Breast Augmentation
How you feel about your body has a lot to do with overall self-confidence.
When breast size or shape is an issue, many women turn to breast augmentation, or mammoplasty to increase breast size, improve symmetry, enhance appearance, and restore a confident self-image.

What is your reason for exploring breast surgery?
Do you want to enlarge your breasts to make your body more proportional or your breasts more balanced in size?
Is your goal to reshape and enlarge your breast because they have lost their shape due to pregnancy and breastfeeding?
As with any surgical procedure, breast augmentation can involve certain risks, including: Scar tissue formation around the area of the implant, a hard or tight feel to the breast, or deflation of the implant (all of which may require replacement or surgical removal of implants). Swelling, soreness, and increased risk of bruising, bleeding or infection has been seen in a small percentage of patients and should be noted when making decisions about having breast augmentation.
Noticeable increase or decrease in nipple and breast sensitivity may also be seen, and can be temporary or permanent. Ask your doctor about these and other concerns.
Breast augmentation is a personal decision, and should be done for you, not to meet anyone else’s expectations or ideals.
The improvement from breast augmentation will be visible immediately. Results will last a long time, but the exact duration will vary depending on health changes and natural aging. Also, augmentation is not permanent; implants may need to be replaced during your lifetime. Breast augmentation patients can return to work within a few days of surgery, though they will need to avoid physical contact with the breasts for 3 to 4 weeks. Scars should fade within several months to a year.
Bangor Plastic and Hand Surgery has always been recognized in the plastic surgery community as always offering our patients the most recent and cutting edge in medical technology. Below you will find many answers to question you might have about breast augmentation. Please feel free to contact us if we have left out anything that you might have a concern about.
The Best Breast Implant Candidates
Your age and level of health play an important role in determining whether or not you are eligible for augmentation surgery.
You may be a good candidate if you are:
- Healthy and at least 18 years of age (for saline implants)
- Healthy and over the age 22 (for silicone gel implants)
You are NOT a good candidate at this time if you:
- Have an active infection anywhere in your body
- Have existing cancer or pre-cancer but have not received adequate treatment for those conditions
- Are currently pregnant or breast-feeding

Other physical and emotional factors can affect your breast augmentation procedure, recovery and final result. Be prepared to discuss these topics with your surgeon:
- Your overall health
- Your healing capabilities and how they may be affected by smoking, alcohol and medications
- Prior breast surgeries
- Bleeding tendencies
- Infections
- Predisposition to developing a hardened capsule around the implant
Procedure
Breast augmentation is usually performed as an outpatient procedure under general anesthesia, or local anesthesia with a sedative. Generally 1 to 2 hours in duration, breast augmentation surgery uses implants filled with either saline or silicone gel, available in a variety of shapes and sizes. Our skilled plastic surgeon will help you determine which type of implant is best for your goals, needs, and preferences, along with the safest surgical techniques.
Size and location of incision
Often times the incision size for a gel breast implant will be larger than the incision size of a saline breast implant.
Periareolar incision site (1) is typically well concealed, but it also involves cutting through the breast tissue, it is associated with a higher likelihood of breast feeding difficulties as compared to other incision sites. Cutting through the tissue may increase the chance that there will be a change in breast or nipple sensation.
The inframammary incision site (2) is currently the most common location for implantation of the breast implant and may cause fewer breast feeding difficulties.
Axillary incision site (3) is less concealed than the pariareolar site and may cause fewer breast feeding difficulties.

Breast Implant Placement
The breast implant can be placed either partially under the pectoralis major muscle (submuscular) or on the top of the muscle and under the breast gland (subglandular). Your surgeon will recommend the approach best-suited to your body type and goals.


