How to Prepare Before Surgery
- It is important to stop taking all unnecessary medications and vitamins including such things as: birth control pills, hormone drugs, Vitamin, aspirin etc. for 2 weeks prior to surgery if possible. Any substance which can increase bleeding should be discontinued from ingestion. If you are undergoing treatment for diabetes, thyroid issues, heart disease and hypertension, please let our consultants know immediately.
- The healthier you are before surgery, the faster you will recover. It is important to stop smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol for at least 5 days before surgery. Eating whole foods like vegetables and fruits will improve your after surgery recovery as well.
- On the surgery day, you should wear comfortable loose fitting clothes (zip ups are great), remove jewelry, remove make-up, remove nail polish and contact lenses.
- Procedures such like fat grafting can be done under twilight or local anesthesia with sedation and so you must fast (no drinking liquids or eating foods) for 4-6 hours depending on your consultation. Breast augmentation, shaping and reduction is done under general anesthesia so 8 hours of fasting will be recommended.
What to do After Surgery
- Our helper and translator will be with you every step of the way including after your surgery when you wake up. We will be there to nurse you with love and care helping you to recover in the clinic, provide pumpkin porridge for your recovery (please let us know if you do not like pumpkin or have an allergy), analyze your recovery, help you get your after treatment pack and medication.
- There will be a lot of discomfort for the first few days and you will need to wear a compression bandage for surgical breast augmentation, shaping and reduction procedures.
- Take all medication until completion, come back for your scheduled check-ups and cleaningsand try to sleep on your back. You should have for surgical breast procedures 10-14 days in Korea for these procedures depending on the procedure. The bare minimum time is 7 days but more time is recommended.
- Smoking and drinking after surgery for at least 4 weeks is highly discouraged as it will affect your recovery and possibly your results.
Breast Implants
What size should I get? The size of the breast implants is determined by your skin thickness, weight, body shape, needs and wants. For example, in many cases, very thin patients can get 300cc (cubic centimeters) implants or more but it will not look natural on their body. If you want a natural look it is important to follow the doctor’s advice. To help you imagine how many cc are best for you to try to think that 150-200cc is roughly equal to 1 to 1.5 cup sizes but this varies depending on breast tissue and chest width. Most patients have happier long term results if they follow the doctor’s advice and go with the size that best suits their body type. How much projection should I go for? Implants come in 4 types of projection: low profile, moderate profile, high profile, and extra high profile. Low profile implants have a small forward projection and are best suited for those with a wider frame looking for balance. The moderate profile is the most realistic looking kind of implant and are best suited for those who want a wider chest look. High profile implants have a strong projection and are best suited for those who don’t want to appear to have a wide chest. Extra high profile implants have the greatest projection and are best suited for those who want a smaller chest diameter but a more noticeable depth. Round or Tear Drop? We can conclusively say that the shape of the implant (round or teardrop) depends totally on your body and what you want. Some patients will benefit more from round implants which have more volume in the top half of the breast while others will see better results with a more anatomical shape create with the tear drop implants. Round implants are still the leading kind of implant. If you are looking for more volume in the top portion of your chest and your body is suited for it, then round implants are a better choice. Please note that round implants tend to look more artificial when looking at the naked body than teardrop implants but they provide a fuller breast look. Teardrop implants have more volume at the bottom similar to real breasts. These implants are not as filled out at the top as found implants but they provide greater projection and look more natural when looking at the naked body. Under the muscle, partially under the muscle or above the muscle? The placement of the breast implants is best left to the advice of your specialist surgeon. Placing it under the muscle (submuscular) allows a great amount of breast tissue to cover the implants leading to softer breast and less risk of ripples. It has longer recovery time and is more painful. If you currently have saggy breasts then a breast lift is recommended as well with this placement. Those who exercise heavily with weights are not good candidates for this placement. Partially under the muscle (dual plane) is a very skilled procedure where the implants are placed only partly under the muscle and it reduces the need of a breast lift. Over the muscle placements (subglandular) are best suited for those who already have the necessary amount of breast tissue which will cover the implant. It has a shorter recover time and is often done without the need of a breast lift. At Seoul Guide Medical we strongly advice you to listen to your surgeon. Go with the placement that the surgeon recommends for better long term results. Where will the incision be made? There are 3 main incision methods: transaxillary, inframammary and periareolar. The transaxillary method uses the armpit area for the incision location. The folds and wrinkles in the armpits hide scars very well. However, larger breast implants cannot be placed effectively using this