Breast Augmentation

If you wish you had fuller, shapelier breasts, you are not alone. Women come from Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, Miramar Beach, Niceville, Panama City, other Florida cities, across the country, and from all around the world to have breast augmentation performed at Destin Plastic Surgery. Internationally renowned, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. William R. Burden is known for his innovative “No Scar on the Breast” technique.

Breast Augmentation
 Before & After Photos

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What Happens at a Breast Augmentation Consultation?

Your breast augmentation consultation is one of the biggest steps toward attaining the attractive shape you’ve likely been thinking about for quite some time. You will meet with Dr. Burden to determine whether you are a good candidate for the procedure. If so, he will explain your available options for breast implants and how the procedure is performed.

Using Canfield VECTRA® 3-D and Breast Sculptor software, Dr. Burden will show you a simulation of what you might look like after surgery. This state-of-the-art 3-D imaging system enables you to compare implants of different sizes and types and see the potential new you in 3-D before surgery!

At Destin Plastic Surgery, Dr. Burden and staff strive to make the breast augmentation consultation positive, productive, and exciting so that each patient leaves our center feeling empowered with information and confident about her choices.

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Should I Get Breast Augmentation?

Every woman is unique and beautiful in her own way, so the reasons for breast augmentation are varied and diverse. In general, this procedure is performed to increase breast size and improve breast shape. Breast augmentation may be right for you if you want to:

  • Increase the size of naturally small breasts
  • Return breasts to the size they were before weight loss, pregnancy, or breastfeeding
  • Balance breasts that are of different sizes
  • Attain a full, curvy bustline
  • Balance proportion between the upper body and the hips
Breast Augmentation book cover
Award-Winning Author

First Dr. Burden helped pioneer the No Scar on the Breast technique for breast augmentation, now he wrote the book on it. Drawing on his extensive experience, he created this helpful resource for women considering any type of breast augmentation.

Get Your "No Scar on the Breast" Guide

Why Should I Choose Dr. Burden for Breast Augmentation?

If you are evaluating breast augmentation surgeons, it is critical to assess their aesthetic judgment, surgical skill, and experience. Dr. Burden has taught other breast augmentation surgeons at symposia across the country and has been recognized year after year as one of the top breast augmentation surgeons in the country.

Allergan, the largest implant manufacturer in the US, has included Dr. Burden in their Breast Implant Symposium to advise on implant trends and breast augmentation treatments. Dr. Burden has participated on the International Physician’s Advisory Board for Mentor Corporation, one of the largest breast implant manufacturers in the world. His selection was based on experience and volume in breast enhancement surgery. This elite group advised Mentor Corporation on its product development and practice management systems.

Dr. Burden, Creator of the No Scar on the Breast® Technique

Dr. Burden is the plastic surgeon to plastic surgeons and physician specialists. He pioneered the No Scar on the Breast technique and has performed over 8,500 of these procedures - more than any other plastic surgeon in the Southeast. He has published papers on the No Scar on the Breast technique and has lectured to plastic surgeons on his technique both nationally and internationally.

Dr. Burden founded Destin Plastic Surgery in 1995 and directed its development into a world-class facility that is consistently on the forefront of innovation in plastic surgery and non-surgical treatments. He has held the rare distinction of dual board certification in plastic surgery and general surgery. Dr. Burden is known internationally and throughout the Southeast as a specialist in breast surgery and for developing the No Scar on the Breast technique for breast augmentation. Other plastic surgeons and doctors seek out his care and refer their spouses, families, and patients to him.

Meet Dr. Burden

Which Breast Augmentation Incision Is the Best?

While the vast majority of our patients choose the No Scar on the Breast underarm incision, Dr. Burden has significant experience performing augmentations through the inframammary fold (IMF) incision (which is placed in the crease beneath the breast) and the periareolar incision (which runs along the lower border of the areola).

If you wear a 2-piece bathing suit, the IMF incision will be visible when you raise your arms and your bathing suit top rises slightly. This incision is also visible when your bathing suit top does not entirely cover the inframammary fold area.