Sizing your breast implant
During your office consultation, your surgeon may use different tools to help you select the right product for your new look. We use the Mentor Volume Sizing System in conjunction with your precise body measurements. Our prosthetic sizing devices are uniquely designed to be placed onto your breast to create a realistic preview of your new size.
Implant Types
Round or Shaped? Gel or Saline? Smooth or Textured?
There are three basic types of implants: round gel, shaped gel and saline filled. In addition to shape, breast implants are available in two shell surfaces, smooth and textured. Profile refers to the amount of forward projection of the implant off the chest wall. The higher profile implants create a more prominent silhouette than a lower profile implant.
Shaped Silicone Gel Implants
Why choose MENTOR® MemoryShape® Breast Implants?
MENTOR® MemoryShape® Breast Implants proprietary cohesive gel holds together uniformly, while providing a natural silhouette (shape) and youthful feel (firmness). Unlike round breast implants, MENTOR® MemoryShape® Breast Implants are teardrop shaped, meaning they’re thinner at the top and gently slope to a fuller projection point near the implants base to mimic the silhouette of a natural breast.

Clinical data reveals MENTOR® MemoryShape® Breast Implants have the lowest reported incidence of key complications in primary augmentation at 10 years. You can also get the peace of mind you deserve knowing that MENTOR® MemoryShape® Breast Implants are covered by the most comprehensive warranty in the market.
Round Silicone Gel Implants
Our round silicone gel implants are also available as MENTOR® MemoryGel® Breast Implants and are available with either a textured or smooth surface shell. These implants are filled with a proprietary softer cohesive gel that resembles the natural feel of breast tissue. They come in a wide range of sizes and profiles to fit your body.

Saline-Filled Implants
Saline filled implants are filled with a saltwater solution similar to the fluid that makes up most of the human body. Saline implants are inserted without fluid. Once placed, the implant is filled to the predetermined size. They have a slightly firmer feel than gel implants. They are available in round and shaped, smooth and textured surfaces and are available in a full range of sizes and profiles to fit your body—each with a revolutionary self-sealing valve.
Keller Funnel 2 implant delivery device
The new Keller Funnel 2 offers a revolutionary implant delivery device that enables Dr. Branch the ability to insert silicone implants gently and quickly, often referred to as the “no touch” technique.
The Keller Funnel is a clear, conical-shaped device similar to a pastry bag. This design employs a no-touch technique when inserting silicone implants during breast augmentation and revisionary surgery. This enables Dr. Branch to easily visualize and orient the implant prior to insertion during surgery and complete an even more successful procedure with precision and accuracy.

The sterile delivery system reduces the risk of bacteria contaminating the surface of the implant shell which can lead to a prolonged inflammatory response and eventually capsular contracture.
The Keller Funnel 2 also allows Dr. Branch to make smaller incisions, allowing for a faster healing process and less tissue damage for the patient as well as enhanced comfort and recuperation post-op. The funnel’s interior hydrophilic coating creates a slick surface that reduces friction, allowing implants to easily and gently pass through the funnel.
These images depict a woman over the course of eight years after surgery with MENTOR® MemoryShape® Breast Implants.

Visit our blog to read more, and to find out if you’re a candidate for breast augmentation! Contact Bangor Plastic and Hand Surgery today for more information or to set up a consultation with our board-certified plastic surgeon.

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Bangor, ME 04401
207-947-5657
Founded by Dr. David Branch in 2000, Bangor Plastic and Hand Surgery provides state-of- the-art cosmetic and reconstructive surgery in an AAAASF accredited facility. We strive to create a warm, friendly environment in which our patients can pursue their cosmetic goals, explore new ideas about appearance and rejuvenation, or just heal following injury or illness.
“The information available on Bangor Plastic and Hand Surgery’s website is provided for informational purposes only. This information is not intended to replace a medical consultation where a physician’s judgment may advise you about specific disorders, conditions and or treatment options. The use of this website does not create a physician/patient relationship between you and Bangor Plastic and Hand Surgery. We hope the information will be useful for you to become more educated about your health care decisions. The images on this site are for aesthetic purposed unless otherwise noted. See before and after images for possible results. Individual results may vary.”
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