Breast augmentation is one of the most popular procedures performed in North America and uses implantable devices (breast implants) to enhance the size, volume, shape and projection of breasts, to create a more balanced, shapely, curvaceous, but natural and attractive figure.
Breast implants give women a more youthful appearance and restore confidence by increasing the breast size in proportion to the patient’s body frame. The procedure is beneficial for women who want to enlarge their naturally small breasts, restore volume lost through pregnancy, or want to correct asymmetry.
SpaMedica’s breast augmentation procedures start at $7,999 and, with fat grafting, starts at $9,999. The fee is dependent on the type of breast implant selected and whether or not existing implants need to be removed and the pocket corrected.
The initial discomfort from the breast augmentation surgery lasts for just 48 hours, thereafter there is a significant decrease. Implants generally take 2 – 3 weeks to drop down into the pocket and assume a more natural appearance.
Dr. Mulholland has spent years honing and perfecting his technique into a very accurate and refined breast augmentation procedure. The operation takes approximately 45-60 minutes and most patients are able to return home two hours after completion of the operation.
The best candidates for breast augmentation procedures are patients with realistic expectations and have considered the advantages of having breast implants. Ideally, the candidate will have tried diet and exercise to achieve the ideal shape but would benefit from breast augmentation surgery to increase the projection and volume of the breast to match their shoulders, hip and thigh contour.
Contraindications may include those patients with unrealistic expectations, medical diseases that prevent general anesthesia and various severe and advanced forms of multiple sclerosis and ALS, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis or other immune diseases.
Correct Uneven Breasts
Balance out naturally uneven breasts to fit well into bras and clothing.
Added Volume and Curve
Add volume and curve to naturally small and flat breasts.
Post-Pregnancy and Anti-Aging
Counteract the negative effects that aging and pregnancy can have on breasts.
Improve Self-Confidence
Making women feel more comfortable in their bodies by boosting confidence.
Small Skin Infection
Treated with an antibiotic prescribed by our team of nurses.
Smaller Breast Implant Than Hoped
Our Vectra 3D breast imaging system ensures you select the right size and projection.
Hardening of Tissue Around the Breast Implant (Capsular Contracture)
Easily managed, usually under local anesthesia, with a revision breast procedure to remove the hardened capsular tissue.
Softening/enlargement of the Breast Implant Pocket (Pocket Expansion)
Easily managed with an enhancement breast procedure, often under local anesthesia, where the pocket is reduced and the breast internally lifted and supported.
Dr. Mulholland is one of the world’s leaders in aesthetic plastic surgery and has an excellent reputation for delivering natural, beautiful breast augmentation results in Toronto. By choosing Dr. Mulholland, you choose one of the most pre-eminent and recognized faces of plastic surgery.
Dr. Mulholland has had a busy and successful breast augmentation practice for over 22 years and over 2000 breast augmentations performed. Dr. Mulholland and SpaMedica have been using 3D Breast simulated implant imaging for over 8 years, to help patients “try before they buy”.
Saline Breast Implants
Saline breast implants have a silicone outer shell that is filled with sterile saltwater (saline) solution. The implant can be inserted empty and filled with the solution once they have been surgically placed which means incisions can be much smaller and can be inserted through the armpit, or the areola.
Silicone Breast Implants
The silicone breast implant is the most popular option chosen by breast implant Toronto patients and is known for a natural appearance and feel. Silicone implants are pre-filled with semi-solid silicone gel, a cohesive fluid, that feels similar to human fat and are also known as “gummy bear” implants. Because these implants are prefilled, they are typically inserted through under-the-breast incisional approach, called the IMF, or infra-mammary fold incision.
Saline vs. Silicone Breast Implants
Deciding whether to choose saline or silicone implants is one of the most important decisions you will have to make during the planning process. The choice of breast implant plays a major role in the results.
Silicone’s biggest advantage over saline is aesthetic and longevity. Silicone breast implants have a reputation for providing a more natural look and feel, which is why the majority of patients opt for this type of implant. Conversely, saline implants are usually filled once surgically placed, meaning they require slightly smaller incisions than silicone implants. Cohesive silicone gel implants are warrantied by the manufacturer for life, whereas, saline implants, which often eventually leak, are only warrantied for 10 years.
It is important to note, Dr. Mulholland only uses smooth shell cohesive gel implants for his breast augmentation patients in Toronto and not textured shell implants. Dr. Mulholland has not performed cosmetic breast augmentation with textured gel implants for many years.
