For many women, their breast augmentation is an investment. Even though you may be overjoyed at the news of your pregnancy, you might be feeling some slight trepidation. Perhaps babies weren’t on your radar when you underwent breast augmentation, or maybe you were pretty sure that you were finished having children. But now, faced with the most body-altering experience in a woman’s life, you may be worried that your original investment was all for not. Here is the truth about what will happen to your breast implants during and after pregnancy.

Your Breast Implants Are Fine

Some women fear that the pressure caused by enlarged milk glands may affect the integrity of their implants. This most likely won’t happen. Your breasts will grow larger, but the pressure won’t cause your implants to rupture or change shape.

Your Breast Tissue May Change

While your implants are fine, the surrounding breast tissue may change. When the breasts enlarge during pregnancy and then shrink following nursing, your breast tissue can become weak. It is common for women to experience breast sagging following pregnancy. In some cases, your breasts can become misshapen. A number of factors will determine whether this will occur, including your skin elasticity, change in breast size during pregnancy, and environmental factors. It is impossible to predict exactly how pregnancy will affect your breast tissue.    

If you do experience tissue sagging following pregnancy, you might want to consider a breast lift. Breast lift surgery removes excess breast skin and tightens the remains tissue. While the procedure is more intricate for patients who already have implants, it can restore the youthful appearance of their breasts. If your breast implants need to be replaced, you can combine a breast lift with your implant exchange procedure.   

Implants and Breastfeeding

It is impossible to predict whether your implants will affect your ability to breastfeed. It isn’t a common complication, but problems can occur for some women. The amount of natural glandular tissue you have prior to your breast augmentation may be a predictor of whether your milk glands will produce enough milk for lactation. Also, if your incisions caused a loss of nipple sensation, you might experience difficulties nursing. It is important not to become discouraged and to try to breastfeed multiple times following birth. Some women naturally have issues with nursing, and practice can help.

If you are considering a breast augmentation or require a breast lift following pregnancy, schedule your consultation with Dr. Wald today. Contact our office at (714) 312-3549 or fill out our online contact form here for additional information.

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 9th, 2016 at 12:58 am and is filed under Breast Augmentation, Breast Augmentation Questions, Breast Enhancement.

Some women are self-conscious about the projection of their nipples or the large size of their areolas. While these features are often genetic, they can also result from pregnancy, fluctuating weight, or aging. Many of Dr. Wald’s patients choose to have nipple or areola reduction in conjunction with another breast procedure, such as a breast lift, to get the final breast result they desire.

To what extent can my areolas be reduced?

In some cases where the areola (the pigmented skin around the nipple) needs to be reduced significantly, a full breast lift is required with an areola reduction. A breast lift requires a “lollipop” incision, which will follow the line of pigmentation around the areola and extend down the center of the breast from the bottom of the areola to the breast crease.

Another option for areola reduction is a donut incision around the areola, also called “circumareolar mastopexy.” This procedure only removes the excess skin of the areola, which can be an advantage for some depending on how much excess areola skin and breast skin is present. The main advantages of this technique over a full breast lift are less scarring and less interference with breast tissue; however, there is a greater likelihood of the areola stretching out again. “Skin bunching” is another risk with this option since the skin around the areola gets thicker the farther away it is from the areola. When a large areola is reduced and no surrounding breast skin is removed along with it, a bunched appearance can result along the incision. Removing too much of a large areola can also result in tension along the incision line that may lead to other problems. During your consultation, Dr. Wald will evaluate your breasts to determine the maximum amount of skin that can be removed. He can perform this technique using only local anesthesia unless you require additional procedures.

What is involved with reducing nipple projection?

A nipple reduction can reduce the height and width of the nipple. This procedure is also done under local anesthesia unless combined with other procedures. The “sleeve” technique will leave the core of the nipple intact, which will preserve sensation and avoid interfering with milk ducts. Sensation loss is still a risk with the procedure, but it is far less likely to occur at the hands of a board-certified and experienced plastic surgeon like Dr. Robert Wald.

