Conveniently located for Fairfield County & Westchester patients
WHAT IS BREAST AUGMENTATION?
Dr. Elsa Raskin offers breast augmentation at our Greenwich, Connecticut practice. This popular cosmetic surgery procedure uses either saline or silicone* implants to enhance the shape and size of a woman’s breasts. Women choose this procedure in order to create a more proportional body, to make up for volume lost due to pregnancy, to make their breasts symmetrical, or simply because they want a more ample bosom.
Why Dr. Raskin?
Dr. Raskin is a leading breast augmentation provider who is highly regarded for her ability to help women achieve attractive, natural breasts. She offers comprehensive, individually tailored breast augmentation treatment plans that enhance physical appearance, define femininity and boost self-esteem. Among her breast augmentation patients, Dr. Raskin is known for her artistically inspired techniques and remarkable aesthetic results. Dr Raskin and her staff strongly believe that surgical excellence and quality patient care are essential for consistently delivering the best possible breast surgery outcomes. Dr Raskin strive to create stunning results for each and every woman seeking to accentuate her natural beauty. In addition, she performs breast reconstruction in women after mastectomies.
Dr. Raskin also offers state-of-the-art technology to provide patients a 3D preview of different breast sizes and shapes from nearly any angle! Visit our breast augmentation 3D simulator page to find out more.
Photo Gallery
View before-and-after pictures of real patients of Dr. Elsa Raskin
She has successfully performed hundreds of breast enhancement procedures over a career spanning more than 20 years. This is why Dr. Raskin first educates her patients on all aspects of breast enhancement surgery. Once you know the facts, your fears tend to melt away and you are able to make rational and informed decisions.
THE PROCEDURE
Breast augmentation surgery typically takes about an hour to two hours to perform and requires general anesthesia. To insert an implant, an incision will be made along the underside of the breast or around the areola and a pocket is created behind the breast tissue or underneath the chest muscle for the implant to be placed. The incisions will then be stitched up and the area will be applied with bandages.
Types of Breast Implants
There are different types of breast implants to enlarge breasts. Your body type and your preference will dictate what is best for you. This is best determined during a one-on-one plastic surgery consultation with Dr Raskin.
- Silicone – Formed stable, shaped, gummy bear, round and smooth
- Saline – Round and smooth
- Fat grafting– Natural, soft and smooth.
Dr. Raskin offers silicone and saline implants, both of which feature a hard silicone shell. Silicone implants are pre-filled capsules of silicone gel, which many women feel provides the most natural look and texture. This sticky, synthetic material mimics the density of natural fat, making it difficult to tell the implant apart from the existing breast tissue.
Saline implants use sterile salt water to enhance breast size. Unlike silicone implants, saline implants are filled during the procedure, often requiring a smaller incision. This material is more likely to cause skin rippling than silicone implants but is typically a more economical option. In addition, if the implant ruptures, your body will simply absorb and expel the saline, whereas the contents of a ruptured silicone implant remain in the body.
*Dr Raskin never uses Textured implants
Considerations
Each implant material has distinct benefits and disadvantages. For most patients, Dr. Raskin prefers silicone to saline. Silicone implants usually do not cause the skin to ripple or wrinkle and they look very natural. This kind of implant can also be placed over the chest muscle, while saline implants often need to be placed under the muscle to reduce the risk of an unnatural appearance. Silicone is also lighter than saline, so implants will usually sag less over time. Dr. Raskin also highly recommends fat transfer for patients with unwanted weight throughout the rest of their bodies.
Most healthy women who want to improve the size, symmetry and proportion of their breasts are good candidates for breast implants. You must be at least 18 years old to receive saline implants and at least 22 years old to receive silicone implants.
“I am dedicated to utilizing my experience and abilities to provide compassionate care that meets or exceeds my patients expectations.”
Dr. Elsa RaskinFAQ
Should my breast implant insertion be above the muscle or underneath?This depends mostly on how much breast tissue you have and what size implants you are hoping to have; i.e. if you have small breast and you want a big size increase, it will be best to have the implants placed under the muscle so to better camouflage the implants. A general rule is that if the implants you choose have more volume then your existing breast tissue they should be sub-pectoral or under the muscle.
What implant shapes are available in Doctor Raskin’s office?Dr Raskin prefers to use smooth implants of moderate, medium and high profile shape. Anatomical implants are also available for breast reconstruction after mastectomies.
Is there a minimum/maximum age for breast implants?Age 18 minimum, for age maximum it depends on your general health.
Should I wait until I am done having kids before having implants?It depends on how dissatisfied you are with your breast size and how soon you intend to have kids. If you are currently pregnant or trying to get pregnant and/or breastfeeding it is best to wait 6 months until you are done breastfeeding your last child.
How do you prevent rippling in breast implants?Rippling occurs when there is a lack of soft tissue coverage, i. e. if too big an implant is placed in the sub-glandular pocket. This is why Dr. Raskin prioritizes a thorough consultation to properly assess the ideal implant for each individual.