The most visually prominent area of the breast is the nipple-areola complex. The periareolar incision is visible when topless. If you form a poor scar or a hypertrophic scar, the scar will be in a very noticeable position. Also, this approach is often associated with loss of sensation in the nipple area around the scar and a slightly higher risk of infection.

The transaxillary No Scar on the Breast incision is placed in the armpit, not on the breast. In the unlikelihood that a bad scar should form, it is in a well-hidden place. The underarm area has natural creases, so the incision can be well hidden in a crease. Rarely does anyone look under your arm. In addition, the infection rate is lowest using this incision.

Which Incision Type Is Best for Revision Surgery?

Dr. Burden utilizes advanced techniques to perform revisional surgery through the same underarm incision he uses for most primary breast augmentation surgeries. Many women are misinformed that implant exchanges, adjustments, and removal can only be performed through an IMF (inframammary fold) or periareolar (nipple) incision. Many times that is not the case. People travel to Destin to seek Dr. Burden’s expertise in the “No Scar on the Breast” technique for their breast implant revision procedures.

What Are My Options for Breast Implant Placement?

Once your surgeon makes the incision, he creates a space behind the breast for the implant. This space, called the pocket, can be made directly behind the breast tissue, called a subglandular placement, or behind the chest muscle, called submuscular placement. The table below compares the 2 techniques:

TechniqueImplant PlacementAdvantagesDisadvantages
Dual-Plane SubmuscularUnder the chest muscleResults look more natural because the chest muscle covers the implant. Risk of future breast sagging is diminished because the chest muscle supports the implant.

Mammograms are easier to read.

May reduce the risk of capsular contracture.
Longer recovery. Possibly more postoperative discomfort.

Implant may move more with a forceful contraction of the chest muscle.
SubglandularUnder the breast tissue but on top of the chest muscleShorter recovery.Implants are more noticeable. Breasts are more likely to droop in the future because breast tissue is not well supported.

Complicates future breast lift procedures because the blood supply is removed from beneath the breast tissue.

Submuscular vs. Subglandular

With the development of fiber optic technology, the transaxillary approach (placement through the underarm incision) has become a technically more precise procedure. The endoscope (a fiber optic camera) allows the implant pocket to be well-defined and easily visualized, ensuring more accurate implant placement. The endoscopic technique also lends itself to placing the implant in a submuscular (under the pectoral muscle) versus a subglandular (under the breast gland) position.

Placing breast implants beneath the pectoral muscles (submuscular placement) offers the following 3 major advantages:

  • Decreased rate of capsular contracture
  • More tissue to cover the implant to prevent the implant from being easily seen or felt
  • Support of the breast gland by the underlying muscle to diminish future droop

Should I Choose Saline or Silicone Implants?

Dr. Burden commonly uses breast implants filled with either saline or cohesive silicone gel. He will help you choose the appropriate implant type and placement for your breast enlargement goals.

Silicone breast implants are by far the more popular choice worldwide. The advantages of silicone implants are numerous. They offer a much softer feel and allow women with small breasts to have larger enhancements without the problems of rippling that can occur with saline implants.

Saline implants can be an excellent choice as long as a woman has adequate breast tissue to cover the implant. The limitation of the saline implant is that the larger the implant and the less breast tissue a woman has, the more likely it is to ripple or be felt underneath the skin. The saline implant is also adjustable and is a good choice for women with different size breasts (asymmetry).

Implant Rupture

The saline implant is filled with saltwater (saline) and, therefore, will go “flat” if it ever leaks. A saline implant deflation is very obvious to the patient.

The new silicone gel implant is more cohesive and therefore is less likely to leak into the tissues than the old liquid-filled silicone gel implants. Ruptures won’t cause a noticeable change in the appearance of the breast.

Do Saline Implants Look Natural?

