I was frustrated to find that no exercise or padded bra could replace the loss of fullness my former breasts had or give me the same feeling of womanly sexiness I possessed with my pre-baby breasts. I never fully appreciated how having firmer, fuller and sexier breasts was such a part of my sense of self and womanliness until they were gone. Finding clothes, swimsuits and cocktail dresses was a challenge and there were so many things I just couldn’t wear without a particular bra, let alone go braless, and it was starting to affect my self confidence.

I began noticing other moms and found that many of them had fuller breasts than I did. Did they just have better genetics or was it possible they had managed to find the ultimate bra that I had somehow overlooked? Eventually I brought up the subject to one of my close friends, who happened to be a mom of two and filled out her tops amazingly well. She let me in on her secret; breast implants. I was shocked. I thought only models and Hollywood types got breast implants, not suburban moms. Once I knew the secret I realized how oblivious I had been to how common breast augmentation is among suburban moms. There are a lot of great-looking moms thanks to breast augmentations and I wanted to join the club.

So I began asking around. I got several names of reputable Board Certified Plastic Surgeons and I learned all about the procedure, options, recovery and possible risks. For me it was a no-brainer; I was going to have full and sexy breasts again.

After narrowing my list to three Plastic Surgeons, I interviewed each of them and decided on mine based on his years of experience, technique, reputation, expense, his staff, and finally his personality. My decision to have a breast augmentation was quickly becoming a uniquely intimate experience so I made sure I had a doctor that was not only very capable of successfully performing this transformation, but one I felt secure and comfortable with. Saying a breast augmentation is an intimate experience may sound strange, but this was my breasts/womanhood that a Plastic Surgeon was going to give back to me, and make them better than before! It’s very easy to start seeing your surgeon as a hero because what he can do for you and your self confidence is extraordinary.

After a few pre-surgery consultations with my Plastic Surgeon, I had picked out the size of implants I was going to use by “trying them on”. I placed several recommended sizes in my bra until I found the size I liked and suited my proportions. I didn’t want to go too big or look too obvious, but wanted to replace the volume I had lost by having children. I had followed my doctor’s advice and started wearing two extra-padded bras a few weeks before my surgery to get used to how I would look afterward. This is also a great way to make a sudden transformation less obvious among your friends, family and coworkers. As it turned out, many people thought I had lost weight after my breast augmentation because my fuller breasts accentuated my waistline.

The day of my breast augmentation I was taken to the outpatient surgery center at my hospital. My doctor greeted me with a smile and soon began marking my chest with a black sharpie in preparation for my surgery. I wasn’t at all nervous and was more than ready to receive my new breasts. The procedure itself lasted a couple hours and went very well. I was placed under general anesthesia while my surgeon performed this miracle and woke up with the sore breasts I anticipated tightly wrapped in a very supportive surgical bra topped with bandages to keep the new “ladies” secure. After resting for a couple hours post-operative, I was sent home to continue my recovery.

My doctor had given me some medication for the pain, but having given birth to three children I thought the pain was completely bearable and it lasted only a few days. In the weeks that followed I learned how often I actually use my pectoral muscles, as every jar of jelly I opened to make PBJ’s reminded me. There was discomfort for a few weeks afterward but the recovery process was not so bad considering the gift I had been given. Yes, I did pay for my breast augmentation but it seems like a gift since feeling like a sexy woman again instead of a deflated and self-conscious soccer mom is priceless. Having a breast augmentation is like the birth of children; you forget all about the discomfort of the process because the reward is so great.

Several years later I am still immensely happy with my decision to have a breast augmentation. I’ve had another child since then and was able to nurse her like I did my other children and my breasts still look great. I can go braless and wear what I like and I feel more attractive and sexy than I ever did before my surgery.

In my practice, clients come from all walks of life but they all want the same thing…a natural and proportionate look. Many of these women have had children and find that their breast volume was dramatically reduced following pregnancy or breast feeding. And while some are simply looking to restore the shape that they once had, others have always dreamed of larger, shapelier breasts and now feel empowered to achieve this.

Whatever the motivation, breast augmentation has changed dramatically over the last few years largely due to improvements in the breast implant itself. In particular, silicone gel implants are now more durable and more lifelike than in previous years. I am personally seeing more and more women educated about and coming in asking for the new cohesive implants. Some have seen their friend’s results and were impressed with the very natural look and feel while others are simply looking for a more natural alternative to saline-filled breast implants. In the past few years, more and more of my clients are gravitating towards this choice to the extent that cohesive gel implants have become my predominant choice for breast augmentation. And I continually receive positive feedback from my clients regarding these implants; many often comment that they cannot even feel them because of their ability to blend in with their own natural breast tissue.

The shift to silicone gel breast augmentation is simply a reflection of a trend towards more natural results in Plastic Surgery overall. While many clients want to look better, they still want to look like themselves and want options that allow them to do just that. Young moms are realizing that pregnancy is a new beginning on several fronts and that the body changes incurred can be addressed with a minimal downtime procedure yielding very natural results.