method. This method is more suited for those looking for more natural breast size. The inframammary method using the breast fold and the incision is made under the breast fold. An expert will minimize scarring but you can expect some scarring to be visible. This implant incision area is best suited for those who want to have large or extra large implants and are comfortable with a visible scar. The periareolar method inserts the implant by making an incision around the nipple. Because of the way the nipple area is formed, scarring is hard to notice. This procedure may affect breastfeed ability so if breastfeed is important for you, please avoid this method. There is one more method which is not commonly utilized, the navel insertion. Implants are placed through the belly button however the success rate of these implants is lower and more complications arise from it. It is best to avoid this method if possible. Surgery Time: 2-3 hours Anesthesia: General anesthesia Hospitalization: 0-1 day After Surgery Check-ups: 3-4 Recommended Minimum Time in Seoul: 14 days Recovery Time to Normal Look: 2 months Recovery Time to Full Setting: 6-12 months Hemo Vac Removal: 3 days Fixable Bra: You should wear it for at least 14 days after surgery
Breast Augmentation via Fat Grafting
If you are looking for less drastic and more temporary increases in bust size and shape then fat grafting is an option. For longer lasting results, this procedure is best done over 2-3 sessions and a single session may not procedure the desired results. Fat is liposuctioned from the tummy, thighs, buttocks or the flanks, processed and grafting to the breasts to correct asymmetry and increase the size. The best candidates for fat grafting to the breasts are women who have sufficient amounts of fat in their body for this procedure and understand that a single fat transfer procedure may yield only temporary results (results improve over 2-3 transfers). Fat transfer to the breast yields a survival rate of 50-80% but again we must stress that 2-3 sessions are needed for best results. You can expect an increase of cup size up to 1 full bra cup size. This procedure is great yields the best results on women with smaller frames as a 1 cup bra size increase will appear bigger than a woman with a larger frame. If you want a larger increase in volume then implants will procedure better results. Surgery Time: 4-6 hours Anesthesia: Local anesthesia (deep sleep) or General anesthesia Hospitalization: You can leave after 2-3 hours After Surgery Check-ups: 3-4 Recommended Minimum Time in Seoul: 10 days Recovery Time to Normal Look: 2 months Recovery Time to Full Setting: 6-12 months Fixable Bra: You should wear it for at least 14 days after surgery
Breast Lift
As we age, breast tissue and skin lose elasticity causing the breasts to sag downwards. This problem can be corrected via breast lifting. It is common for women who have gone through pregnancy, have gone through breast feeding, have lost sudden weight or have aged in this manner. There are 3 stages of breast drooping. Stage A mastoptosis is when the nipple is drooped below the inframammary fold by less than 1cm. Stage B mastoptosis is when the nipple is drooped below the inframammary fold by 1-3cm. Stage C mastoptosis is when the nipple is drooped below the inframammary fold by 3cms or more or is pointing downwards. In some cases, you will benefit more by combining a breast lift with breast augmentation via implants. This will give the best and most long lasting results. Surgery Time: 3-5 hours Anesthesia: or General anesthesia Hospitalization: 0-1 day After Surgery Check-ups: 3-4 Recommended Minimum Time in Seoul: 14 days Recovery Time to Normal Look: 2 months Recovery Time to Full Setting: 6-12 months Fixable Bra: You should wear it for at least 14 days after surgery
Breast Reduction
If you have breasts which are too big and or are causing you pain then a breast reduction may be right for you. Often women with over 400cc of breast tissue experience physical pain, neck and back problems due to the weight of their chest. The breasts can sag downwards causing issues when a bra is not worn. There are 3 main methods for breast reduction: vertical incision, areola incision and inferior pedicle incision. The vertical incision is best for women who wish to retain breast feeding potential. The incision is made in a vertical line running down from the bottom center of the nipple. There will be slight scarring visible afterwards. The areola incision is best for those who do not want visible scarring and who’s breasts are not too oversized. This method retains breast feeding potential. The incision is made around the areola so visible scarring is minimal. The inferior pedicle technique is best for extremely large and saggy breasts as it incises around the areola and vertically down to the breast fold from the center of the nipple. Scarring is the most visible here but for women with very large and very saggy breasts, this is the best option. Surgery Time: 3-5 hours Anesthesia: or General anesthesia Hospitalization: 0-1 day After Surgery Check-ups: 3-4 Recommended Minimum Time in Seoul: 14 days Recovery Time to Normal Look: 2 months Hemo Vac Removal: 3 days after
Nipple and Areola Reduction
If your nipples and or areola (the dark area around the nipples) are too large then internal nipple tissue and areola tissue can be removed to create a more balanced look. Many women and men are self-conscious due to their excess nipple and or areola size. Having this simple procedure can really help improve your look by making the area balanced with the rest of your chest and body. Surgery Time: 30-60 minutes Anesthesia: Local anesthesia with sedation (deep sleep) or General anesthesia Hospitalization: Can leave the clinic after 2 hours After Surgery Check-ups: 3-4 Recommended Minimum Time in Seoul: 10-14 days Recovery Time to Normal Look: 2 months