Cosmetic Breast Surgery: Lessons Learned From 56,000 Breasts

I’ve examined a lot of breasts – at least 56,000 – during my career as a plastic surgeon. How’d I get to that number? About 7,000 women have come to me for breast augmentation surgery. On average, I see each woman about four times – once before her surgery and three times afterward for post-op visits.

The Breast Augmentation Patient Cluster Phenomenon

Redheads come in clusters, according to Austrian biologist Paul Kammerer, who studied coincidences when he wasn’t studying salamanders. In the early 1900s, he spent hours on the streets of Vienna recording the height, hair color and type of hat worn by passersby. He observed that men with red hair tended to pass by in clusters – often in threes – proof of his “law of series.”

The Redhead Cluster Phenomenon makes sense to me because over the last 10 years, I’ve made a similar observation, which I call the “Breast Augmentation Patient Cluster Phenomenon”!

Changing Your Breast Implant Size: What to Expect – Dr. Ted Eisenberg

Times change. And so may your breast size if you’ve have had a child or a significant change in your weight.

About 10 percent of my patients come in for a consultation to get information about making a change: bigger breast implants, smaller breast implants, or a breast lift.  The average time elapsed since their first surgery is about 10 years, although it varies greatly.

They tell me, “I’ve gained a lot of weight, and I’m much bigger than I want to be. I’d like to go a little smaller.”

Or, “After my two children, my breasts got smaller. I just want to get my pre-pregnancy size back – and maybe a little extra.”

Others say, “I went for the gusto 15 years ago. I’ve enjoyed them and they served their purpose, but now that I’m 50something, I just want them a little smaller.”

Like the first time, we look at before and after photographs of women who started out similar to them in height, weight, frame size and breast volume. They tell me, “too big,” too small” or “just right” so I know what size implants to order.

Breast augmentation surgery is easier the second time around. Here’s what’s involved in upsizing or downsizing.

What Is Needed for Breast Lift Surgery? – Dr. Ted Eisenberg

No crystal ball can predict if, how much, and how soon your breasts will lose their shape and firmness, and if you’ll need breast implants or a breast lift to return them to their former glory.

Looking for a culprit? You can blame the following for the droop (medically known as ptosis). Hint: the “p” is psilent.

Genetics: Breasts can start drooping at any age depending on your genes and the elasticity of your skin. That’s why it’s not uncommon for teens to have droopy breasts. Some girls say that they were “born with saggy breasts” or that they “just developed this way.”

Why Have a Breast Augmentation: 13 Women Tell All

Before and after photos show how a breast augmentation, breast lift or breast reduction changes a woman, but it’s her words that fill out the picture. More than 100 of my patients have shared their thoughts about the process from start to finish in reviews on RealSelf.com, a plastic surgery website. Here are a dozen excerpts that give you a peek into why they had surgery and how they feel about it afterward.