Breast Surgery Winchester VA -Berman Cosmetic Surgery- Northern Virginia Breast Implants and Cosmetic Surgery

Breast Augmentation - Breast Implants - Northern Virginia Breast Surgery

What is Breast Augmentation?

breast_augBreast Augmentation is a very popular procedure for women who want to fit into more flattering clothes or enhance their self-image. It's also beneficial to women who want to restore their figures after pregnancy or breast-feeding. A breast augmentation can be combined with a breast lift,if needed. This is one of the 3 major operations that Dr. Berman does most frequently. Dr. David Berman performs this surgery at Loudoun Hospital, FairOaks Hospital, Countryside Ambulatory Surgery Center.

What it Involves
Dr. Berman uses both saline and silicone gel-filled breast implants - and any of the low, moderate and high profile types.

Dr. Berman will place the implants below the muscle. In breasts with a minor degree of droopiness, the implants often provide a significant lift. Some patients may require that a surgical breast lift (mastopexy) which can be carried out in conjunction with a Breast Augmentation.

About the Breast Augmentation Surgery Procedure
The Breast Augmentation procedure is done on an outpatient basis, taking approximately one hour. If saline implants are used Dr. Berman is able to use a very small incision that is approximately 1-½ inches either on the underside of the breast or periareolar region (the area around the lower part of the areola). The only dressing is a small steristrip (piece of special tape). You can shower in 24 hours.

If silicone implants are selected, a larger incision is required. This is placed on the underside of the breast. The larger incision is required because the silicone implants come already filled, whereas the saline implants are empty and they are filled once they are placed inside the patient.

There is no "right" choice when trying to decide between using saline or a silicone implant. Both will give an excellent results. Each one has specific advantages.

The silicone implants have a more natural feel because the density of the silicone is closer to that of fatty tissue, which is what gives breasts their soft feel. However, silicone implants are more expensive, require a larger incision which must be placed in the inframammary position. In addition the FDA has at present, stipulated that women must be at least 22 years of age before they receive a silicone breast implant. The FDA is also recommending that women obtain MRI's every 2 years if they have a silicone breast implants.

Breast scars fade extremely quickly, becoming very difficult to see after about a year. In addition, Breast Augmentation should not interfere with breast-feeding.

What Post-Op care is required for Breast Surgery Augmentation
Dr. Berman's patients usually experience little or no bruising after the procedure. However, it is common to have some swelling, which most often occurs in the upper pole of the breast, and will take some time to fully resolve. For swelling, Ice can be applied to the upper breast for 24-72 hours (frozen peas or corn work bes, but any vegetable or fruit is fine. I am non-discriminatory to all fruits and vegetables). Dr. Berman recommends that you bring a sports bra to the operating room and we will put you in this bra in the recovery room. You will feel more comfortable if you wear the bra day and night (except in the shower) for at least a week. (Dr. Berman will advise you about how long you will need to wear the bra. Heavy lifting should be avoided for one month. Dr. Berman will discuss massaging the implants at your first post-operative visit which is usually 5-7 days after surgery. It is not helpful and only painful to think about beginning massage before one week. Dr. Berman will have the nurses start you on stretch exercises in the recovery room. This is one of the key "tricks" for preventing post-operative discomfort - by keeping the muscles stretched and not tight.

Most patients will take approximately 5-7 days off from work to recover after the surgery, although Dr. Berman has had patients go back to work as early as 3 days after surgery. In Dr. Berman's experience, patients who keep themselves comfortable for the first 2-3 days after surgery have a very smooth postoperative course.

Looking for breast augmentation doctors in VA? Dr Berman is a Board certiified plastic surgeon who specializes in breast implants and breast augmentation.

See before and after photos of cosmetic surgical procedures. breast implant photos, breast reduction photos, and breast lift photos ,
Serving Frederick County, Winchester VA, 22601 Northern Virginia

Breast Reduction

Who is this for?
Women with enlarged breasts often have to deal with the difficulties of finding clothes that fit or maintaining a professional appearance at work. In addition, many suffer from back, neck and shoulder pain due to the weight of their breasts, as well as rashes underneath the breasts. Because of the physical discomfort caused by this condition, many insurance companies will pay for the surgical correction. Sometimes reffered to as breast liposuction.

Insurance Coverage
If you are working with your health insurance for this procedure, please bring an insurance referral if one is required by your plan. Based on the consultation, I will send a letter and photograph to your insurance company. The letter will explain that your request for a breast reduction is based on discomfort and not on cosmetic desire alone. Some of the insurance companies will provide their requirements on line.

Typically, you can expect your insurance company to respond within four to six weeks. If they approve of the surgery, the insurance company will pay 100% of the costs. However, many patients have preferred to pay for this procedure privately to avoid the hassle of dealing with the insurance companies.

