Breast Augmentation

Breast Augmentation in Annapolis, MD

Breast augmentation is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures in the United States, winning the highest patient satisfaction ratings among plastic surgery procedures.

A highly individualized procedure, breast augmentation is actually a blanket term for a range of surgical approaches, including the placement of silicone or saline implants or the transfer of the patient’s own fat from another part of the body. To achieve the most natural-looking results, patients need to carefully consider many options— size, shape, implant placement location, and incision type — with the help of a board-certified plastic surgeon with demonstrated technical and aesthetic skill. Dr. Claire Duggal has created beautiful results for her patients, and they appreciate her personalized and caring approach.

Used to increase the volume and enhance the shape of the breasts, breast augmentation can:

Every woman has her own idea of what size and look she is hoping to achieve.  To schedule a consultation with Dr. Duggal, call (410) 266-7120 or contact us online. Dr. Duggal can answer your questions and help you determine if breast augmentation is right for you. Our 3-D imaging using the Vectra Photography System helps you and Dr. Duggal communicate clearly about the results you want. 

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Patient Experiences: Breast Augmentation

What Can Breast Augmentation With Dr. Duggal Do For You?

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Breast implants or fat transfer can reshape your breasts and give you a boost in self-confidence. You’ll feel better about your body and your proportions.  No more padded bikini tops or worries about that gap between the top of your breast and your bra. Camisole tops, sundresses, and low-cut evening wear will no longer be a worry. Instead, these pieces will give you a chance to show your beautiful curves.

Being a woman and a mother of three, Dr. Duggal understands how breasts are often tied to your feelings of femininity and self-esteem.  During your consultation, she can discuss what your goals are in order to improve the size, shape, fullness, and symmetry of your breasts. 

Types of Breast Implants

Saline implants are filled with sterile salt water. Advantages include the ability to place them with smaller incisions, as they are typically inserted while deflated and filled when in position. Another advantage is the ease in detecting a rupture. The implant deflates as the saline solution leaks out, and the fluid is processed by the body with no adverse health effects.  Many women find saline implants don’t feel as natural as silicone. They are slightly firmer to the touch than the surrounding breast tissue. Standard saline implants can have a “sloshing” effect with movement and can sometimes cause visible rippling on the breast.

Silicone implants or “gummy bear implants” are filled with silicone gel. Many women find this creates the most natural look and feel. Unlike early silicone implants, the fill used today has a more cohesive or sticky consistency that stays together even if there is a break in the implant shell (rupture). This improvement in the gel means that it maintains its shape even with a rupture, but it also means that a rupture isn’t immediately visible. Periodic Ultrasound or MRI scans are recommended for women with silicone implants to screen for possible rupture. Silicone has been extensively studied by the FDA through multiple clinical trials and has shown to have no links to cancer or to reproductive or connective tissue diseases.

What is a Fat Transfer?

Fat transfer, known as autologous fat grafting, is another way of adding volume to the breast using fat from another part of the body. In this procedure, liposuction is used to remove fat from an area you would like to be slimmer, such as the abdomen, thighs, or flanks. The fat is then processed for injection into the breast.

Dr. Duggal uses this method to make a modest increase in breast size. Using the body’s own tissue means that your breasts are made up of your own natural fat, which avoids the long-term commitment of an implant.  It also addresses two issues in a single procedure, slimming one part of your body while building volume in your breasts. Fat transfer can also be combined with an implant to improve breast shape and enhance cleavage.

Dr. Duggal in white jacket

Schedule A Consultation

Dr. Claire S. Duggal offers various surgical and non-surgical procedures of the face and body to her many patients in the Annapolis area. Dr. Duggal’s top procedures include breast augmentation, mommy makeover and tummy tuck. To learn more about how her specialties can address your unique needs, we invite you to book an appointment today! Dr. Duggal and our staff look forward to meeting you!

Implant Position and Incision Options

When considering breast implants, you and Dr. Duggal will not only consider the type of implant to use but also where the implants will be placed and the type of incision to use for the procedure.

Implant position

The two major choices for implant position are subglandular (above the pectoralis or chest muscle and below the breast tissue) or subpectoral (behind the pectoralis muscle). Placing the implants below the pectoralis muscle has the advantage of less rippling on the top or middle area of your breast, and a lower chance of firm scar tissue (capsular contracture) forming around the implant that might distort the shape of your breast. The choice of where to place the implant ultimately depends on such factors as your anatomy and whether you engage in activities like bodybuilding that exert the chest muscles, and is something to be discussed during your consultation.

Incision location

There are several options for placing the incision for breast augmentation (and thus where the scar will be). These include:

Planning Your Breast Augmentation

With so many choices to make and such a highly customized procedure, your consultation with Dr. Duggal is an important part of the process.

When you arrive in the office, staff will take a medical history to discover medical problems or allergies you have and what medications you are on. If you are over 40, we recommend a baseline mammogram within a year before scheduling any breast surgery. Good candidates for breast augmentation have realistic goals for what the procedure can do, are in good health, and do not smoke. If you smoke, you will need to commit to using no nicotine in the four weeks before the surgery and for the full period of recovery.