Alternative Options
Breast Augmentation with Fat Grafting
A third option, fat injection, otherwise known as a natural breast augmentation. This technique uses fat cells removed from another part of your body during liposuction – such as your midsection or thighs. The fat transfer usually cannot add more than one cup size to breasts, but this procedure makes sense for patients who want a realistic look and have unwanted fat in other parts of the body. Fat injections can also be combined with other implant materials to give breasts a more natural shape.
Breast augmentation with lipo transfer is proving to be a more natural way of enhancing the breasts than with implants. Fat grafting involves removing fat from one area of the body and using it to enhance volume in another area. Adipose tissue from the patient’s own body is used instead of implants for primary breast augmentation or for rectifying defects with breast reconstruction.
In our fat transfer procedure, fat is first carefully harvested from one area of the body through liposuction. Common donor sites include the abdomen, thighs, and hips. The extracted fat is then purified and injected into the breasts.
Besides being a great option for aesthetic breast enhancement, our fat grafting is also ideal for women who have had a mastectomy. Our breast reconstruction procedure can recreate your breasts with no surgery or scars. Only needles and syringes are used in fat transfer. As there are no incisions, patient trauma is minimal. Dr. Raskin uses the Revolve® fat transfer techniques to ensure a high fat cell survival rate.
Benefits to Patients
Breast augmentation with lipo transfer is a promising treatment as it avoids all the difficulties associated with implants. The fat graft is easily reabsorbed by the body. Benefits include:
- Natural looking results
- No incisions or stitches
- No general anesthesia
- Reduced rejection problems as your own fat is used
- No loss of sensation of the nipples
- No breastfeeding difficulties
- Minimal discomfort
Women with excess fat in the donor site get the additional benefit of body contouring with liposuction. However, this fat removal and transfer procedure works well for slender women too.
Our fat grafting procedure involves only minimal downtime and provides natural-looking results that last. Based on your goals, we will decide on a specific treatment plan to meet your individual requirements.
Regardless of the method, breast augmentation surgery will require an hour to two hours to complete. The incisions will be closed using stitches, though bandages, tape, and gauze may be applied for support and to assist with healing.
Types of Breast Augmentation Incisions
The types of breast augmentation incisions contribute to the successful outcome of breast augmentation procedures. Dr Raskin utilizes small incisions placed either underneath the breast or along the edge of the areola where the scars are barely perceptible 6 months later.
Undergoing a breast augmentation is a major decision. Dr. Raskin is available to discuss and answer any questions that you might have regarding breast augmentation, explain all available options, the risk involved, the alternatives and key benefits so you can both come to a personalized decision about your custom breast augmentation.
What is the Cost of Breast Augmentation?
Though pricing can vary significantly based on the scope and individual needs of the patient, the typical price range is $7,000,-$8,500.
“HONEST, COMPASSIONATE, AND EXTREMELY UNDERSTANDING.”
“I have/had asymmetric breasts…After 2 surgeons, 4 surgeries, and very discouraged, I booked a consult with Dr Raskin. She was very gracious, attentive to my concerns, and gave me a realists perspective of what to expect. Honest, compassionate, and extremely understanding, she addressed my needs. She explained the pros and cons, but most of all positive and confident she could improve what others tried to accomplish. The end result, I am extremely happy with my new look. They are balanced, similar, and much better than I anticipated. Seriously, I really didn’t know how this would all go, especially after several surgeries and disappointments. I am grateful and would recommend Dr Raskin. She is top-notch and knows her stuff!”JILL G breast augmentation
POST-OP AND RECOVERY
At The Elsa Raskin MD, Doctor Raskin and her staff will monitor your progress after surgery. You may feel tired and sore for a few days after breast augmentation surgery, but you should be mobile in one to two days. Small drainage tubes may need to be inserted into each breast. The surgical dressing will be removed within a few days and sutures should dissolve on their own in about a week. Swelling typically last for about three to five weeks, or for three to five months if implants were placed under the chest muscle. During the first two weeks after your procedure, you may experience a burning sensation in your nipples. Patients usually can return to work after a few days but are encouraged to avoid any strenuous activity for about two to three weeks. Scarring will occur with breast augmentation, but it will fade over time.
RISKS OF BREAST AUGMENTATION
Like all surgical procedures, breast augmentation comes with potential risks. These risks include excessive bleeding, adverse reaction to anesthesia, infection, or oversensitive, undersensitive, or numb nipples. The most common issue from breast reconstruction surgery is capsular contracture, which happens when the scar around the implant begins to tighten, causing the breast to feel hard. There is a chance that the implant will break, which will require a second operation to replace the leaking implant. There is no evidence connecting breast implants with cancer, arthritis-like conditions, or immune system diseases. Breast implants may affect the way a mammography is performed but train radiologists can perform a special displacement technique to perform an accurate mammogram.
*The FDA has conducted several studies on the effects of silicone gel implants and has determined that they are safe for use in breast augmentation surgery. Women over the age of 22 will be given a choice of what type of implant they’d prefer.
