How is Breast Implant Replacement Surgery Done?

Question for Denver Plastic Surgeon Dr. John Squires about Breast Implant Replacement Surgery:

I have textured silicone implants in a subglandular placement and want to replace them with smooth silicone implants under the muscle. Will the new implants be placed in at the time of removal of the textured ones? Or will it have to be done in two separate procedures so I can heal from the first surgery first. I hate to have to walk around with deflated boobs for months.

Answer from Dr. John Squires:

Breast implant replacement can be done in one procedure

The standard procedure would be to remove your current implants and place the new implants under the muscle in one operation. There is no reason to do this in two operations.

I Developed Capsular Contracture in my Left What Will Happen if I Don’t Have It Removed?

Question for Denver Plastic Surgeon Dr. John Squires about Capsular Contracture:

My left breast has a slightly different shape but I’m scared of getting the scar tissue removed because it may occur again. If I decide to leave it alone what will happen? It’s not as hard as it use to be. Can it get harder over time?

Answer from Dr. John Squires:

Scar tissue will not go away.

The capsular contracture may stay the same or may get worse with time. If you decide to have surgery to remove the scar tissue, it is usually best to remove all the scar tissue and use a new implant to reduce the risk of recurrence.

Is 2 Weeks Enough Time off of Work After a Mommy Makeover?

Answer from Dr. John Squires – Denver:

With modern techniques, two-weeks should be plenty of time to recover from mommy makeover surgery. Today surgery is performed using minimally traumatic techniques along with liberal use of local anesthetics and in the case of abdominoplasty, a pain pump. It used to be common practice to tell people they could not lift more than 10 pounds for 6 weeks after surgery. I routinely have people lifting their children within a week of surgery with no difficulties.

Mommy Makeover Aftercare Diet Tips for a Vegan.

Question for Denver Plastic Surgeon Dr. John Squires about Mommy Makeover:

My question is what advice, if any, would you give to a vegan that is different to that given to a meat eater? I do not eat meat but I will eat cheese occasionally. I do not eat a lot of processed foods, foods with gmo’s etc. I try to eat as clean as possible. Is one protein source better than another? I have upped my protein intake by drinking brown rice protein shakes. Could I be lacking something by my vegan lifestyle? I am an avid exerciser in good health and at normal weight. 5″5 125lbs

Answer from Dr. John Squires:

A vegan diet can make it difficult to take in enough protein for optimal healing. It is also difficult to get enough vitamin B12. I would recommend a diet with plenty of soy and legumes. You should probably also take multivitamin and mineral supplements containing vitamin B12 for at least a month before and after surgery. Long-term B12 supplementation is probably a good idea for the vegan diet as it is very difficult to get enough through diet alone.

When Should I Get Breast Augmentation After Weaning?

Question for Denver Plastic Surgeon Dr. John Squires about Breast Augmentation:

I am currently breastfeeding my 20 month old baby and I intend on weaning her when she turns 2 years old. My question is, when can I have Breast Augmentation after weaning my baby? Is it right after my milk is dried or do I have to wait for a one or two months before I go for the procedure? Thank you.

Answer from Dr. John Squires:

Three months is the generally accepted time frame

Most plastic surgeons recommend waiting at least three months after weaning before having breast augmentation. This allows the milk to completely dry up and the breasts to resume a baseline size and shape. If your breasts did not become significantly larger, a shorter time period may suffice.

Ripping of Breast Tissue Normal After Breast Augmentation?

Question for Denver Plastic Surgeon Dr. John Squires about Breast Augmentation:

Help… I had breast implants placed above the muscle and place through under my boob. About an hour after I was in recovery, when I got out of my bed I felt an EXTREME PAINFUL rip or tear in my upper and inner cleavage area in my right boob. I told the nurse something just ripped and how painful it was. When I saw my doctor the next day I told him and he said everything was fine.

My body is telling me something is wrong, something happened right out of surgery that I felt this horrible extreme ripping. Can someone tell me if this is normal or do I need my tissue internally stitched back together or whatever it maybe that ripped? I feel the pressure of it pulling when I lay down as I believe it is possibly torn breast tissue? Will it get worse if I don’t get it repaired?

