Breast Procedures

Recent Advances in Breast Surgery

Los Angeles and Santa Monica board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Hoefflin performs all aspects of aesthetic and reconstructive breast surgery. By using the newest and most advanced surgical techniques, natural and beautiful appearing breasts are consistently achieved. Dr. Hoefflin places the highest priority of patient safety and has interviewed and lectured on safety in outpatient plastic surgery operations.

Known for his artistry and commitment to surgical excellence, Dr. Hoefflin is considered one of the top plastic surgeons in Los Angeles for breast augmentations. Known for his commitment to excellence in surgery, Dr. Hoefflin offers his patients the newest advances in breast surgery techniques, including scarless breast augmentation and scarless reduction.

Dr. Hoefflin performs the following breast surgery procedures to his patients: breast augmentation, transumbilical breast augmentation, breast reduction, scarless breast reduction, breast lift, breast reconstruction, male breast reduction or liposuction and gynecomastia.

One of Dr. Hoefflin’s areas of expertise and interest is revision or secondary breast surgery. For women who demonstrate dissatisfaction or a complication from a previous breast surgery, Dr. Hoefflin offers his patients a variety of surgical procedures to repair, restore, and improve a patient’s overall breast appearance.

To read more about Dr. Hoefflin’s article on "Revision Breast Surgery," click here.

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Breast Augmentation or Breast Enhancement Surgery

Breast augmentation or breast enhancement surgery is among the most commonly performed plastic surgery procedures. Los Angeles board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Hoefflin performs breast augmentations in his state-of-the art and fully credentialed surgical facilities. The procedure can increase the cup size of your breasts, and/or balance an asymetrical appearance. After breast implant surgery, your breasts will appear more "shapely" and "full". This often improves a woman’s sense of self-esteem and self-image.

Dr. Hoefflin places an emphasis on naturally appearing breasts. Implants may be placed through the lower edge of the areola (periareolar), along the natural breast fold (inframammary, through the armpit (transaxillary) or through the belly button (Transumbilical breast augmentation). Dr. Hoefflin usually prefers to place the implant behind the chest wall muscle (submuscular), allowing you the most natural feeling, long-lasting , and attractive results.

Due to this expertise in breast augmentation and breast revision surgery, Dr. Hoefflin offers and assists his patients in choosing between the various types and shapes of saline and silicone breast implants.

To learn more about breast augmentation or breast enhancement procedures, please call our office to arrange a free consultation with Dr. Hoefflin.

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Breast Implant Selection

One area of Dr. Hoefflin’s expertise is both primary and secondary (revisional) breast augmentation. As such, he performs breast augmentation surgery using all types of both saline and silicone breast implants. As important is the decision of incisional placement and pocket location of the implant, is the type of implant itself. Breast implants come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and projections. The type of breast implant selected should be based on your physical and soft-tissue characteristics, as well as your aesthetic goals.

The majority of breast augmentations over the last fifteen years have been with saline implants. An advantage of saline breast implants is that, if ruptured, the saline (salt solution) is absorbed by the body without fear of complication. Additional benefits include the ability to subtly change the implant volume within the operating room to accommodate small differences in volume between the breasts. The disadvantage of saline implants is that they are more likely to demonstrate rippling in small-breasted or breast reconstructive patients after a mastectomy. In patients with little breast tissue to cover the implants, wrinkling or rippling of the implant may become visible. However, the majority of breast augmentations in the United States today are performed with saline implants that lead to natural, beautiful, and youthful results.

On November 17, 2006, the FDA approved silicone gel implants for primary breast augmentation procedures in women who are at least 22 years of age and healthy. The newer generation of silicone breast implants are made with a thicker shell which reduces the spread of the silicone if rupture occurs. The advantage of silicone gel implants are a more natural feeling and appearing breast after breast augmentation. The disadvantage is a slightly larger incision must be performed to accommodate these types of implants.

Implants may be placed through the arm pit (transaxillary), belly-button (scarless, transumbilical), lower part of the areolar (periareolar), or through the breast fold (inframammary). Only saline implants may be used in the transumbilical (belly button) approach. Implants can be placed above or beneath the muscle. Dr. Hoefflin typically places implants beneath the muscle (submuscular) whenever possible in order to allow for more tissue coverage. The result is less implant visibility, less rippling, and a more natural and beautiful result.

