Transaxillary “scarless” breast augmentation
Dear Friends,
Breast augmentation is the most frequent operation I perform. I am certain that one of the reasons for this is the fact that I routinely perform breast augmentation through a small incision in the armpit, thus eliminating the scar that most plastic surgeons leave around the areola or under the breast. I have been using this technique since the late 1980’s, and have been using it routinely since I opened my Madison practice in the early 1990’s. I have performed thousands of augmentations using this technique that leaves no scaring on the breast at all.
Recently, another practice in the Madison area started advertising that they also perform augmentation using the transaxillary technique (while also using the alternative incisions). Patients desiring “scarless” breast augmentation would be wise to consider the breadth of experience offered by surgeons who claim to be able to provide this service. Specifically, patients should ask the following questions:
- How long has the surgeon been performing transaxillary breast augmentations?
- How many has he/she performed?
- How often does he/she use the technique, as opposed to other techniques?
- How many transaxillary augmentation has he/she performed in the last month? Last year?
- Can he/she show you before and after photos of his/her work using this technique?
- Can you speak with previous patients who have had transaxillary augmentation performed?
- Surgeons who perform operations rarely, infrequently, or only recently generally don’t become proficient, and this can lead to complications.
If the surgeons you consult cannot answer the questions listed above, perhaps you would do better to find a surgeon who is better suited to your needs.
-Dr Thomas Bartell, MD