Once you decide to have breast augmentation surgery, your next decision will be which type of breast implant is right for you- saline or silicone. Both types of implants have two distinct parts. One is the shell, and all breast implant shells are made of silicone, a rubber-like substance. The other part is the fill material inside the shell. Breast implants are filled with either saline or silicone gel.

Chevy Chase Plastic Surgery has experience with both types of breast implants and can go into detail about each option in their office near Washington D.C.

Saline Versus Silicone Gel Breast Implants

Millions of women have had successful breast augmentations with saline and silicone breast implants. So, which breast implant is best for you? There is no single universal answer to this question and the decision must be customized to each woman’s unique characteristics and desires. Breast implants are made in a variety of shapes, sizes, surfaces, and fill materials.

The differences between saline and silicone breast implants:

• Aesthetic Appearance: saline and silicone implants have a different visual appearance after surgery
• Natural Feel: saline implants generally have a more natural feel
• Surgery Invasiveness: saline implant surgery is less invasive as they aren’t pre-filled
• Possible rupture or failure: when a saline implant deflates, it is obvious; silicone isn’t obvious and requires an MRI to pinpoint

If you are in the Washington D.C. area and have decided you want more information about breast implants please contact Chevy Chase Plastic Surgery. Call them at (301) 215-5955 today. 

If you’ve dieted and exercised and still haven’t achieved the flat midsection you want, other factors like genetics, prior pregnancy, and weight fluctuations could be sabotaging your efforts. But a tummy tuck can help you achieve the look you want even when traditional approaches fail. During your initial consultation, our Washington DC plastic surgeons will determine whether a tummy tuck is the right answer for you.

In a tummy tuck, our plastic surgeons remove fat and skin from the abdomen, creating a smooth, firm appearance. The surrounding muscles are also tightened, which further helps promote a flat stomach.

To be considered a good candidate for a tummy tuck, you should:

• Be at a stable weight
• Be in generally good health
• Have realistic goals
• Not smoke
• Want to improve the way you look
• Have loose, hanging skin, excess fat, or stretched abdominal muscles

Dr. Bruno and Dr. Brown often recommend a tummy tuck as part of a mommy makeover, since it is an excellent way to tighten abdominal muscles that have been impacted by prior pregnancies. It is also commonly performed on patients who have undergone significant weight loss and would like to improve the appearance of excess hanging skin resulting from their weight loss.

If you’re ready to learn how a tummy tuck can improve your appearance and boost your self-confidence, please contact Chevy Chase Plastic Surgery today to schedule your consultation. We serve patients in the Washington DC area.

If you’re considering breast augmentation, you may already know that you can choose from several kinds of breast implants. But did you know that you also have a choice in the type of incision your plastic surgeon uses to place your desired implant? The Washington, DC breast augmentation specialists at Chevy Chase Plastic Surgery have performed many breast augmentation procedures, and we will help you choose the incision option that best suits your unique needs.

Incisions for breast augmentation are usually located in one of three places:

• Periareolar incisions: Beneath the areola, which is the dark area surrounding the nipple
• Inframammary incisions: Beneath the breast, at the fold where it meets the body
• Transaxillary incisions: To the side of the breast, inside the armpit

Each type of breast augmentation incision is different, and a choice of one over the other depends on many factors, including:

• Your chosen type of breast implant
• Your desired amount of breast enlargement
• Your individual anatomy
• Your preferences
• Our surgeon’s recommendations

If you’re ready to learn how breast augmentation can improve your appearance, self-confidence, and quality of life, please contact Chevy Chase Plastic Surgery today to schedule your consultation. We serve patients in the Washington DC area.

When you are considering liposuction or any other type of plastic surgery, it is important to remember that your choice of plastic surgeon will significantly impact your final results. Your choice will also play a key role in your comfort and safety, making it important that you take time and do your research before you commit to any one doctor.

Liposuction is a plastic surgery procedure, but you don’t have to be a plastic surgeon to perform it. In fact, anyone with a medical degree can perform liposuction, even if they lack sufficient training and experience. The only way to be sure your liposuction is being performed by someone with the training, experience, and proven results you deserve is by choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon. Our Washington DC plastic surgeons are both board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and remain active in industry groups such as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

In addition to board-certification, you should look for a plastic surgeon who views you as an individual, not as just another liposuction patient. Your liposuction surgeon should work with you on a personal level, paying close attention to your desires, fully informing you of your options, and providing you with the special attention you deserve. Dr. Bruno and Dr. Brown both take great pride in working individually with each patient, and they cater all of their plastic surgery procedures to meet the needs of the individual being served.

If you are considering liposuction or any type of plastic surgery in or around Washington DC, please contact Chevy Chase Plastic Surgery today to schedule an initial consultation with one of our board-certified plastic surgeons.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) has released a three-part series about breast augmentation on YouTube. The series, entitled “Real People. Real Surgery. Breast Augmentation,” explores subjects such as why women choose to undergo breast augmentation, how breast implants work, and what a woman can realistically expect from the procedure.

In addition to the ASPS breast augmentation series, there are a number of YouTube videos exploring this procedure, including some that show the procedure itself. These can be useful when you are considering breast surgery by giving you a better idea of what you can expect before, during, and after the procedure.

