Tag Archive for: breast implants alexandria

Dr. Eric Desman has been providing highly personalized care to residents in the Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., areas since he opened the Virginia Center for Plastic Surgery in 1999. He greatly enjoys getting to know his patients and building an ongoing relationship with them. Dr. Desman’s practice is focused on body contouring procedures such as breast augmentation, tummy tuck, and liposuction.

Why should patients choose your practice over other options in the area?

“At the Virginia Center for Plastic Surgery, we help our patients achieve a natural and not overdone look. I help each individual figure out what that means for them, and I do my best to help them achieve their plastic surgery goals.”

Have you seen any changes or trends when it comes to breast implants?

“In general, people are much more educated about breast augmentation and what goals are attainable. Patients get a lot of information from the internet. There’s pretty good information out there, but my job during your consultation is to find out what’s important for you specifically so you can make a good decision for yourself.”

What is your approach to helping women pick the right breast implant size?

“A 300cc implant is going to look vastly different in a woman who is 5’ 1”, 105 pounds who’s never had any children compared to a 5’ 7”, 147 pound woman who’s had 2 or 3 kids. Those women are very different in body physique and tissue type. So, during the course of a consultation, we’ll take some measurements of your breast tissues. This helps me see if what you wish to get out of breast augmentation is an achievable result. Some women who want a certain breast implant size have enough breast tissue to achieve that size and some don’t. Taking these measurements gives us the ability to pick the best type and size of implants for your body. We spend a lot of time prior to surgery trying to pinpoint your desired outcome post-procedure. As a surgeon, I can tell by looking at your body frame and looking at a volume number what we can expect in the range of cup size. Since there is no such thing as a standard cup size, most women are after kind of a full C, small D range. If you come in for your consultation and want to have exactly the same procedure as your best friend, that may just not be right for you. I try not to focus so much on cup size, and really hone in on the final look my patient wants.”

What should women know before choosing a plastic surgeon?

“You’ve got to look at the surgeon’s years of experience. You should also take into account how their office staff responds to you, because that is almost always a reflection of the doctor. Throughout the course of your surgery, you will sometimes have as much contact with the office staff as with the doctor in the day-to-day visits. So if the office staff treats you well, that’s a good sign. Then once you make it into the office, think about how closely you feel you’re being listened to. Some of it is a little bit of a gut instinct, a gut feeling to make sure that the practice and the surgeon are a good fit for you personally.”

Can you talk to us about placement of the breast implants? Is above or below the muscle better?

“With a breast augmentation surgery, there are two basic choices of where to put the implant. One is above the muscle and one is mostly below the muscle. The very bottom part of the implant is typically not below the muscle, but the upper two-thirds to three-quarters of the implant are covered by the muscle. I like to go below the muscle as there’s a little bit more of a natural feel to the touch. Mammograms are also easier to read if the implant is under the muscle. So most women choose to go underneath the muscle and typically that’s my recommendation unless there’s any special extenuating circumstances that would indicate a need to go above the muscle. Depending upon what type of implant you choose, you have a lot of options on placement of the incisions. I discuss that with my patients throughout the whole process so we’re on the same page.”

How can women speed along the healing process after breast surgery?

“One of the things that we do at the Virginia Center for Plastic Surgery that has been very successful over the past 15 years is a rapid recovery approach to breast augmentation surgery. This rapid recovery approach allows most women to get back to normal activities, (sore but functional), 24 to 48 hours after surgery. There are three things that allow us to get most women back to normal activities very quickly after surgery:

1. We pick the right implant for your body.
2. We use a meticulous surgical technique that allows very little bleeding which helps the recovery process.
3. We ask the patient to come in and complete arm stretches after surgery which will also help hasten her recovery.

“My approach to rapid recovery breast augmentation means there are no special bras or narcotics needed after surgery. You can get into the shower the night of your procedure and women love it because they can get back on their feet very quickly.”

What can you tell us about silent rupture in breast implants?

“Breast implants are man-made devices. They’re not lifetime devices. So every implant, in my opinion, eventually will leak or rupture. If you have silicone gel implants and you detect a rupture early enough, a lot of times we’re able to remove the implant as well as the scar tissue that surrounds the implant as one unit. But frequently that leak in the silicone gel implant is not detected quickly and the silicone starts to leak through that scar tissue. A patient will then need a challenging, complicated surgery to get that old implant out and then put a new implant in. If the patient puts new silicone gel implants back in, then they’re just restarting the clock on the next problem or process with a leaked silicone gel implant. With IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implants, it’s easy to detect a leak because the breast will just start to get a little bit smaller as the saline leaks out. If that does happen, then it’s a fairly straightforward operation to replace that implant.”

What do you like about the IDEAL IMPLANT?

“From a surgeon’s perspective, I like the IDEAL IMPLANT because they have a fill range and that gives us a lot of control in the operating room for sizing of the implant. Most women have a bit of asymmetry, so we’re able to even that out during a breast enhancement procedure. The IDEAL IMPLANT also has a great feel to the touch after surgery and gives women a very natural look. Combine that with the lower capsular contracture rates and lower rupture rates that come along with IDEAL IMPLANT and these are all things that really make it a nice device to work with. Most of my patients are choosing IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implants for these reasons over silicone gel implants.”

What do your patients think about the IDEAL IMPLANT?

“We’ve been using IDEAL IMPLANT for almost a year now, and my patients have been very happy with the results. They’ve been very satisfied with their look, and it’s equalled or exceeded their expectations. With IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implants, I see this trend continuing for a long time.

Considering breast implants in Alexandria, VA? Contact Dr. Eric Desman today to discuss your options. Simply call 703-982-7106 or visit www.vcps.com. Dr. Desman’s office is located at 6355 Walker Lane, Suite 510 Alexandria, VA 22310. Call today for more information on IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implants.