About the Breast Reduction Procedure
When I perform a Breast Reduction, I carry out a Breast Lift (Mastopexy) at the same time. Unlike some surgeons, I almost never detach the nipple from the breast. This reduces the possibility of loss of the color and sensation of the nipple, and better ensures a woman's the ability to breast-feed. The procedure takes approximately 2.5 hours. The scars are around the areola and then in an inverted T shape. In select patients, i may utilize a different incision. I almost never use drains. All the incisions are closed with internal sutures, covered with steristrips, so there is no messy ointments that you have to apply. I will recommend that you purchase from my office Scarguard which will help minimize your scarring.

What Post-Op care is required for Breast Reduction?
Post-operatively, my Breast Reduction patients experience surprisingly little pain. In addition, you can expect any scars from this procedure to fade very nicely. I allow showering 24 hours after surgery. Most patients will take 10-14 days off from work to recuperate.

See before and after photos of breast reduction surgical procedures

Breast Lift Surgery

What is Breast Lift (Mastopexy)?
Mastopexy is a surgical procedure for correcting drooping or sagging breasts. Sometimes a mastopexy is combined with a breast implant to create a fuller breast than a lift alone would accomplish. In cases of minor ptosis (sagging), sometimes a Breast Augmentation alone can correct the problem.

Who is this for?
Mastopexy is designed for women with drooping or sagging breasts. In some cases, these women's breasts have stretched the skin and less volume. (An analogy would be to compare this condition to having too much wrapping paper and not enough contents.) This condition may be due to a considerable weight loss, pregnancies, or breast-feeding. (Note that if you're planning on having more children, it may be a good idea to postpone your breast lift.).

About the Breast Lift Procedure
This procedure is done on an outpatient basis taking approximately one to three hours to complete, depending on the complexity of the surgery required.

There are two major types of mastopexies. The first is a donut mastopexy, which is used to correct minor forms of ptosis. It involves an incision on the superior (upper) half of the areola and excising the skin above it. Sometimes I will do this just in the office under local anesthesia. The procedure usually leaves a very inconspicuous scar on the upper half of the areola.

The second type of mastopexy is a variation on a vertical mastopexy. This requires an incision around the entire areola that extends inferior, to the inframammary crease and usually has a short horizontal componet. All scarring is hidden by a bra or a low cut dress. The breast tissue is reshaped internally. This is a more complicated procedure that takes approximately 1.25 hours per breast to carry out.

What Post-Op care is required for Breast Lift?
Post-operatively, my mastopexy patients experience surprisingly little pain. After a major mastopexy, some patients say that the breast feels tight, like when they were nursing. After a vertical mastopexy it is important to wear a sports bra afterwards for several weeks to help shape the breast. Most breast scars fade quickly and will continue to become fainter with time

Breast Lift Surgery Northern Virginia & Washington DC including residents of Fairfax, Sterling, Manassas, and Western Loudoun Virginia.

See before and after photos of breast lift cosmetic surgical procedures
See before and after photos of cosmetic surgical procedures. breast implant photos, breast reduction photos, and breast lift photos ,

Serving Frederick County, Winchester VA, 22601 Northern Virginia

Tummy Tuck

tummy-tuckWhat is Abdominoplasty/Tummy Tuck - Who is this for?
If you have loose or sagging abdominal skin or of you are unable to tighten your abdomen with exercise, you could be a candidate for an Abdominoplasty, also known as the "Tummy Tuck". This surgery has provided great benefit to many people who have had pregnancies or a considerable weight loss that has resulted in loose skin or weak abdominal musculature. This is one of my most popular procedures.

For patients with little to no lose skin, but laxity of the lower abdominal wall, a mini-tummy tuck may be an option. I will discuss this at the time of your office consult.

About the Abdominoplasty Procedure
An Abdominoplasty involves surgically removing the redundant skin (or rolls) and fat from the lower abdomen. I also usually tighten the abdominal muscles to decrease the abdominal bulge. It is imperative that you bring your favorite bikini bottom or underwear to the operating room, since I will make my incisions to follow the line of your clothes so that that scar is hidden as much as possible.

In addition to a smoother, flatter abdomen, a bonus for this process is that it often eliminates most stretch marks on the lower abdomen as well. Many patients will combine Liposuction or Breast Procedures at the same time as an Abdominoplasty. At the time of your consultation, I will discuss with you if an abdominoplasty is the best procedure for you, or if something else would be better for you, such as liposuction alone. Not everyone is a candidate for a tummy tuck.

We are conveniently located in Sterling Va, just outside of Washington, DC. Our clients travel from Winchester VA, Frederick County VA, Northern Virginia, Fairfax County, Maryland, and across the Mid-Atlantic region.