Breast Augmentation
Breast Augmentation at Mountain West Plastic Surgery and Medical Spa
You have your own reasons for wanting to increase the size of your breasts, and we’re here to listen and help.
Board-certified plastic surgeons Dr. Michelle Spring and Dr. Michael Hromadka create beautiful, personalized breast augmentation results to match what you want. Their experience is unmatched in the area, and women considering breast augmentation travel to Kalispell from Missoula, Whitefish, and Great Falls, Montana; Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint, Idaho; and throughout the Northwest to have them perform their procedures. Learn more about your options below, and then schedule your private consultation to discuss your goals with Dr. Spring or Dr. Hromadka.
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Breast augmentation, also known as augmentation mammoplasty or breast implant surgery, is a popular cosmetic surgery procedure focused on increasing breast size and enhancing breast shape using implants. Breast implants are available with either a saline (sterile saltwater) or silicone gel filling, and come in various shapes and sizes to best suit individual anatomical needs and aesthetic preferences.
The primary purpose of breast augmentation is to help women achieve a fuller, more shapely bust that harmonizes with their body's proportions. It is a thoughtful choice for those seeking to restore volume lost due to pregnancy or weight fluctuations, correct natural asymmetry, or simply enhance their figure for a more balanced silhouette. Our plastic surgeons at Mountain West Plastic Surgery and Medical Spa will guide you through all available options, including various implant types and placement methods, ensuring a truly personalized approach.
Breast augmentation and breast lift surgery are distinct breast enhancement procedures that provide different benefits. These before and after photos provide examples of breast augmentation, breast lift surgery, and a combination of breast lift with implants.
Breast augmentation adds fullness with an implant. It can correct mild to moderate sagging but does not significantly improve breast shape.
Choosing breast implants is an exciting part of your breast augmentation journey, and our surgeons help guide your choices and customize your procedure based on your body type and cosmetic goals. We’ll help you enhance your breasts in a way that produces natural-looking results in balance with the rest of your body. You can see an infographic describing your breast implant options in our blog post. Below is an overview of the choices you’ll make, including implant size, filling, profile, and shape.
During your consultation, Dr. Spring or Dr. Hromadka listens to how you want your breasts to look and takes precise measurements of the breasts and chest area to ensure the implant size is proportional to your body’s frame. You may want to bring “wish photos” to the consultation to provide a clearer idea of the results you want.
Even though many patients understand that implants can be filled with either silicone or saline, your range of choices when it comes to silicone gel are quite extensive.
The consistency of the gel within silicone breast implants varies, including highly cohesive gel that is firmer than other options. These highly cohesive gel implants are sometimes called “gummy bear” implants because they retain their shape even if they rupture. Most patients, both at our practice and throughout the U.S., choose silicone gel implants because they believe they feel and look more like natural breasts than saline-filled implants.
Saline breast implants are filled with a saltwater solution and are preferred by some patients who want a more natural fill substance. They are better for women with more natural breast tissue; women with little breast tissue may not be the best candidates for saline implants because they are more prone to visible rippling than silicone gel implants.
“Dr. Spring is very educated and knows exactly how to take the information you give her about how you hope to look and get you there. She explained to me how my own individual body shape and dimensions will affect my outcome. And that helped me ultimately decide what I wanted.”
–Ashleyolson, 5-Star RealSelf review
Our surgeons help patients choose the implant profile that best suits their aesthetic goals. An implant’s profile involves how far the implant projects from the chest, influencing how your results appear from a side view. The profile options typically include:
Implants have the widest base and the least forward projection. They’re typically suited for women with broader chests who want subtle volume and a more natural, understated enhancement.
Implants offer a balance between width and projection, creating a soft, rounded look without being too prominent. They’re a popular choice for women seeking a natural-looking breast shape with moderate fullness.
Implants project more from the chest wall and have a narrower base than moderate profile implants. They create a more noticeable lift and fullness, making them ideal for women who want a rounder, perkier appearance.
Implants provide the highest projection with the narrowest base. These are best for women who want dramatic volume and upper pole fullness, especially in cases where a more prominent look is desired or when working with a narrower chest frame.
The options for implant shape are round or anatomical (tear-drop).
Round implants are the most popular and work well for most patients. The surface is smooth, and they produce results that look very natural after they “drop and fluff.”
Anatomically shaped implants have more volume in the lower portion of the implant, mimicking the shape of natural breasts. The surface is textured to help prevent the implants from rotating, which can produce unnatural-looking outcomes.
“I was referred to Dr. Hromadka from a surgeon in another city and I am so glad I was! My experience was first-rate from start to finish. I highly recommend Dr. Hromadka, he and his team are all consummate professionals who took good care of me. Dr. Hromadka is a highly skilled surgeon and I am so very pleased with my results.”
–5-Star Healthgrades review
Your breast augmentation journey at Mountain West Plastic Surgery and Medical Spa is meticulously planned and performed, with your comfort and safety as our highest priorities. Upon your arrival at our brand new, AAAASF-certified surgery center in Kalispell, MT—the only one of its kind in Montana—our compassionate team will welcome you and ensure you are prepared to undergo your procedure with confidence.