-Gregory A. Buford, MD FACS

• Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
• Fellowship Trained Cosmetic Surgeon
• Founder & Medical Director, BEAUTY by BUFORD

I chose BEAUTY by BUFORD and elected to work with Dr. Buford after researching surgeons in the Denver area and found that this surgery center was growing in popularity and had a great reputation.

I was very pleased with the overall experience of both before and after surgery. Everyone on staff is very friendly and knowledgeable and the office is very efficient and organized. Each of the staff that I worked with insured that all of my questions were answered and that I understood and was comfortable with the decisions that I had made. I was given all of my post surgery instructions and was told what to expect, prior to the operation. Recovery time was very fast after surgery and I am very happy with the results. I would absolutely do the surgery again and will probably look into that a few years down the road. I have already told my friends about BEAUTY by BUFORD and my experience there and they are planning to schedule soon.

-Actual Patient Testimonial (Breast Augmentation)

The state of the economy is certainly a factor for anyone making a major purchase, including plastic surgery. As with any major purchase there is much to consider. After all, no one parts with hundreds or thousands of dollars without a lot of forethought. You should first consider your most important needs and how much you are willing to invest to achieve them. Whether this is a purchase of a car, furniture, a vacation or plastic surgery, the goal is to feel you have a good return on your investment, especially in these times.

As any of my patients would attest to, clients undergoing aesthetic procedures generally achieve substantial return on their investment. Here are a few examples why:

• These clients look better
• They feel better
• They experience increased self confidence

And when a woman has confidence, it shows. By simply unburdening yourself of self-conscious thoughts about your appearance helps build confidence. As a result, this burst in confidence emanates from you in both your personal and professional life. Whether you have a career or not, a positive attitude and personal confidence can take you a long way.

With the economy being what it is today, the workforce has become more and more competitive. By simply having that extra confidence over someone with less self-esteem can impact your security within your job, in a very positive way, and make you a more desirable employee. For many, this edge is gained through Plastic Surgery procedures which can make you feel and look more radiant and more youthful.

For example, a woman who has always been self-conscious about having smaller breasts or that has had a baby and lost volume and elasticity very often will not feel comfortable with her body. Although in either case she may be in great physical shape, she may feel that her smaller breasts don’t accentuate her slim waistline and her dedication to keeping fit. For this woman, breast augmentation can have a very positive effect. I’ve also been told by many patients seeking breast augmentation that they just want clothes to fit without having to purchase special bras to fill out the top. Then of course, there is the swimsuit. And every woman wants to look great in her swimsuit.

We all want to feel our very best. If we don’t, self-conscious thoughts in the back of our minds can eventually impair an otherwise positive outlook. These worries and concerns (as well as the wrinkles they cause) can often be erased through simple cosmetic procedures which can help us look and feel our very best.

After a cosmetic procedure, my patients are ecstatic and often comment that they not only look and feel great, but also that they feel more self-assured. There is a great return on the investment they’ve made because these people have regained lost confidence and, with it, their self-esteem will continue to grow as negative and unproductive thoughts are replaced with positive ones. No matter what cosmetic procedure you are considering, if you choose the right Plastic Surgeon and move forward with the right expectations and motivations, you will not regret the investment you made.

-Gregory A. Buford, MD FACS

• Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
• Fellowship Trained Cosmetic Surgeon
• Founder & Medical Director, BEAUTY by BUFORD

To address the first concern, most patients are concerned about side-effects related to narcotic pain medications.  They simply don’t have the time nor the patience to be senseless, nauseated, and lose their appetite simply to achieve effect pain control.  Thankfully, times have changed.  Today’s Plastic Surgeon is armed with more options including non-narcotic pain relievers, localized nerve blocks, and topical devices aimed at reducing their post-operative discomfort.  In my practice, all patients begin on a loading dose of Celebrex, a non-narcotic pain reliever, the night before surgery.  Following their surgery, they continue with a lower dose of this medication and supplement with a narcotic pain reliever as needed.  In addition, to help reduce the need for any pain medication following surgery, I not only inject their breasts with numbing medication during the procedure, I also wash out the implant pocket with antibiotic solution and additional numbing medicine. Most importantly, I also perform an Intercostal Nerve Block immediately before the procedure which I feel is extremely effective in reducing immediate post-operative discomfort.  As a result, a majority of my patients are able to greatly decrease their reliance on narcotics and transition to non-narcotic pain medications within 24-48 hours following surgery and continually remark to both myself and my staff that their recovery was much easier than anticipated.

As far as activity restrictions, I recommend that they not lift anything heavier than 6-8 pounds (including their children) for one week after surgery and that they hold off on any aggressive physical activities for the first few weeks during their recovery.  They are encouraged to return to light exercise one week after surgery as long as it doesn’t involve the use of their shoulders or chest muscles.  From here, they can usually return to aerobic activities, running, Yoga, and Pilates within 4-6 weeks.

A majority of my patients return to work as early as 3 days after their surgery as long as their profession does not require extension lifting or use of their chest muscles.  As compared to years past, Breast Augmentation is now a more finely tuned procedure in both what we do during and after the actual procedure.  The result is a more comfortable and more rapid recovery and an overall very happy patient population.