If you would like to learn more about nipple or areola reduction, please schedule a consultation with Dr. Robert Wald. Dr. Wald is board certified in plastic surgery and has years of experience performing breast surgery, including nipple reduction. He will help you to weigh the risks and benefits of the procedure according to your physical anatomy and the results you desire. Please call (714) 312-3549 to schedule your appointment, or fill out our online contact form for more information.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 13th, 2015 at 1:49 pm and is filed under Nipple Reduction.

Skin cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer, affecting more people in America than breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancers combined. While each patient is unique, there is currently a 93 percent survival rate for skin cancer, which is one of the highest survival rates of any cancer. This is due to a number of factors, the most important being early detection.

Catching any cancer in its early stages is one of the main keys to surviving it. Educating yourself on what skin cancer and precancerous lesions look like will help you know when you should get evaluated for skin cancer. The ABCDE system of identifying cancerous and precancerous lesions will help you know if you should get your lesion checked for skin cancer.

• A: Asymmetry – Cancerous lesions are not symmetrical. If you draw a line through the center of the lesion, both sides don’t match up.
• B: Borders – Regular lesions have smooth borders, while cancerous and precancerous ones have jagged, irregularly shaped borders.
• C: Color – Most benign moles are one color. If you have a lesion that varies in color, you should get it evaluated.
• D: Diameter – Cancerous lesions are usually larger than benign lesions. You should get checked if your lesion has a diameter larger than 6mm or if it is bigger than an eraser head.
• E: Evolving – Moles and other lesions usually stay static. If yours changes in appearance or grows over time, you should have a doctor check it out.

Diagnosing Skin Cancer

If you believe that you might have a cancerous lesion, it is important to schedule a consultation with a doctor. During your consultation, a small portion of the lesion will be cut off and sent to a lab to be biopsied. If your results come back as precancerous or cancerous, the next step to take is treatment.

Treating Skin Cancer

Whether you have a precancerous or cancerous lesion, the first step is removing the mass. Smaller lesions can be removed in-office using local anesthesia. Common removal techniques include excision or desiccation. After removal, some patients may require further cancer treatment that may include chemotherapy and radiation.

Reconstruction After Treatment

Some lesions are larger or placed in visible areas that can leave unattractive marks on the skin after removal. Sometimes it is just some slight scarring, but in other cases, whole sections of tissue may be removed from the nose, lips, or ears. Dr. Wald performs reconstruction on areas that have undergone cancer removal. This is done to restore the aesthetic appearance of the skin. Common reconstruction techniques include:

• Scar revision
• Transferred tissue flaps  
• Prosthetics

If you need to have a lesion tested for cancer, need a lesion removed, or need reconstruction after treatment, schedule your consultation with Dr. Wald today. Contact our office at (714) 312-3549 or fill out our online contact form here for additional information.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 27th, 2015 at 4:49 pm and is filed under Skin Cancer Information, Skin Cancer Treatment, Skin Care.

Your face is the most visible part of your body. When aging, sun exposure, genetics, and more cause facial fine lines and volume loss, there’s no way to hide it. However, with facial injectables, you can effectively minimize the appearance of wrinkles and facial volume loss so that you don’t have to worry about hiding anything. Dr. Robert Wald uses facial injectables to smooth wrinkles and fill in thinning areas to restore a more youthful facial appearance. To help you determine which treatment may be right for your needs, here are the basic differences between facial injectables.

BOTOX® Cosmetic

BOTOX® Cosmetic is a highly popular injectable used to treat frown lines, forehead lines, and crow’s feet. It is a neurotoxin formula derived from botulinum toxin type A, and it blocks nerve signals to slow muscle contractions and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Results last between three and six months, after which point many patients return for touch-up treatments. Interestingly enough, BOTOX® is also FDA approved to treat a number of medical conditions such as chronic migraine headaches, cervical dystonia, blepharospasms, and overactive bladder.

