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Today I am  focussing on beautiful teeth. Not cosmetic surgery exactly, cosmetic dentistry. And I’m going to share a secret, I have just come from my dentist, Dr David Barclay in Dandenong, Melbourne. I had composite veneers done by David 8 months ago and I am so thrilled with them! And this is a classic example of “pay LESS and get MORE”. How great is that? The price per tooth was so reasonable, about 25% of typical pricing for porcelain veneers. Today all he did was a little polish up to bring them back to as they were on day one, and I just love them. Keep a look out here for my pre and post photos, to see for yourself how natural they look. Bye for now.

In choosing Breast Implants for Breast Enlargement surgery the descriptions Textured or Smooth Implants refer to the surface of the casing shell which surrounds and holds the gel. Textured surface implants were designed to reduce the chance of capsular contracture (a hardening of the breast).  This is described as forming a “capsule” where some people’s bodies have a defence mechanism which tries to rid itself of a foreign body, such as a breast implant. And in this case, the membrane which forms around the implant after insertion develops scar tissue which can thicken over time and may eventually become quite hard. Hence the term “the breast has gone hard” or “the implant has gone hard”.

It was believed that the body would respond more favourably to a textured surface than to a smooth surface.

However, clinical trials indicate that there has been no real difference in the number of capsules formed with either smooth or textured implants. And further to this, of recent months, there has been some clinical evidence indicating that in a small number of cases with textured implants non-Hodgkins Lymphoma has occurred in the breast, and is being carefully watched by the FDA.

In summary, in most patients, there is no strong benefit to using textured implants with a potentially serious downside, hence smooth implants are returning to the option of choice. The incidence of capsules occurring with smooth implants has decreased radically from 10 years ago. When patients follow diligently instructions for exercising and massage of the breasts within a few days after surgery, in the majority of cases, the troublesome membrane can be maintained as soft and supple so preventing hard scar tissue from forming. However capsules can still occur in a small number of patients. It is one of the risks of having Breast Enlargement surgery.

The confusion about the difference between silicone and saline implants used in Breast Enlargement surgery raises questions about the safety of silicone gel.  From the early 1990′s though until 2006 the FDA in the United States banned the use of silicone gel in Breast Implants. This resulted from claims that silicone gel leakage from breast implants was causing harm to many breast implant recipients.

For many years prior to 1993, the most common breast implant was a silicone bag filled with a liquid silicone gel. Leakage from these implants was a well known problem more for the uneven-ness in breast size that the leakage caused than for any other problem. Then, as a result of the subsequent ban on silicone implants, manufacturers created a similar liquid gel from saline, the idea being that any leakage that occurred would be similar to body fluids,  would be absorbed into the body and cause no harm.

The key problem here was that is was based on the assumption that all implants leaked. Hence the addidtional problem of unevenness of breasts due to loss of gel from leaking was not fixed.

Then along came a major advancement with the development of cohesive silicone gel, which due to its sticky, thicker consistency, and being encased in a silicone shell without a valve, virtually eliminated the “leakage” problem.

In 2006 the FDA approved the use of cohesive silicone gel implants. These cohesive silicone gel implants are soft and feel much more like a natural breast than either of the previous implant types, either liquid silicone gel or liquid saline gel. Liquid Saline gel implants are still the only saline implants available today. Apparently Cohesive Saline Gel implants are under review by the FDA and may be approved sometime in the future.

Hence at the time of writing this blog Cohesive Silicone Gel implants are the only implants which do not leak. So, if you are wondering what can happen to these implants then the focus is on the likelihood of a rupture or split.

There is a small percentage, around 3% worldwide, of recorded implant rutpures. And it is the cohesive nature of the gel which keeps the gel close together around a rupture or split. The idea being that the gel won’t migrate into other areas of the body due to its cohesiveness. This is not ideal, because the same principle of the body not absorbing silicone as it does saline applies to that small number of cases with ruptures.

The closer to ideal answer will be with cohesive saline gel implants once they are approved.

Yes, a firm flat tummy can be achievable with surgery which may not be possible with exercise and weight loss.

Tummy Tuck surgery is increasing in popularity as women strive to regain their pre-pregnancy figure and shape again. The fashion emphasis on more fitted designer jeans with belts at the hip, and closely fitting leggings and shorts skirts has created a growing new consciousness for those who find these fashion trends hard to find and wear with a tummy bulging in all the unwanted places. Exercise and/or weight loss can only be effective where skin is not loose and still retains its elasticity, and where the abdominal muscle wall is not damaged by pregnancy.

Tummy Tuck surgery, properly called Abdominoplasty, is a sizeable surgical procedure done under a General Anaesthetic, with risks and it does leave a considerable scar. The initial healing period is 3 -4 weeks of rest and careful, moderate activity. After that it can take up to 8 weeks before you feel fully yourself again and can return to the gym and  other activities.

This is not something to rush into on a whim. Researching and finding an appropriately experienced and skilled  plastic surgeon then planning for the recovery period is essential.

While not to be taken lightly, Tummy Tuck surgery can make a world of difference to your self esteem when you look down and the bulges are gone. Often the majority of stretch marks can be removed as well as recontouring of your waistline.

You may have read or heard about a complication which can happen after Breast Enlargement surgery referred to as “hard breasts”. Fortunately this doesn’t happen very often these days. The technical term for this is a “Capsule” because a capsule of scar tissue forms around the breast implant. This capsule starts out as a membrane surrounding the implant and usually if this membrane is kept soft and supple breast remains supple as well.

The best way to reduce the likelihood of developing a capsule by the membrane forming hard scar tissue is to exercise and massage the breasts daily following Breast Enlargement surgery according to instructions provided by your surgeon.

However in some cases,  a capsule forms anyway and the only way to bring back the breast to it’s soft natural state is to remove the scar tissue. This is done under General Anaesthesia. The implant is taken out while the scar tissue is also removed and the implant is placed back in the breast again. Usually a capsule does not form again.