The vast majority of patients feel the soft, natural look and feel of silicone is well worth the moderately higher fee. During the initial consultation, Dr. Mulholland will recommend the best size, style and shape to match your aesthetic goals and expectations. And you will be offered the Vectra 3D imaging process, whereby one of the experienced SpaMedica breast imaging consultants will work with you and your 3D photos, to “try on” different sized breast implants to see how they affect your volume, projection and overall body shape. This “3D imaging” comes with your consultation.
Non surgical (non breast implant) options include fat grafting to the breast, which involve harvesting fat from zones where you don’t want the excess fat, preparing and purifying the fat cells and then injecting the fat into the breast tissue. Generally 50-70% of the fat cells will survive, providing a nice, natural, moderate increase in breast volume and projection.
With over 8 years of experience providing computer simulated augmentation imaging for each and every patient, Dr. Mulholland and SpaMedica are one of Canada’s most experienced users of the VECTRA® 3-D imaging machine. By using the VECTRA® 3-D before breast augmentation surgery, patients can accurately predict what they will look like post-surgery. Just like trying on a dress at a retail store, seeing your figure in 3D with the implants allows the “try before you buy” assurance – eliminating the risk of choosing the wrong size or shape of breast implant.
During the initial consultation, Dr. Mulholland will talk through the different options available to the patient and help advise on the type of implant and the best incision point to match with the patient’s goal.
Dr. Mulholland has performed over 2,000 successful cosmetic breast implant procedures in Toronto, perfecting the through-the-armpit approach (both under the pectoralis major muscle and on top), around-the-areola, under-the-breast, and trans-umbilical breast augmentation procedures.
The breast augmentation procedure itself is very safe and quick, often completed in 60 minutes or less. The procedure is performed as an outpatient, under light IV sedation, or general anesthesia.
Minimizing breast augmentation scarring is all about using an experienced Toronto breast augmentation surgeon who places the scar in the least visible location, closes the scar expertly, and uses high-tech strategies to limit the scar’s length.
Armpit, periareolar and belly button incisions can be used for saline or salt water breast implants as the shell can be rolled up and inserted through a small telescope (or very, very small gel implant). For any moderate-to-large-sized silicone breast implant, the under-the-breast incision is the optimal choice.
The most common “pocket”, or space that your cohesive gel breast implant will be placed in is called a “Dual Plane” and is under the gland in the lower pole and under the muscle in the upper pole. Rarely, entirely subglandular or submuscular pockets may be used.
The actual length of the incision is shortened by using a high tech insertion device called the “Keller funnel”, a soft, silicone lined sterile insertion funnel that greatly minimizes the length of the scar, insertion trauma and potential contamination.
Selecting the actual size of the breast implant is perhaps the biggest decision to make for patients. To ensure the correct size, volume and shape is chosen, SpaMedica has pioneered the use of 3D computer imaging pre-surgery.
The Vectra 3D is the world’s leading computer imaging system that allows patients to see their figure with different sized and shaped implants. Dr. Mulholland and the breast augmentation team will guide you through the process to decide on the breast implant for the best aesthetic outcome.
Every surgical procedure requires patients to take certain simple steps to ensure the process goes as smooth as possible.
Two weeks before the breast augmentation surgery, patients should
These tweaks to your lifestyle are advised to aid recovery time. Other preparations involve getting your home ready by stocking up on food, getting some loose-fitting clothes that open with buttons at the front (not pull-overs) and organizing the space.
The day before the breast enhancement surgery, wash your body and hair with antibacterial soap, take any medication prescribed to you, and don’t eat or drink anything for 8 hours prior to your surgery.
When you wake up from the breast augmentation surgery, it’s normal to feel tired and sore. The initial postoperative discomfort that lasts for 2-3 days will be controlled with pain relief provided to you by the nursing team. A small drain will be left in the pocket for 2 days and this drain is used to decrease engorgement and swelling, hastening your recovery. It is removed by the experienced post-op nursing team on your first visit back in 48 hours.
After the breast implants surgery in Toronto, you will go home in soft, supportive “sports’ bra which help keep the breasts in the correct position. This needs to be worn 24 hours a day for 4 weeks post-surgery.