I feel I shoud have be rushed back into the O.R and had it fixed right away since I just got out of surgery… Please send advice.

Answer from Dr. John Squires:

The painful sensation you felt was more than likely a secondary to a muscle spasm. It may also have been related to a stitch popping. In any event, if the breast shape looks good and the implants feel intact, there is no reason to rush in for additional surgery. Your surgeon will be able to tell if the implants feel intact.

When Should I Stop Getting Spray Tans, Using Tanning Beds, and Strength Training Before a MM?

Question for Denver Plastic Surgeon Dr. John Squires about Mommy Makeover:

I’m having a Mommy Makeover in 9 days. I do strength training 3x’s a week and all my muscles are extremely sore for 2 days after. When should I stop working out. I also get spray tanned and use a tanning bed 2x’s a week. When should I stop this as well?

Answer from Dr. John Squires:

I think it is fine to do you spray tanning and working out up to a couple of days before surgery. The tanning bed can permanently damage your skin and I would recommend avoiding it as much as possible. I would make sure he got no tanning bed or sun exposure on your scars or skin in the areas of your surgery as you may get permanent skin discoloration.

Is it Safe to Go Back on Birth Control Before Mommy Makeover?

Question for Denver Plastic Surgeon Dr. John Squires about Mommy Makeover:

I am due in March and have scheduled a mommy makeover in August. Breast lift, tummy tuck, lipo, and possibly implants. Is it safe to go back on birth control before such a major surgery? Is there any I should avoid? I would like to try something that is long term such as the Mirena IUD but I am concerned about blood clots

Answer from Dr. John Squires:

Oral contraceptives can increase your risk of blood clots after major surgery. I generally don’t think the risk is significant for a smaller procedures such as breast augmentation. The mommy makeover combination of breast augmentation, breast lift, abdominoplasty and possibly liposuction is a bigger procedure and has increased risks of blood clots. For this reason I recommend that my patients use an alternative form of birth control for a month before and after surgery.

Moving Lumps After Breast Augmentation

Question for Denver Plastic Surgeon Dr. John Squires about Breast Augmentation:

I am 58 years old, and I have developed lumps that move around in my left breast. My breast muscle also feels “tired” and the feeling goes down my left arm. It has been two years since my breast implants were put in so I was wondering if there is a connection to the surgery after this period of time. My right one is just fine, only the left.

Answer from Dr. John Squires:

The lumps you are feeling may be related to the implant. You may have folding in the implant shell or a problem with scar tissue around the implant. However, there is a chance that the lumps may be in the breast itself. It is important for you to be checked out by a physician to make sure the lumps are related to the implant and are not breast lumps that could represent a much more serious problem.

What Order Are the Procedures Performed in Operating Room for Mommy Makeover?

Question for Denver Plastic Surgeon Dr. John Squires about Mommy Makeover:

I am going in for a Mommy Makeover which involves full tummy tuck, trunk lipo (doc said that meant low back love handles), re-do on old BA from ’95 (clean out some scar tissue & exchange saline implants for gel implants via aerola-old scar there, too), hernia repair most likely with muscle repair…what procedure does the doc start with and where from there? Thank you. I just will feel a bit better sort of knowing the flow of things to come.

Answer from Dr. John Squires:

Many considerations go into the decision concerning what order to do the procedures. Abdominoplasty results in the patient being in a somewhat flexed position, so if I have liposuction to do on the back, I will do that 1st before abdominoplasty. I like to do the breast augmentation surgery before doing the abdominoplasty since it decreases the risk of contamination and possible infection of the implants. I also like to place the implants before doing the breast lift to avoid contamination from the normal bacteria in the milk ducts. If I have a patient who is having liposuction of the back, breast augmentation, breast lift and abdominoplasty, my sequence would be to do the liposuction of the back in the facedown position, then do the breast augmentation, then the breast lift and finally the abdominoplasty.