Implants come in a variety of profile or projections. Higher profile implants provide patients with a great projection and more superior fullness of their breasts, with a smaller implant diameter. These implants are ideal in women who are thin and desire less lateral fullness, while still retaining their aesthetic ideal volume.

During your consultation with Dr. Hoefflin, the various options and techniques for both implant selection and placement for breast augmentation and breast enhancement will be discussed at length.

Read Dr. Hoefflin’s article on “Breast Implant Selection.”

Read Dr. Hoefflin’s article on “Revision Breast Surgery.”

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Secondary or Revision Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation or breast enhancement surgery is one of the most commonly performed operations by Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon Dr. Hoefflin. According to the American Society for Plastic Surgery (ASPS), more than 350,000 breast augmentations are performed annually in the United States. With the FDA’s approval of silicone gel breast implants in November 2006, it is likely that the number of Los Angeles Breast Augmentations will continue to steadily increase. With increases in the number breast enhancement procedures, more women may be faced with complications following their breast enhancement surgery.

Individual patients may have experienced a change in their overall breast shape since their initial operation because of pregnancy, weight loss, or aging-related factors. In addition, there are limitations in the aesthetic improvement that may occur after specifically, saline breast implant augmentation. Following breast augmentation with silicone gel or saline breast implants, patients may experience any number of the following complications: breast asymmetry; malpositioning; bottoming out, or high riding implants; implant deflation or rupture; capsular contraction; visible wrinkling or rippling; double bubble deformities; or synmastia.

Dr. Hoefflin specializes in breast revision or corrective breast augmentation procedures to improve the undesirable results of previous plastic surgery. These operations are technically demanding and require a greater level of skill compared to the initial or primary breast augmentation procedure. They can represent some of the most challenging operations, even for highly qualified and skilled plastic surgeons. Dr. Hoefflin corrects problems created from your initial breast augmentation by using a combination of advanced techniques in plastic surgery, and can restore your breast aesthetics to a more youthful, attractive, and beautiful appearance.

During your consultation with Dr. Hoefflin, the various techniques and options available for secondary or revision breast surgery will be discussed at length.

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Transumbilical Breast Augmentation

Dr. Hoefflin uses the latest in advanced surgery techniques in performing breast augmentation or breast enhancement procedures. The transumbilical appraoch is a revolutionary technique in breast augmentation in that saline implants may be placed through the belly button, and thus leave no visible scars, especially on the breasts. The breast implants are placed beneath the muscle (submuscular), producing long-lasting, natural, and beautiful results. In terms of the rapid recovery time and discomfort, the transumbilical approach is unparalled.

To learn if you are a candidate for the transumbilical approach, contact Dr. Hoefflin’s office to arrange a consultation with Dr. Hoefflin.

Read Dr. Hoefflin’s article on "Belly Button or Scarless Breast Augmentation"

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Breast Reduction or Reduction Mammaplasty

Many women consult a board-certified plastic surgeon because of overly large or sagging breasts. As the result of the excessive weight in their breasts, women may develop back and neck pain, shoulder grooving, skin rashes, and increased menstrual discomfort. While some women may find their breast size acceptable, others are bothered by the sagging and undesirable shape of their breasts. Enlarged breasts are often the result of hereditary factors or weight gain. Hormones also play a part in some cases where the breast tissue is actually more sensitive than normal to certain female hormones. Sagging breasts subsequently result from a loss of skin elasticity, weight loss, pregnancy, nursing, and aging.

Los Angeles breast reduction, or reduction mammoplasty, is typically performed under general anesthesia and can last between two and four hours. During your consultation, Dr. Hoefflin will explain the several different surgical techniques that can be used, depending upon the amount of correction desired. These may include scarless or liposuction, vertical, and keyhole (anchor) reduction techniques. After the excessive skin and breast tissue is removed, the skin is tightened to give you a shapelier breast. Additionally, the nipple and areola are elevated to a more acceptable position. If the nipple is enlarged, its size can be reduced. Dr. Hoefflin closes all incisions himself, and makes every effort to make your scars as inconspicuous as possible.

During your consultation with Dr. Hoefflin, the various techniques and options available for breast reduction will be discussed at length.

