Bougainvillea Clinique Blog

There has been a lot of buzz about SmartLipo™ the last few months, and the Bougainvillea Clinique is pleased to announce that we now offer this latest technology as part of our liposuction and body contouring protocol.

What is Smart Lipo?
SmartLipo is a new technology introduced by the Cynosure laser company that uses a small laser fiber to melt fat and heat up collagen tissues. The SmartLipo laser can be used alone for removing small amounts of fat, or in conjunction with regular liposuction for removing larger amounts of fat, and helps to improve smoothness and contraction of the skin.

At the Bougainvillea Clinique, we have always emphasized he fact that smooth tightening of the skin is one of the biggest challenges in body contouring and liposuction. Removing fat with a vacuum through a tube, as we do in all liposuction, is easy, however getting the overlying skin to shrink in a smooth and even fashion, to create beautiful contours, is the biggest challenge.

Every individual is different, and depending on their skin quality, the amount of fat that needs to be removed, and the area of the body being treated, getting the skin to shrink smoothly as desired may be simple or more difficult.

We now add SmartLipo to our various options available to help you look and feel your best. Call or email us today for a complimentary consultation to see if SmartLipo is right for you.

For more information on liposuction and Body Contouring options available at the Bougainvillea Clinique, read about the Bougainvillea Clinique Body Contouring Protocol.

Now that you've decided to go ahead with your breast augmentation, there are a number of decisions you have to make about how you want the procedure done. Once you have a rough idea of the size of the implant you want and whether you want to have silicone gel implants or saline implants, your next important decision is which incision is the best one for your breast augmentation surgery. There are four common incision sites for breast augmentation surgery:

• Inframammary--in the fold under the breast
• Periareolar--just below the nipple/areola
• Transaxillary--in the armpit
• Transumbilical (TUBA)--in the belly button

If you have decided to get a silicone gel implant, you cannot have breast augmentation via the transaxillary or transumbilical incisions. Otherwise, the main factor to consider in making this decision is about where you would prefer to have your scars from the operation.

For most women, the inframammary incision is the best option. It allows for maximum flexibility in terms of implant insertion, is least likely to result in complications like interference with breastfeeding or loss of nipple sensitivity, and is generally well concealed.

Women with a history raised or highly visible scars should consider the periareolar incision. The incision is well concealed in the natural transition between the breast and the areola, and the scars tend to heal slightly better.

Women who want to make sure they have no scars on their breasts can opt for either the transaxillary or transumbilical incision. These procedures are performed with an endoscope, a long narrow tube that allows Dr. Hartog to perform the surgery using a distant, small incision. Since these incisions are smaller, so are the scars. On the other hand, the transaxillary incision site in particular is in a prominent location, so if you tend to have highly visible scars, it might not be a good option. The main drawback to these endoscopic procedures is that there is a higher incidence of asymmetric results.

The incision you choose for your breast augmentation is an important part in ensuring you get the results you want. During your consultation, Dr. Hartog will discuss your options in detail and help you make the decision that best suits your goals. Contact the Bougainvillea Clinique today to set up your consultation.

Since women have been receiving breast enlargements, they have been coming up with different bits of folk wisdom for getting an idea about the size of implant they wanted. If you look at discussion forums for women who are considering or have gotten breast enlargement surgery, you can find them by the dozen.

The most common folk method is getting a bra in the size you hope to get as a result of your breast enlargement surgery, then seeing how much rice, birdseed, or couscous it takes to fill out the bra around your breast. Once you have a basic idea of the size, you can try to experiment with results by filling a baggie with that amount of material and placing it under your breast and wearing it around all day. This is roughly the same idea as that behind breast implant sizers that doctors have used in the past during consultations. It has the disadvantage of being less calibrated and uniform, but the advantage that you can wear it around all day to learn what life might be like after implants. You can try on every outfit in your wardrobe or even at the store to decide how you feel about the results.

