For many area women, the result of breast augmentation surgery can be satisfying, even exhilarating, as they learn to appreciate their fuller appearance. Many women find that their new figure gives them a greater sense of self-confidence – whether they are on the beach or in the boardroom. Your decision to have breast augmentation in San Diego, La Jolla or Temecula
Valley is a highly personal one that not everyone will understand. The important thing is how you feel about it. If you’ve met your goals, then your surgery is a success.

We have a special program for our “out of town” patients — see how many patients have traveled from out of the area to have Dr. Tom Pousti, La Jolla Plastic Surgeon, perform their procedure.

Saline Implants and Silicone Implants

There are different types of breast implants (saline-filled or silicone gel- filled), different coatings or shells of the implants (textured or smooth), different shapes of the implants themselves (round or anatomic), different anatomic locations in which the implant is placed (above or below the pectoral muscle), and different incisions through which they can be inserted (under the areola, under the breast, and under the arm). Dr. Pousti will help you determine which options will produce the outcome you desire for your breast augmenation. In his new La Jolla office, Dr. Pousti meets with La Jolla Patients wishing to have this procedure.

Breast before augmentation

Breast after subglandular augmentation

Breast after submuscular augmentation

A New Deal for Silicone Breast Implants in San Diego: The FDA Approved silicone gel implants!

For years even the mention of silicone breast implants caused women everywhere to cringe. Many women may still remember when the FDA pulled silicone breast implants off the market because of their tendency to rupture. Now, after more than a decade, the FDA has APPROVED the use of gel filled silicone implants.

The FDA’s reasons for studying the new high strength gel silicone breast implants was purely for reasons of safety. Plastic surgeons like silicone gel implants, not only because they are safe, but because silicone breast enhancements feel and look completely natural. Dr. Pousti has been involved with two studies for Mentor Silicone Implants and Inamed Silicone Implants for the past 10 years and therefore has experience with using these silicone gel implants on many patients. These studies were in place to give the FDA the additional data they require before they would approve silicone breast implants for general use. Women who qualified for participation in these studies had to meet the following criteria:

• You are a mastectomy patient and are undergoing reconstructive surgery.

• You are having revisionary surgery and already have saline implants.

• You are having a breast lift (mastopexy), in addition to breast augmentation

• You have a chest wall deformity (pectus excavatum, pectus carinatum, possibly scoliosis).

At this time, you do not need to meet the above criteria

After rigorous scientific review, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the marketing of silicone gel-filled breast implants made by two companies for breast reconstruction in women of all ages and breast augmentation in women ages 22 and older. The products are made by Allergan Corp. (Formerly Inamed Corp.) and Mentor Corporation. Mentor Corp.’s silicone gel implants are called the MemoryGel Breast implants.

In the past decade, many independent studies have been performed to examine whether silicone gel-filled breast implants are associated with connective tissue disease or any cancers. These studies have concluded that there is no convincing evidence that breast implants are associated with either of these diseases

Now that the products have been determined to be safe, the FDA will continue to monitor them by requiring each company to follow about 40,000 women for 10 years after receiving the breast implants. This is normal practice for the FDA so that they will be able to answer important questions that could only be answered once the product is in broader use. The post-approval studies will be closely monitored by the FDA.

If you would like to discuss your options regarding using silicone gel-filled breast implants, it is required that you schedule a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon who has been approved to perform silicone breast enhancements with these implants. Dr. Pousti is one such plastic surgeon.

Silicone gel breast implants are pre-filled, unlike the saline implants that are filled once they are placed under the muscle of the patient. Surgeons order them in the requested size and they cannot be changed. Plastic surgeons have to make longer incisions in most cases to place a silicone gel filled breast implant than a saline filled breast implant, all other things being equal.

To schedule a consultation at our La Jolla, San Diego or Temecula/Murrieta Valley offices, please call (858) 454-6888, (619) 466-8851 or (951) 501-9822. If you live outside of San Diego and would like to have Dr. Pousti perform your surgery, please visit Fly in for Surgery for information about travel, accommodations and scheduling information.