Dr. Spring and Dr. Hromadka tailor each breast augmentation procedure to produce results that match your goals. Breast augmentation surgery involves a number of choices that are based on your input during the consultation. These include where the plastic surgeons make incisions and whether to insert implants in front of or behind the chest muscle. During the surgery, your plastic surgeon will make carefully chosen incisions, according to your treatment plan.
Through this incision, a pocket is created for implant insertion either above or below the pectoral muscle, depending on the chosen implant placement. The breast implant, either saline or silicone, is then carefully inserted and positioned. Saline implants are filled with sterile saline after placement; silicone implants come pre-filled. Once the implant is optimally situated, the incisions are meticulously closed. The procedure typically takes between one to two hours. You will be cared for by our experienced staff as you recover from anesthesia before returning home.
The best choice for your incision location depends on the size and type of breast implants used and your own personal preference. Incision location options include:
Inframammary: This is the most common incision location, at the base of the breast where the skin connects to the chest wall, called the inframammary fold or breast crease. This incision site provides surgeons direct access to create the pocket for the breast implants. Scars resulting from the incisions are well-concealed and typically fade significantly during the first year after the procedure.
Periareolar: Made on the lower edge of the areola (the darker skin surrounding the nipple), this incision is camouflaged because it blends with the pigmented skin. If you’re planning to have children in the future and intend to breastfeed, you should understand there is a slight risk of severing the breasts’ milk ducts.
Transaxillary: Patients who want to avoid having incisions made on the breasts have the option of transaxillary incisions, which surgeons make in the underarm area. Surgeons use a device called an endoscope during the procedure to create implant pockets because they don’t have a direct view of the area. This incision location is limited to patients who choose saline implants, which the surgeons can insert empty and then fill with the solution.
Dr. Spring or Dr. Hromadka creates an implant pocket either in front of the chest muscle (subglandular), behind the muscle (submuscular), or using the subfascial technique. Subfascial implant placement is a hybrid technique that places the implant beneath the pectoralis fascia, a thin but strong layer of fibrous connective tissue covering the chest muscle. This "middle ground" approach positions the implant above the muscle but with more coverage than subglandular (over-the-muscle) placement. It is valued for its ability to produce natural-looking results with a quicker recovery compared to under-the-muscle surgery. The physical characteristics of your breasts—the amount of existing breast tissue and skin quality—your lifestyle, and the type of implants used all influence the implant location choice. Your surgeon will help you decide the optimal placement for your implants.
For example, a woman with naturally small breasts with little breast tissue will generally get better results when the surgeon places implants behind the muscle. This helps create a more natural result and has the added benefit of slightly reducing the risk of capsular contracture, a complication that occurs when scar tissue contracts around the implant. On the other hand, placing the breast implant behind the existing tissue but in front of the muscle creates a fuller appearance and reduces the recovery time a bit because the procedure doesn’t involve trauma to the muscle. After inserting the implants and ensuring they’re symmetrical, the surgeon sutures the incisions and bandages them.
Our surgeons can safely combine breast augmentation with other procedures, called a mommy makeover, to give you multiple improvements with a single surgery and recovery period. Common options include:
Your surgeon discusses what you can expect during the recovery process during a pre-op appointment. Even though you should get plenty of rest during the first few days after your procedure, it’s also important to take frequent, gentle walks to keep the blood circulating.
While patient experiences vary, the recovery process following breast augmentation generally proceeds as follows:
Closely following your surgeon’s detailed postoperative instructions increases the chances you’ll recover quickly and with minimal discomfort. You can read about tips for recovery after breast augmentation in this blog post.
When you choose a board-certified plastic surgeon who has extensive experience performing the procedure, breast enlargement surgery is considered safe. All surgery involves risks, so it’s important to choose your surgeon carefully.
The silicone and saline implants we use are FDA-approved and have their own advantages. Many women choose silicone gel implants because they feel the most like natural breasts. Other women prefer saline implants because they are filled with harmless saltwater. The “best” choice for you is up to your personal preference.
Yes. For 3 to 6 weeks, you will need to wear a surgical bra (without an underwire) to minimize swelling and support the breasts while they heal.
Breast implants do not come with a specific expiration date. If you are not having problems and are happy with the way your breasts look and feel, you do not need to have your implants replaced. While they are not made to last a lifetime, today’s implants usually last at least 10 years.
While most patients are happy with their fuller breasts, if your preferences change in the future, our surgeons can perform explant surgery to take your implants out without replacing them.
Yes! Our surgeons perform a type of revision breast surgery called elective implant exchange to replace implants with a different fill material or size.
Many breast enlargement patients can successfully breastfeed after their surgery; however, there is no absolute guarantee. During your consultation, be sure to let your surgeon know you hope to breastfeed in the future so they can avoid affecting your milk glands when performing the surgery.
Are you ready to discover how breast augmentation at Mountain West Plastic Surgery can enhance your look and your confidence?
To discuss your options with one of our two highly trained plastic surgeons, request a consultation using the online form. Or you can call our office at (406) 609-0210 to schedule an appointment. We will provide you with a personalized quote for your procedure and can help you understand your financing options.
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