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Scarless or Liposuction Breast Reduction

Recent advances in breast surgery techniques allow for breast reduction (or reduction mammoplasty) using tumescent liposuction alone (scarless). Dr. Hoefflin performs scarless breast reduction only in selected candidates, and may be performed without any of the traditional reduction surgery scars. Patients can demonstrate a 30-50% reduction in size of their breasts.

Breast reduction by liposuction alone will produce a smaller version of the breasts that a woman had before liposuction. The breast's overall shape will be very similar to their shape before liposuction. Advantages of breast reduction by liposuction over traditional methods include significantly fewer visible scars, faster recovery, less discomfort, and fewer post-operative complications.

Dr. Hoefflin typically performs scarless breast reduction under twilight anesthesia and can last between two and four hours. The ideal candidate is a women with predominately fatty as opposed to glandular breasts, non-pendulous breasts, or in women with excessively large breasts.

During your consultation with Dr. Hoefflin, the various techniques and options available for breast reduction or reduction will be discussed at length.

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Breast Reconstruction

Dr. Hoefflin performs breast reconstruction to restore a breast it its original appearance following a mastectomy for breast cancer. Having trained at two of the premier breast reconstruction hospitals in our nation, UCLA and Memorial Sloan Kettering, Dr. Hoefflin offers his patients the newest and safest advances in breast reconstruction techniques. Dr. Hoefflin works intimately ever week with the finest oncologists from two centers of excellence, the UCLA/Ronald Reagan hospital and Saint John’s Health Center in Los Angeles and Santa Monica. With breast reconstruction, Dr. Hoefflin strives to create a new breast and nipple that resemble the woman's natural breast as closely as possible in shape, size and position.

Any woman facing mastectomy also faces another difficult decision, the desire for and timing of reconstructive breast surgery. While the procedure can be performed many years following breast cancer surgery, recent advances encourage patients to undergo simultaneous mastectomy and reconstruction. Simultaneous breast reconstruction offers several distinct emotional advantages: the avoidance of a non-reconstructed breast, a reduced period of postoperative discouragement in appearance, the avoidance of potentially unnatural appearing breast implants, and an improved sense of self-confidence and self-esteem. Having the procedure preformed simultaneously also offers several surgical advantages: preservation of native breast skin on the reconstructed breast, greater symmetry in shape and volume, and the avoidance of another major general anesthetic procedure.

During your consultation, Dr. Hoefflin will discuss all of the options for both autogeneous (self tissue) and prosthetic reconstruction.

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Breast Lift (Mastopexy)

The effects of gravity, aging, weight loss, and pregnancy can affect a woman’s breast by causing it to stetch and droop. As the skin loses its elasticity, the breasts often lose their shape and firmness and begin to sag. Dr. Hoefflin performs breast lift surgery (mastopexy) to help improve the both shape of a woman’s sagging breasts, as well as the position of the nipple and areola to a more aesthetically pleasing level. Improving the contour of your breasts can help improve your self-esteem and self-confidence.

Breast lifts are complex operations that should be performed by the properly qualified board-certified plastic surgeons. The procedure is typically performed under general anesthesia on an outpatient basis, and can last between two or three hours. Sometimes, breast augmentation with implants may be used in combination with a breast life to provide additional shape and volume to your breasts, restore volume and improve shape. After the excessive skin and breast tissue is removed, the skin is tightened to give you a shapelier breast. Additionally, the nipple and areola are elevated to a more acceptable position. If the nipple is enlarged, its size can be reduced.

During your consultation, Dr. Hoefflin will explain the several different surgical techniques that can be used, depending upon the amount of correction desired. Because of his expertise in breast surgery, Dr. Hoefflin performs all techniques in achieving beautiful breast lifts, including the periareolar (donut, Benelli, round block), vertical or keyhole (anchor) pattern techniques. Dr. Hoefflin closes all incisions himself, and makes every effort to make your scars as inconspicuous as possible.

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Gynecomastia or Male Breast Enlargement

Dr. Hoefflin performs gynecomastia operations to help reduce the appearance of large breasts in men. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, under twilight sedation, and lasts one to two hours. It typically involved liposuction as well as the direct removal of breast tissue. In most cases, the incisions are small and well camouflaged between the nipple and the skin of the chest. A greater sense of self-confidence and masculinity is achieved after surgery.

During your consultation with Dr. Hoefflin, and individual assessment of your concerns and aesthetic goals will be discussed at length.

 

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