However, the results of this test--and even of the implant sizers--are not directly comparable to the results you will achieve from your breast augmentation. Why? The breast implant is not placed under your breast in the way the rice or other material is. It is placed behind the breast and pushes up and outward on the breast at the same time. And, over time, your breast will conform around the implant, incorporating it completely into the shape. Dr. Hartog can help you understand the difference between the two using the new Vectra 3D Breast Sculptor™ imaging system. Once you understand what your actual results will be like, you can continue to use the rice test to consider what outfits you might light to wear after your operation.

One important test to do on your own: if you are considering saline implants, try wearing a bra with baggies containing the approximate amount of water that will be in your implants to determine whether they feel comfortable or not. Saline is dense, and some women with large implants experience lower back pain as a result. If the water seems too heavy, consider silicone gel implants, which are less dense.

Really, the only way to decide on the size of breast implants that would be best is to arrange a consultation with Dr. Hartog. Contact us today to set up your consultation.

In making a decision about the proper size of breast implants for your breast enlargement, it's important to think about how the results will affect your daily life. After all, breast implants are not like a padded bra that you take off at night or exchange for a more utilitarian model some days. Breast implants are permanent additions to your body--that's their benefit. They're there when you go to bed at night and when you wake up in the morning, and whether you put on a dress, t-shirt and jeans, or a bathing suit, they will be there. So it's best to take a number of factors into account before making a decision on the size of your breast implants.

Profession--Do you work in a place where large breasts could result in unwanted attention? Would large breast implants make you seem unprofessional?

Dress--Consider the clothes you want to wear after your breast enlargement operation. In most cases, women want to look better in clothes they like, so it's important to make sure that your breast implants are not too large to look good in those same clothes.

Activities--There are a number of activities that some women find more difficult after breast enlargement. In particular, some athletic activities can be affected by breast implants. Tennis, golf, and especially swimming are all affected by breast implants. Other activities that can be affected by breast implants are cooking, gardening, or any other activity performed close to the body.

Habits--Many things you do on a daily basis can be affected by your breast implants. Stomach sleepers, for example, often have difficulty sleeping following breast enlargement. Large implants can make a big difference even on just walking or sitting. Going about your day with a larger bra filled with bags of rice, couscous, water, or other materials about equal to the size of implants you're considering can make you aware of some of the minor adjustments you have to make.

After considering all these factors, you might want to note that after their breast enlargements, many women express regret at not getting larger implants. Dr. Hartog will listen to your goals for the breast enlargement and your reservations and concerns. Then, using the Vectra 3D Breast Sculptor™ and other techniques he will help you decide on the best combination in terms of natural results and lifestyle balance for your breast implants. Contact the Bougainvillea Clinique today to schedule a consultation.

If you have been putting off breast augmentation because you wanted to have a better idea of how you would look after the procedure, or you were not sure of the size to choose, you need wait no longer. At the Bougainvillea Clinique we are the first in Florida to offer BreastSculptortm 3-Dimensional imaging.  BreastSculptortm provides the most accurate technique available to date to show you how your breast augmentation will appear in 3-dimensions. Now with the Vectra 3-D imaging system from the Canfield company and BreastSculptortm software we can now take a 3-D image of you and select the implant size  and shape of your choice and instantly display the after result on the screen. We believe that with this technology we can provide more realistic and informative consultations, to help ensure mutual understanding of your desires and expectations. The imaging can also help establish more accurately any differences in size and symmetry of the breasts. The image can be rotated so that you can see your appearance from all angles.

The Bougainvillea Clinique is pleased to announce that we are the first in Central Florida  to introduce the latest in laser body contouring, the new SmartLipo MPX technology. SmartLipo MPX is the second generation laser from Cynosure that is able to melt fat and help enhance skin contraction. A significant improvement in power and versatility over the first generation SmartLipo laser, the MPX uses two lasers in one to melt fat more efficiently, and get even more skin retraction than was apparently possible previously. Using a small laser fibre the area is treated twice, first in the deeper layer of fat, and then again directly under the skin. This improved two pass approach enhances skin retraction, while maintaining the safety of previous lower energy approaches.