene Kim on patients in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Hollywood, Santa Monica and surrounding areas or call 310-271-6996 to schedule a consultation.

Liposuction is among the top five most popular plastic and cosmetic surgery procedures performed in the United States every year. Complications with liposuction are extremely rare, and are less likely to occur when you choose an experienced cosmetic surgeon and carefully follow all pre- and postoperative instructions.

See liposuction before and after photos

Prior to your procedure, plastic surgeon Dr. Eugene Kim will give you full instructions regarding how to prepare for liposuction, as well as possible warning signs to be aware of during your recovery. He will also be happy to answer all of your questions about liposuction during this time. It is important to remember that even if you follow all of Dr. Kim’s advice, liposuction is still a surgical procedure and, while rare, complications are possible.

Liposuction comes with common surgical risks including infection and excessive bleeding. In some cases, people have adverse reactions to anesthesia. Some risks that are specific to liposuction include:

Blood clots
Fat embolism
Uneven results
Improper wound healing

Working with an experienced cosmetic surgeon like Dr. Kim can reduce your risk of these complications, but there is never a guarantee with any surgical procedure. The risks and benefits of this procedure should be weighed carefully before you commit to surgery. Dr. Kim will be happy to discuss these things with you during your initial consultation.

Liposuction is a body contouring technique in which excess fat is removed from a localized area of your body. Making small incisions, plastic surgeon Dr. Eugene Kim will insert a small cannula into your skin to gently remove stubborn deposits of fat. This procedure is an effective way to remove fat from many areas of your body, including:

Thighs
Hips
Abdomen
Flanks
Buttocks
Breasts (male and female)
Arms
Neck
Face
Knees

Defining liposuction is fairly straight forward. It is equally important to understand what liposuction is not. Liposuction is not an effective weight loss tool. To be a candidate for liposuction, you should be within 10 to 20 pounds of your goal weight. Liposuction cannot safely remove massive amounts of fat. It can, however, be used after substantial weight loss to sculpt and firm your body.

Some deposits of fat will not respond to diet and exercise. It is these deposits that liposuction targets. During your initial consultation with Dr. Kim, it can be determined if liposuction is the best solution for your body.

Breast implants do not have an expiration date; they are designed to be durable and long-lasting. However, like any medical device, breast implants can deteriorate and wear out given enough time. If your breast implants leak or rupture, they will need to be replaced. For some women, this won’t happen for over 30 years. For others, it can happen within 10 to 25 years. How long breast implants last depends on a number of different factors.

If you have saline breast implants, your implants will visibly deflate after a rupture, making it immediately obvious when there is a problem. The salt-water solution within the saline implants will then be harmlessly absorbed into your body.

In contrast, silicone breast implants are designed to retain their shape in the event of a leak, making it difficult to determine when a rupture has occurred. Because of this, the FDA recommends that you undergo an initial MRI 3 years after your breast augmentation followed by an MRI every two years to check for any problems with your silicone breast implants.

Other women may wish to replace their old breast implants for cosmetic reasons. For example, if you had saline breast implants placed decades ago, you may want to take advantage of the superior aesthetic quality of today’s FDA-approved silicone breast implants.

Complications after breast augmentation surgery are rare, but you should know how to identify them in case they do occur. Dr. Kim will provide you with detailed post-surgical instructions for your recovery process, and he will also schedule a follow-up appointment with you to ensure you are healing correctly.

Infection is one of the most common complications after any surgery. Dr. Kim takes great care to keep every step of the surgical process completely sterile to avoid infection, but it is still possible you may contract an infection during the healing process. Signs of infection include:

Redness of the entire breast
Excessive pain or tenderness
Fever

Two other potential complications are hematoma and seroma. A hematoma is a collection of blood in your tissue, while a seroma is a pocket of clear fluid. Both can occur after breast augmentation surgery. If you notice a very tender and swollen area that appears hard – like a pocket of liquid – call Dr. Kim immediately.

BOTOX® Cosmetic continues to be the most popular wrinkle treatment in America. Every year, millions of patients receive BOTOX® injections to fight off the effects of age, stress, and genetics – all of which can cause unwanted fine lines and wrinkles on your face, making you look older than you really feel.

Any kind of medical treatment comes with its share of risks and complications, but with BOTOX®, the majority of these side effects are quite minor. The risk of experiencing a dangerous complication is extremely small. When BOTOX® is used for strictly cosmetic purposes, the side effects are usually limited to:

Pain at the injection site
Bruising
Infection
Headache
Temporary muscle paralysis (less than 1% of patients)

Before Dr. Kim approves you for BOTOX® treatment, he will take a look at your medical history to ensure you do not have any contraindications. A contraindication is simply a factor that would put you at an increased risk of side effects. BOTOX® contraindications include hypertension, cardiovascular disease, motor neuropathy, and ptosis.