Injectable Fillers

In contrast with BOTOX® Cosmetic, injectable fillers do not interfere with nerve impulses and muscle contractions. Rather, they simply fill in the areas of the face where volume loss contributes to an aged appearance. They are also FDA approved and can effectively fill in wrinkles around the eyes, smile lines, nasal depressions, loss of jawline definition, loss of cheek volume, and thinning lips. The results of treatment with facial fillers may last longer than the results of treatment with BOTOX® Cosmetic.

• JUVÉDERM®: This dermal filler made of hyaluronic acid can correct moderate to severe facial wrinkles. JUVÉDERM® can effectively treat smile lines, thin lips, loss of fat in the cheeks, loss of jawline definition, and wrinkles under the eyes.

• Restylane®: This dermal filler made of hyaluronic acid can also treat facial lines and folds. Restylane® can effectively treat loss of volume in the cheeks, creases around the mouth, and nasolabial folds.

• RADIESSE®: This injectable is made of calcium hydroxylapatite microspheres and stimulates collagen production to improve skin elasticity. RADIESSE® can also effectively fill in wrinkles and treat smile lines, loss of volume in the cheeks, marionette lines, nasal depressions, and loss of jawline definition.

If you feel you are a good candidate for facial rejuvenation with facial injectables, please contact our Orange County practice today. As you meet with Dr. Wald to discuss your desires, he will determine which treatment method is best for you. Call (714) 312-3549 or fill out our online contact form to schedule your personal consultation with board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Robert Wald.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2015 at 2:26 pm and is filed under BOTOX® Cosmetic, Injectable Fillers, Non-Surgical Procedures, Wrinkle Reduction.

Many people break their backs over painfully unrealistic exercise routines and unsustainable diet plans just to try to shed a few pounds. Even if they come up with an effective weight-loss plan, the weight never seems to come off from where they want it to. While diet and exercise are important for your health, liposuction can spot reduce resistant problem areas to improve your appearance. Robert Wald, M.D. provides liposuction to enhance your body shape by removing stubborn fat.

Effective Spot Reduction

Spot reduction is about targeting specific problem areas of the body. Many people are highly successful at using diet and exercise to make their bodies fit and firm. However, even so, there are usually a few areas of stubborn fat that just won’t go away no matter how hard they work to eliminate it. This is because diet and exercise cannot spot reduce certain areas; rather, they provide overall toning for the body. With liposuction, problem areas of fat can effectively be reduced through a simple procedure conducted by Dr. Wald.

Liposuction Procedure

Liposuction removes fatty tissue from specific areas of the body. This popular procedure is designed to remove subcutaneous fat from areas that do not respond well to diet and exercise, such as the lower abdomen, waist, hips, thighs, knees, ankles, neck, and face. It is not a weight-loss procedure but rather a body contouring technique for patients who have unsuccessfully tried to lose the fat through diet and exercise. First, the patient is put under general anesthesia. Then, Dr. Wald inserts tiny cannulas into the fatty areas to extract the fat cells. Dr. Wald uses the tumescent technique, in which he injects a diluted solution of local anesthesia directly into the fat so that it becomes swollen and firm. In many cases, he also uses ultrasonic liposuction to enhance the results by delivering ultrasonic energy to the fat tissue. Ultimately, the fat deposits are reduced through the extraction and elimination of subcutaneous fat. If desired, liposuction may be combined with other cosmetic procedures.

Recovery and Results

Liposuction has a fairly easy recovery. You should be able to get up and walk around the day after surgery. Each day, increase your activity level until you can resume full activity (over about two to four weeks). For the first two weeks, you may experience swelling and bruising. You will wear special compression garments to minimize swelling and bruising, support healing, and aid in skin retraction after the procedure. With liposuction, the results will be visible right away and will improve as the swelling goes down. Individuals who are unsuccessful with diet and exercise for spot reduction can experience noticeable, dramatic results with liposuction by Dr. Wald.

As each individual’s needs are unique, liposuction may not be suitable for everyone. During your consultation with Dr. Wald, he will determine whether liposuction or another procedure is best for you. Call (714) 738-4282 or contact us online to schedule your consultation with Dr. Wald today.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 21st, 2015 at 11:59 am and is filed under Liposuction.