Breast Augmentation, Breast Reduction, Breast Lift in Birmingham, Alabama

Cosmetic surgeon William Hedden, M.D., at Hedden Plastic Surgery in Birmingham is experienced in breast augmentation, breast reduction and other breast surgeries. Breast augmentation using saline or silicone breast implants is a safe and popular way to enhance your feminine curves and increase your self-confidence. Many breast surgery patients each year at our Alabama practice benefit from an improved breast contour and are able to wear new styles of clothing and participate in physical activites that weren't previously possible.

Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation at Hedden Plastic Surgery in Birmingham, Alabama can enhance your appearance with fuller breasts that have a natural look and feel. Have you dreamed of having the full, shapely breasts that nature didn't give you? Breast augmentation is a safe, increasingly common way to enhance your feminine curves and increase your level of self-confidence.

During the breast augmentation procedure, an incision is made under the breast, around the nipple, above the belly button or under the arm. Breast implants filled with saline at the time of surgery or pre-filled with silicone gel are gently placed under or over the pectoralis muscle. The incision is then stitched closed and left to heal. Side effects of breast augmentation typically include swelling, bruising, tenderness and a temporary decrease in nipple sensitivity, but most subside within a few weeks. The entire breast augmentation procedure takes about one hour to complete at our Birmingham, Alabama facility. To learn more about breast augmentation performed by board-certified plastic surgeon William J. Hedden, please contact us today!

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Biplanar Breast Augmentation

Women with greater degrees of droop or volume deflation are candidates for biplanar breast augmentation, where the breast implant is placed partly above and below the pectoralis muscle. This technique is a way of releasing the overlying glandular tissue from the muscle in such a way as to give the illusion of getting a lift with just implants.

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Breast Augmentation with Periareolar Lift

For patients who only need a small lift when getting breast implants, an alternative to longer scars is the periareolar lift with small implants. There will be some puckering of the tissue, but in a few months the tissue will smooth out and appear normal. This less invasive breast enhancement technique can still produce satisfying aesthetic results.

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Transumbilical Breast Augmentation (TUBA)

Transumbilical breast augmentation, or TUBA, is an increasing popular technique used to enhance the size and shape of the breasts. TUBA breast augmentation leaves a scar at the rim of the navel that is virtually undetectable and no scars at all in the breast area.

During the TUBA procedure, an endoscope is used to create a tunnel from a small incision at the perimeter of the belly button to each breast. The breast implants are inserted through the tunnel, placed behind the breast tissues and filled with saline solution to expand the feminine contour. Most women experience only minor discomfort and can quickly resume normal activities after Alabama transumbilical breast augmentation.

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Breast Lift

As we age, breasts may begin to sag, droop or stretch, losing their fullness and natural elasticity. Breast lift, or mastopexy, is an excellent solution to this effect of aging. Designed to gently restore breasts to their natural, youthful state, this procedure can turn back the hands of time!

During a breast lift, sagging breasts are raised and reshaped by carefully snipping away excess skin, fat and tissue, and tightening and lifting the remaining skin. The areola and nipple are adjusted for the most natural effect, and the breasts are left to heal in their new position. Side effects include scarring, bruising, swelling, general discomfort and loss of sensitivity in the breasts, but most disappear within a few weeks. Breast lift is often performed in conjunction with other procedures, such as breast reduction or breast augmentation. Contact our plastic surgery office in Alabama today to learn more about breast lift!

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Breast Lift with Breast Augmentation

Breast lift is an effective way to obtain a firmer, youthful-looking bust line, but when performed in conjunction with breast augmentation, results can be even more amazing. Trimming away excess fat, skin and tissue and lifting the breasts allows for the creation of a perfect "built-in bra." Dr. Hedden uses this built-in bra to place the saline or silicone breast implants in the most natural looking position possible. The end result of this breast augmentation procedure performed at our Alabama practice will be full, shapely and perky breasts that look completely natural.

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Breast Reduction

Excessively large breasts can make some women self-conscious, and they also can be extremely uncomfortable and inconvenient. When women with such curves do find bras that fit, they are often left with indentations in their shoulders. They also might have trouble finding clothing that flatters but doesn't accentuate, and may experience discomfort during exercise as well as normal day-to-day activities. But these women don't have to suffer.

Breast reduction surgery is a safe, permanent way to make the breasts smaller and more proportionate to the body, ultimately increasing a patient's level of comfort and reducing her level of insecurity. During the breast reduction procedure, unnecessary fat, tissue and skin are carefully extracted or trimmed away, and remaining skin is positioned around the newly shaped breast. Side effects of breast reduction surgery include general discomfort, inflammation, scarring, bruising and tenderness; however, these diminish as the breasts heal. To learn more about breast reduction from Hedden Plastic Surgery in Birmingham, Alabama, please contact us today!

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Male Breast Reduction

Many men suffer from gynecomastia, a condition in which extra fat and tissue accumulate in the chest area. Gynecomastia — which, though common, is very embarrassing for many men — can now be easily treated through a cosmetic surgery procedure called male breast reduction. During this treatment, excess fat is either removed with liposuction (through a discreet hole in the areola or the armpit) or removed via a scalpel-liposuction approach, a combination technique (which requires a small incision). Results are long lasting and natural-looking.

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Breast Reconstruction

While it has saved thousands of lives, mastectomy, the removal of the breast to treat breast cancer, has left many women feeling insecure about their bodies. Breast deformities have taken the same toll on women's self esteem. An excellent plastic surgery option, breast reconstruction is an involved but effective procedure designed to restore feminine curves and, ultimately, to improve one's level of self-confidence.

Typically performed in stages over a 6-month period, breast reconstruction plastic surgery uses either implants or the patient's own tissue to fashion a new, realistic-looking breast. Of course, each patient's plastic surgery treatment plan is personalized to meet her personal needs. Please contact our Alabama plastic surgeon today to learn more about breast reconstruction.

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Nipple Reconstruction

The loss of a nipple as a result of mastectomy or lumpectomy does not have to be permanent. Dr. Hedden is extensively trained in nipple reconstruction, a plastic surgery procedure designed to restore the breast's natural appearance and ultimately increase the patient's self esteem. During the surgery, skin is grafted from other parts of the patient's body and discreetly molded into place. After healing is complete, the newly created nipple is tattooed so that it matches the color of the natural one.

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Breast Implant Exchange

Breast implants, similar to other medical devices, can fail. Implants can break or leak over time. Rupture can occur as a result of injury, from no apparent cause or during mammography. It is also possible to damage an implant at the time of surgery. Ruptured or deflated breast implants cannot be repaired, but must be replaced or removed.

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If you are interested in learning more about breast augmentation or breast reduction plastic surgery, contact our cosmetic surgeon in Birmingham, AL for a consultation today.