Other activities and habits to ease recovery include:
Every patient is different but by following the proper preparations and choosing an experienced surgeon, you can speed up your breast augmentation recovery period. As a general guide, this is a timeline you can expect to follow for your recovery:
Day 1-2: focus on total rest to help your body heal. Follow the post-operative care instructions given to you by your surgeon, such as cool compresses and taking vitamins.
Week 1: At the end of the first week, there is a significant decrease in swelling and bruising meaning most are able to return to work (so long as it isn’t physically strenuous).
Week 2: Light exercise can be resumed but more strenuous activity that directly involves the pectoral muscles should be delayed for at least 4-6 weeks.
Week 4: Implants will have dropped down into the pocket for a more natural appearance and swelling will have subsided.
Week 6: Patients can return to full activities, including those that involve use of the pectoralis muscle.
Month 3: The implants will be nearly fully settled.
Breast Augmentation is commonly performed in conjunction with other body contouring procedures like liposuction and tummy tuck surgery. Mommy makeovers combine breast implants with liposuction and tummy work. Fat grafting to the buttock, or non surgical fat reduction procedures like CoolSculpting, Sculpsure or Evolve Trim, or EMsculpt and laser hair removal of the armpits are also commonly combined with breast augment surgery.
The secret to a good breast augmentation scar is a plastic surgeon that places the scar in the least visible location, closes the scar expertly, and uses high tech strategies to limit the length of the scar. SpaMedica offers complimentary laser scar fading after surgery to ensure the best possible scar elimination for all breast implant Toronto patients.
Gummy bear breast implants have a silicone shell and cohesive silicone gel filling. They get their name from being supple whilst having a bounce-back – just like a gummy bear.
Gummy bear breast implants have the advantages over saline breast implants for being more breast-like in feel and texture, very rarely rippling, not leaking, and have a lifetime warranty provided by the manufacturer.
The results of a breast augmentation performed with a cohesive gel silicone breast implant, are designed to last the rest of your life.
Breast augmentation using a patient’s own fat stores is quite commonly performed by Dr. Mulholland. However, the breast augment volume that can be achieved with fat grafting is a function of the size of the existing gland and its blood supply available to nourish the transplanted fat cells. Although no artificial implant is required for fat grafting breast augmentation, the volumes achieved are usually less than ½ of the size that using a cohesive gel implant could achieve. Fat grafting is only a good option for those patients who have excess fat collections they want removed AND, would be happy with only a small to moderate increase in breast volume and projection.
If your breast augmentation was performed with a fat transplantation, there’s a natural loss of fat substance and volume as women age and there may be a loss of breast shape and volume over the 5-10 years following the fat grafting to the breasts.
Breast augmentation surgery performed in Toronto isn’t advised until your breasts are fully developed. In most patients, this is at 18 years of age, but it can be older.
If you are unsure if your breasts have stopped growing, consider if growth has been stable for 1 or 2 years. If you think your breasts are still growing and developing, it is best to delay implants.
Having different shaped or sized breasts is extremely common. Those dissatisfied with their asymmetrical breasts have plenty options available to them.
Breast surgery can be used to reduce the size of the larger breast, augment the smaller one, or have different sized breast implants placed into each. Depending on the goals of the patient, breast augmentation can be used to increase the size of the breasts to match, or breast reduction can be used to size the larger breast to match the smaller one. Patients with significant breast asymmetry can use the Vectra 3D computer-simulated augment surgery to try different size implants in each breast to find the optimal symmetry.
Breast augmentation Toronto patients who then get pregnant have an over 85% probability of breastfeeding successfully. The inability to breastfeed after implantation may be related to factors other than the implants themselves.
Combining breast augmentation at the same time as a breast lift can be done safely and effectively. By adding a lift to the implants, patients further enhance the size and appearance of their breasts. The result of the procedure is larger breasts that are higher and firmer, too. A breast lift does involve visible scars on the breast, so a thorough discussion of the location and quality of these scars needs to be part of the preoperative process.
Adding a breast lift to the procedure is particularly effective when the patient has a loss of volume due to sagging and there is very significant droopiness of the breast tissue. For this reason, it is particularly useful for those over 40 who have breastfed or who have had weight fluctuations.
It is important to remember, a well selected and performed breast augmentation procedure alone provides a “lift” effect to the breast, as well as increases the volume and projection. By using the Vectra 3D preoperatively, you will have a very good understanding if a breast implant alone provides the kind of lift you are looking for, or if you need to consider a formal breast lift operation (Mastopexy)
