Breast Augmentation in Fairfax, Virginia or Washington, DC

Breast augmentation increases the size of a woman's breasts through the surgical placement of saline or silicone gel breast implants. Many women seek to have larger breasts, or to restore breast fullness and projection after weight loss or pregnancy. Since individual patient goals vary, breast augmentation surgery offers a variety of breast implant sizes, shapes, and incision placement options.

What is the cost of breast augmentation surgery around Washington DC?

In our Fairfax plastic surgery office, the cost of breast implants generally ranges from about $5300 to $6300. The newer silicone gel implants cost more than saline, and some patients may have requirements which change the cost slightly. We do offer financing through CareCredit and accept credit cards for surgery. Read more about financing cosmetic surgery on our Payment Options page.

Breast Augmentation before and after photos

This 45 year old from Arlington, Virginia is a breast augmentation patient with mild breast ptosis (sagging) underwent subpectoral breast augmentation with 300cc implants to create a much more youthful appearance.

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Choosing the size of your breast implants

Today's breast implants and surgical techniques can deliver a very natural look that balances body proportion. Both silicone gel and saline implants are safe and reliable options for breast augmentation. Individual anatomy must be taken into consideration for each patient, and people are often naturally asymmetrical, requiring two slightly different sized implants to achieve symmetrical results.

The same sized implant may also look different in different people. At Hess Plastic Surgery great care is taken in working with each patient to measure, assess and design the outcome, before surgery.

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Who is an ideal candidate for breast augmentation?

Many factors such as pregnancy, breastfeeding, age, loss of skin elasticity and gravity can have an effect on the aesthetics and position of the breasts, resulting in sagging and loss of shape. Ideal candidates for breast augmentation have realistic expectations, understand the surgery's limitations, and are emotionally mature.

There are many factors to consider before breast implant surgery that will help you determine which procedure is best for you. During your consultation with Dr. Hess, you will discuss your goals and expectations for breast augmentation. Dr. Hess will be able to demonstrate what you will look like with various sized implants so that you can make an informed decision. It is important to remember that as you increase from your original cup size, your breasts will appear more in proportion to your body. An excessive increase will result in disproportion and an unnatural appearance.

If your breasts have lost volume after pregnancy for example, breast implants can also be placed in conjunction with a breast lift to increase both their firmness and their size.

Choosing saline or silicone implants

Saline and silicone implants are the two options available to you, and each has relative advantages and disadvantages. It is important to carefully weigh your options and discuss this with Dr. Hess before making your final decision.

Saline breast implants

Saline breast implants have an outer shell made of silicone rubber, and are filled with a saline solution at the time of surgery. Should the implant ever rupture, it is perfectly safe for the saline to be absorbed into the body. Since saline implants are filled after insertion, it is possible to place these implants with slightly smaller incisions.

Saline is sometimes criticized for feeling overly firm and unnatural. Depending on the patient, modern placement techniques can be used to place the implant behind the pectoralis muscle. This placement technique can help make saline implants feel more natural. Over time these implants will feel virtually the same as silicone implants depending on the amount of overlying breast tissue.

Silicone gel breast implants

Silicone breast implants have an outer shell made of silicone rubber and are filled with cohesive silicone gel. Silicone implants feel very similar to breast tissue and are not prone to occasional adverse affects seen with saline implants, such as visible ripples beneath the skin.

Because the size of silicone implants cannot be adjusted after placement, slightly larger incisions are required to accommodate the implants.

After a 14-year absence from the market, silicone breast implants became available again in 2006. Mentor and Allergan, the two companies which manufacture silicone implants, have both concluded definitively through long-term clinical trials in cooperation with the FDA that silicone implants are safe and effective. If you're interested in learning more about the safety of silicone breast implants, visit breastimplantsafety.org. Current FDA regulations require that you must be at least 22 years of age to get silicone implants.

Where are the incisions made during breast augmentation?

The type & size of your breast implants, combined with the natural shape of your breasts, will determine how noticeable your incisions are. Generally, Dr. Hess makes the incisions under the breast slightly below the existing crease, which makes them less noticeable, or around the nipple/areola.

It is also possible to place the incisions in the armpit or belly button. However, these two incisions do not offer enough visualization to appropriately place the implants. In addition they may be more noticeable, especially the armpit incision, and if a complication occurs, it may be necessary to make a new incision under the breast or around the nipple/areola.

What is the recovery like following breast augmentation?

Immediately after breast augmentation surgery, most patients experience mild swelling and some discomfort. Dr. Hess will prescribe a pain medication and muscle relaxant to alleviate any pain or discomfort and will have you wear a support bra for a few weeks.

Many patients are able to resume work after as little as three days after breast augmentation. It is important to remember that the full results may not be evident for several months as your body adjusts and heals. A great resource for real patient stories about breast augmentation can be found on RealSelf.com, where Dr. Hess has also answered hundreds of patient questions about plastic surgery.