While there are a number of breast augmentation videos on YouTube, our Washington DC breast surgeons know that every woman is unique. No two procedures are identical and no collection of videos can provide you with the full information you deserve. The best way to learn about breast augmentation and what it can do for you is through a one-on-one breast surgery consultation at our office.

If you would like more information about breast surgery, please contact Chevy Chase Plastic Surgery today to schedule a consultation with one of our board-certified plastic surgeons. We serve patients in the Washington DC area.

A recent report in the New York Times tells of the death of a young student from black-market buttock injections using silicone. It’s not the first, nor likely the last, time this has happened and it is utterly appalling. There are myriad issues this brings to light but I will focus on two.

The first is silicone. Silicone in medical grade form is not typically used by plastic surgeons, especially those certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Silicone is, however, typically used when engineered into implants for use in various applications. When a licensed practitioner injects medical grade silicone they are taking a bit of a risk because silicone does not meld into the tissue very well. In fact, the body reacts to the product and creates scars and cystic like reactions around it in an attempt to isolate it from the body. I have seen many patients who present with scarred buttocks or over-inflated lips from the injection of silicone. Unfortunately, there is no good solution. Sometimes they can be excised, but often this is extremely difficult or potentially incredibly disfiguring. Silicone in implant form is a safe, wonderful product that can help enhance the anatomy when used properly. Buttock augmentation patients should at all costs avoid direct injections of any foreign product. There isn’t a “filler” out there that can enhance the backside sufficiently without either causing problems (see article) or cost too much. The best choices include either fat grafting (from your own body) or implants. I routinely perform fat grafting which I feel is the safest, most natural choice.

The second is the injector. In today’s day and age of instant information and reviews on everything from the local ramen shop to your plumber, it amazes me that these people exist. I know, someone had a good result and referred them. Or, it’s cheap and I can’t afford plastic surgery. Well, death isn’t cheap and neither is a life-altering infection or complication. Although complications can arise in any environment, do yourself a favor and do some real research. Ask yourself if it makes sense to go to some seedy motel for a medical procedure, and then go see a real doctor.

The size of your breast implants will be based on the look you are hoping to achieve. If you desire a more pronounced or “model” look, the size of your implants may be larger. If you are more interested in a subtle, natural-looking breast augmentation, you may want to consider a smaller implant size. This will be discussed with you in detail during your initial consultation with our Washington DC plastic surgeons.

In addition to your aesthetic goals, our breast surgeons base breast implant size on what makes the most sense for your body. To accomplish this, we consider factors such as:

• The size of your chest and shoulders
• The size of your rib cage
• Your naturally present breast tissue
• The contours of your lower body
• The proportions of your entire frame

We do not consider cup size when determining ideal breast augmentation options. Cup sizes are inconsistent and not a good gauge of how large an implant should be. Instead, breast implants are measured in cubic centimeters (cc). This provides our doctors with a more consistent unit of measurement, improving our ability to achieve your desired goals.

It is helpful if you bring pictures of breasts you find attractive to your initial consultation, allowing us to have a visual idea of what you hope to achieve. Based on your input and our years of experience, we will tailor your procedure to meet your unique needs.

To learn more about your breast implant options, please contact Chevy Chase Plastic Surgery today to schedule an initial consultation. We serve patients in Washington DC, Chevy Chase, Fairfax, Arlington, and surrounding areas.

It has been some time since I routinely blogged for our patients and feel the need to introduce our blog and its background.  A number of years ago, I was the designated Plastic Surgery Expert Blogger for Revolution Health which was the brainchild of Steve Case after AOL. The idea was to put the control of health care information into the hands of the consumer while also informing them and making their health information more easily accessible to their healthcare providers. I blogged on a variety of topics such as surgical techniques, cosmetic surgery mishaps, and myths within our field. Everything from Heidi Montag’s desire for surgery to Donda West’s death to the rising presence of non-licensed practitioners performing cosmetic procedures was covered. After several years, unfortunately, Revolution went away, Everyday Health took over, and we never got the blog out of first gear. My goal is to reprise the blog within this space and to bring light to many topics from news stories to new products to information about specific procedures. We hope to cover all the bases, so to speak, but, should you or anyone have a question or topic that you would like to have addressed you can email us at cara@chevychaseps.com. Thank you for reading.

BOTOX^® Cosmetic is a wrinkle treatment that millions of patients choose annually for its convenience and efficacy. When you receive a BOTOX^® Cosmetic treatment, an FDA-approved neurotoxin is injected into the muscles of your face. This neurotoxin interrupts the nerve signals that tell your face’s muscles to contract. This causes the muscles to relax, and over time, lines and wrinkles disappear.

You will experience many important benefits when you choose BOTOX^® Cosmetic, including:

• Significant reduction in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Minimally-invasive facial rejuvenation option
• Minimal discomfort
• Enjoy your results for 3-4 months
• Affordable solution to reverse the signs of aging

At Chevy Chase Plastic Surgery, we often administer BOTOX^® Cosmetic to improve fine lines and wrinkles in the following areas:

• Crow's feet
• Forehead wrinkles
• Nasolabial folds

If you’re ready to learn more about how BOTOX^® Cosmetic can smooth wrinkles and take years off your appearance, please contact Chevy Chase Plastic Surgery today to schedule your initial consultation. We serve patients in Washington DC, Fairfax, Arlington, and surrounding areas.