Breast Augmentation Through the Belly Button? Don't Be Fooled

Many women would like breast implants, but they are turned off by the thought of visible scars...

• around the areola, or
• in the fold beneath the breast, or
• in the arm pit

So, some surgeons offer breast implants through the bellybutton.  Termed the TUBA (Trans-Umbilical Breast Augmentation), I have seen more disasters with this technique than any other....

• How can the surgeon expect to do finesse work from a foot away?  The belly button is too far away from the breasts.
• Hence, the implants are never placed 100% correctly.
• And the breasts are frequently asymmetric.
• How do you control operative bleeding from a distance?
• Hence, there are more bleeding complications with the TUBA.
• The long-term complication of bleeding around an implant is capsular contracture (hardening and disfigurement of the prosthesis).
• Surgeons cannot use silicone implants for TUBAs.  They are limited to saline, which are suboptimal for most patients.

I try to dissuade patients from undergoing TUBAs.  Los Angeles and Beverly Hills are filled with TUBA practitioners who have no intention of correcting their own mistakes.  So, in my practice in Ventura, California, I have to revise the breast implants on at least 5-10 TUBA patients each year.

On the other hand, non-surgical, "scarless" breast augmentations may be available soon....

• Commercially available fillers, similar to Restylane and Juvederm, have been trialled in Europe.  These products are injected into the breasts to produce small augmentations (maybe 1/2 of a cup).  While the fillers might last only 6-12 months, their placement involves no general anesthesia, no cutting, and no down-time--just a few needle pokes.
• Fat grafting may have efficacy.  Imagine liposuctioning fat from your tummy or hips, and then injecting it into your breasts.  It's a two-fer!  The big problem is the issue of cancer.  Will the fat cause breast cancer?  Will scarring from the fat transplant obscure tumors on mammograms?
• Vacuum?  Could you apply a vacuum to your existing breasts to stimulate their growth?  Sustained tension on your teeth allows your orthodontist to correct your smile.  Little people have been stretched to increase their height.  Why not suck the breasts bigger?!  This is an awfully compelling area of research which I hope pans out.

Comments

[Cosmetic surgeon Los Angeles]

Yes, DON'T BE FOOLED! There are a lot of advertisements that we can see nowadays that sometimes sound as too good to be true when it comes to cosmetic surgery. Why take the risk? Take a few minutes off and head to a trusted surgeon who could perform such procedure.

[Michael Pickart]

Thanks for the supportive comments! Glad that other plastic surgeons agree to avoid gimmicks.

Michael C. Pickart, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Pickart Plastic Surgery, Inc.

428 Poli St.,#2C, Ventura, CA 93001
(805) 648-4567 | fax (805) 641-0811

To: info@pickartplasticsurgery.com