The popular saline breast implant is available in a wide array of sizes and shapes to accommodate various body types and allows for a very natural appearance. High profile and moderate plus profile styles are available for greater projection in the breast profile. Typically, the profile is chosen based on numerous features of the breast and the desired cup size and, therefore, should be discussed with Dr. Burden to determine what would be best for you.

Round breast implant shells come in 2 surface textures, smooth or textured. Smooth surface breast implants may be less likely to be felt through the skin and tissue and tend to ripple less than textured implants. The smooth, round saline implant has been of the most popular implants for over 20 years—giving the breast a full, rounded look that adds greater dimension to the breast. It gives the breast a nice fullness at the top while maintaining the natural teardrop appearance.

Are Silicone Implants Safe?

In 2006, after rigorous scientific review, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the marketing of silicone gel-filled breast implants made by two companies for breast reconstruction in women of all ages and breast augmentation in women ages 22 and older. The implant has quickly become the implant of choice. Research on the implants began in 1997 when the Department of Health and Human Services launched one of the most extensive research studies in medical history by appointing the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Science (IOM) to examine potential complications of silicone breast implants.

Dr. Burden has been an investigator and involved with the FDA-approved study allowing women to receive silicone breast implants since 1997. He is among the top plastic surgeons in the nation regarding the placement of saline and silicone breast implants.

Investigational Breast Implant Studies

Dr. William Burden was appointed to the International Physician’s Advisory Board for Mentor Corporation. This group is selected based on experience and volume in breast enhancement surgery. This elite group advises Mentor Corporation on its latest product development and practice management systems.

Additionally, Dr. Burden of Destin Plastic Surgery and Dr. Robert Rey of E! ‘s “Dr. 90210” fame were among a group of select plastic surgeons who met in Las Vegas to be briefed on the Becker adjustable gel implant clinical trials. Dr. Burden was one of only 30 plastic surgeons nationwide selected to participate in the trials.

The adjustable gel implant combines the silicone gel implant’s benefits with the saline implant’s adjustability. This implant is currently in use in Europe, and Mentor Corporation will be seeking FDA approval in the United States. At this time, it is considered an investigational device and is only available in the clinical study. Dr. Burden will be an investigator in the clinical studies.

Which Size Breast Implants Should I Choose?

Sometimes choosing an implant size can be the most difficult decision for a woman; however, there is typically a right size for each patient. The size should be determined based on the width of the implant rather than the volume. As an implant gets larger, the width becomes wider. The implants should be chosen based on the base width of the patient’s breasts.

This base width should be discussed with your surgeon and may be altered using a moderate, moderate plus, or high-profile implant based on the patient’s desired result. The higher the implant profile, the narrower the implant. It is important that the surgeon choose the proper implant to ensure the optimal result and optimal cleavage. Unfortunately, many patients we see are breast implant revisions from other plastic surgeons that do not have the same experience as Dr. Burden. Dr. Burden has performed thousands of breast augmentations and will recommend a size and implant type that will give you a good result.

What Is Breast Augmentation Recovery Like?

You may feel stiff and sore in the chest region for the first 2 to 5 days after your breast augmentation procedure. Any dressings will be removed within a week. Your breasts may feel tight and sensitive to the touch, and your skin may feel warm or itchy. You may experience difficulty raising your arms.

You should not lift, push, or pull anything or engage in any strenuous activity or twisting of the upper body. If you have young children at home, it is important to discuss some of your limitations with your doctor so proper instruction can be given to help you during recovery.

After 2 to 3 days, most patients do not require pain medication other than an occasional dose at night. Some bruising and swelling occur initially and then fade over the course of 1 to 2 weeks. Most residual swelling resolves within a month.

What’s Next?

Dr. Burden is known for his experience and dedication to staying at the forefront of breast enhancement techniques and technology. To learn more about breast augmentation, call our office today at (850) 654-1194 or request a consultation online. Women visit Destin Plastic Surgery for breast augmentation with implants from Mobile and Dothan, AL; Pensacola and Panama City, FL; and other surrounding cities, as well as across the country and international locations.

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