If you have further questions about the safety of BOTOX® Cosmetic, please contact us today to schedule a personal consultation with experienced Newport Beach cosmetic surgeon Dr. Eugene Kim. We also serve patients in the Beverly Hills and Los Angeles areas of California.

The main goal of any cosmetic breast surgery is to improve the overall appearance of a woman’s breasts. With this in mind, it’s understandable why scarring is a significant concern for many women. A visible scar can distract from the positive aesthetic results that a breast surgery has achieved.

While it’s impossible to completely avoid scarring after surgery, Dr. Kim uses a few different techniques to hide the location of the scar and make it virtually invisible. For example, the three main incision locations that Dr. Kim uses for breast augmentation are:

Inframammary – In the fold beneath your breast. This is the ideal option for saline and silicone breast implants.
Periareolar – Around your areola (nipple). The darker color of the areola and the change in contour both help conceal your scar. This is a good incision choice for women who want saline or silicone breast implants.
Transaxillary – In your armpit. Endoscopic surgery tools are used to create the pocket in your breast, and to insert your breast implants. This incision option is only used for saline implants, since they are not filled before placement, and smaller silicone implants.

Dr. Kim also uses meticulous surgical techniques to reduce the amount of trauma to your breast tissue, which helps limit the overall level of scarring you are left with. Practicing strict anti-infection protocols during the surgery also reduces the odds that you will contract an infection, which can cause excessive scarring.

If you’ve worked hard to keep your body in shape, only to be discouraged by stubborn fat deposits that refuse to disappear, liposuction might be your answer. This popular body contouring procedure is designed to remove localized fat deposits that resist diet and exercise efforts.

In order to be a good candidate for liposuction, you should already be at (or near) your target weight. Liposuction is not a weight loss procedure; it is meant to sculpt and tone your body, not to cause a dramatic change in your overall weight. Removing too much fat actually increases your risk of complications from liposuction, which is why removing a smaller amount is always recommended.

Good liposuction candidates should also:

Be at a stable weight
Not plan to lose or gain a significant amount of weight (i.e. pregnancy)
Have good skin elasticity
Be in strong overall health

If you suffer from diabetes, lung disease, heart disease, or other serious medical conditions, you may be more vulnerable to potential liposuction complications. Being in good metabolic health is an essential requirement for liposuction. The healthier you are, the more successful your procedure will be.

The tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) has become a widely-sought plastic surgery procedure, especially for women who have lost a significant amount of weight after pregnancy or diet and exercise. Loose abdominal muscles, sagging stomach skin, and stretch marks are all factors that can be addressed by a tummy tuck.

A good tummy tuck candidate should be in good overall health and physical shape to qualify for this procedure. During a consultation, Dr. Kim will assess a few different factors, such as:

Your skin’s elasticity
Type of belly fat
Muscle laxity
Degree of stretch marks
Medical history

Sometimes, the aging process alone can cause your abdominal skin to sag or lose its elasticity, making many older men and women potential tummy tuck candidates as well. If you are not finished having children, you should postpone abdominoplasty until after your final pregnancy, since pregnancy can compromise the results of this procedure.

As with all surgical procedures, a tummy tuck is associated with certain risks. Some of these risks are common to all major surgeries, while others are more specific to a tummy tuck. It is important to understand that these risks are rare. When performed by a highly skilled and experienced plastic surgeon, tummy tucks are very safe and consistently achieve excellent results.

At your initial tummy tuck consultation, Los Angeles plastic surgeon Dr. Eugene Kim will explain all of these risks to you in great detail so that you can make a fully informed decision about your procedure.

Tummy tuck risks include:

Anesthesia risks – Most tummy tucks are performed using general anesthesia, which carries greater risks than those associated with local anesthesia.
Infection – Infection is always a risk with any surgical procedure. However, infections after a tummy tuck are rare, and can usually be cleared up with antibiotics.
Hematoma – Hematoma develops when blood collects underneath the skin. Most hematomas appear as bruising which will subside as you heal. However, more serious hematomas may require surgery to correct.
Seroma – On rare occasion, a tummy tuck may result in a pooling of your blood’s serum just underneath the skin. This can be easily treated by draining the affected region.
Pulmonary embolism – This rare complication occurs when a blood clot forms in a blood vessel in your lungs, causing breathing issues. This serious condition must be addressed immediately.
Loss of sensitivity – Some tummy tuck patients may temporarily lose sensitivity in the abdominal region immediately following their procedure. However, sensation generally returns as you heal.
Excessive scarring – On rare occasions, you may experience excessive scarring from your tummy tuck.

Click here see more plastic surgery procedures and treatments performed by Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Eugene Kim on patients in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Santa Monica and surrounding areas or call 310-271-6996 to schedule a consultation.

When to Replace Old Breast Implants

Tag Archives: california

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