During the consultation, we will discuss your current breast size and what your desires for breast augmentation are. We will answer any questions you have about the procedure and the recovery. Dr. Duggal will then measure your breasts and chest wall to determine which range of implant shapes and sizes would be best for your anatomy. It is our goal at The Sandel Duggal Center to pick an implant that fits your body and your natural breast tissue and that does not stretch the tissue too much. We will focus on achieving your immediate goals of breast enhancement while ensuring long-lasting, beautiful results.

Each patient has a unique goal, whether that be achieving natural and subtle results or building a more dramatic cleavage. There is no “one” breast augmentation, and Dr. Duggal will help to determine which type of implant and which surgical approach is best for each individual patient. We offer 3-D imaging with the Vectra Photography System to give you a realistic view of what you will look like after breast augmentation with different sized implants. Learn more about Vectra 3-D imaging.

“From preoperative Vectra 3D imaging giving a woman a true picture of what she will look like after surgery to the new anatomically shaped breast implants, the results we can get after surgery are more beautiful and natural than ever.”

Vectra 3-D Imaging: An Instant Preview of Expected Results

Step 1

When visiting the Sandel Duggal Center for Plastic Surgery, your experience begins with a VECTRA 3D picture session. This creates the starting point for your aesthetic consultation.

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Step 2

Using special simulation software with your 3D picture, Dr. Duggal will show you the possible results of the treatment. You will be able to experiment with different looks until you find the one you want.

breast sculptor animation

Step 3

Once you have decided on the appearance you want, this simulation will provide a basis for your surgical plan. Because you have already seen the result, you can be confident in the outcome of the procedure. 

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FAQS: Breast Augmentation in Maryland

Breast implant surgery is performed in our West Annapolis Surgery Center under light anesthesia. Incisions are made following the procedure plan, a pocket in the breast is created, the implant is placed using a sterile insertion sleeve, and both the pocket and the incisions are closed.

The procedure usually takes 1 to 1-1/2 hours. It may take more time if implant placement is combined with another procedure, such as a breast lift or liposuction.

One of Dr. Duggal’s main focuses is on rapid recovery after surgery.  Our rapid recovery protocol involves several non-narcotic medications started the night before surgery.  This, combined with the use of long-acting numbing medications injected during the procedure, allows the majority of our patients to recover in 3-4 days without needing any narcotic pain medication. 

After your surgery, you will spend an hour or two in a recovery suite. Most patients then go home (with a friend or family member to drive them), though many of our out-of-town patients elect to stay overnight. You will have some swelling for the first few days and will experience some discomfort. We will provide you with a surgical bra to wear for the first few weeks. We recommend that you not drive for the first 3-4 days and until you have stopped taking prescription pain medication. You may resume moderate exercise after two weeks and more strenuous exercise after about 6 weeks. Most patients are able to return to office-type work in 4 to 5 days.

We will follow up with you in regularly scheduled appointments to make sure you are doing as well as we expect and are happy with your results.

If your breasts have lost volume and the nipples are lower than you would like, there is a chance you would be a better candidate for a breast lift, or that you might benefit from a breast lift with an implant.  For many women who have been pregnant and/or breastfed, the skin on the breasts has been stretched out and the position of the nipple on the breast is no longer ideal.  A breast lift with an implant restores the lost volume and reshapes the skin around an implant to achieve a perky and youthful breast. 

Immediately after a breast implant surgery, you will have a gauze dressing draped over the incisions, with your breasts wrapped in a compression garment or specially designed bra for support.  

Most women have mild swelling, bruising, and discomfort for a week or two after the operation. You’ll have prescription oral medication to manage pain.

You can resume their daily routine after a few days, except for heavy lifting and strenuous activities. Annapolis breast augmentation surgeon Dr. Claire Duggal will advise you on when to return to your workout regimen during your recovery.

There will be some visible scarring, but as the best breast augmentation surgeon in Annapolis, Dr. Duggal is an expert in keeping them concealed with strategic incisions. As a result, most scars will fade after a couple of years.

Since breast augmentation is such a highly personalized procedure, your cost may vary depending on your choice of implant material, use of your natural body fat, and many other variables. After interviewing you about your expectations and aesthetic goals, Dr. Duggal can give you a realistic cost estimate and review financing options with you.

A breast implant can hide abnormal tissue or lesions, making detecting cancerous breast tissue more difficult. Producing accurate, high-quality images requires tightly squeezing the breasts, which may cause a rupture or leak with your implants. Also, scarring around the implant may look like cancerous tissue, making your mammogram more challenging to interpret.

If you have implants and require a routine breast cancer screening, inform the technician when you schedule the procedure what type of implants are present and whether they are in front of or behind the chest muscle. You may need more views taken than during a routine screening. In some cases, MRI scans might be necessary to produce a clear image.

Contact Us Today

The Sandel Duggal Center for Plastic Surgery is one of the top plastic surgery practices in Maryland and Dr. Claire Duggal has extensive experience in breast and body enhancement procedures.  Schedule a consultation to learn whether breast augmentation is right for you, and to find out why Dr. Duggal’s patients rate her so highly. Contact us online or call (410) 266-7120.

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