So I am going to try to construct this thread in a methodological manner, because when I considered which surgeon to select this was how I layed it out during my decision making process. I wanted to make a decision that was as objective, as logical and as empirical as possible rather than go with my “feeling”. The point of this mini guide is to demonstrate that there is a methodology to selecting your surgeon which bypasses marketing and advertising, before and after pics and reviews (which are not always accurate nor applicable to the individual patient’s pre exisiting structure).
I consulted a total of 8 Breast Specialists but I will only be mentioning the 5 that stood out to me, because these 5 were the only ones who left an impression. I made 2 separate trips to korea to complete these consultations. So I am pretty optimistic about my surgery thats scheduled for in just over 2 weeks
A bit about my boobage or lack off….I’m pretty much a surfboard. My mum was a surfboard too until she got preggers and gave birth to 3 kids. I hate kids -_-. Anyways so lack of boobage runs in my family lol. My case is not simple too because not only do I not have much breast tissue, my breast muscles are also tighter and I have broad shoulders. Additionally, my nipples are a little higher up than the ideal location. So this is the pre exisiting structure which my surgeon has to work with.
Dr Song
He was very very talkative. The impression I got from him is that he is very passionate about his speciality. He seemed very excited to talk to me about his technique and the academics of breast augmentation. In fact his consultation turned into more of a discussion and teaching session than a consultation haha. Which I didn’t have a problem with.
He was going to perform the surgery via an endoscope, and actually showed me videos of his usage of the endoscope to separate the muscle layer. He also explained how he planned to position the implant in the submuscular plane whilst leaving an open side pocket to allow for natural movement of the breast.
He also suggested using fat graft to minimize the distance between my nipples because he felt that it was something I was very concerned with.
When I asked him about placing the implant closer he said that was only possible to a mild extent to avoid a mono boob aesthetic. Additionally I also asked about resection of the inner chest wall muscle. However he said because that region is thin, it can cause a creasing and wrinkling effect if too much is resected. Hence he did not recommend it.
When I asked him about risk of capsular contraction his response is: “I’ve done many breast augmentations, and through my experience I am always thinking about how to minimize any risk of complications for the patient. I cannot guarantee there will be no complications, but I have enough experience to actively minimize the risk. Also, don’t use too big an implant that will help too”.
When I asked him about motiva, he said it was not suitable for me because motiva would not allow for enough tissue expansion due to how soft it is. Additionally anatomical implants would be able to give me more natural cleavage due to this shape and structure.
Pros:
1. Very detailed DISCUSSION on how to select the right breast implants.
2. Provided me with so much information that while I learnt a lot I could not absorb all of what he taught me
3. Very academic type surgeon
Cons:
1. Did not mention how my nipple is higher than the ideal location.
2. Did not have a specialized breast facility
3. Did not do a breast fitting with me
4. Doesn’t have their own breast center
Neutral comment:
Drains compulsory. However unlike Dr Lee he explained why he prefers it. Reason being not just for if in case of bleeding, but also will allow him to suck out any air build up during the procedure which could delay swelling. Ok that makes sense.
Recommended size: 330cc
Recommended implant: Anatomical
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr Lee
I’ve had a friend who did her BA through him before and she told me how good the after care service is. He is also a very reputable breast surgeon even amongst the senior level and higher surgeons.
His opinion was that I would require the anatomical implants due to my breast being naturally positioned slightly above the ideal location. Hence the region underneath my nipple would require more expansion than the upper breast. This is in line with what all the surgeons I have mentioned in this post said, so there is no conflicting opinion here.
When I voiced my concern about having a gapped breast post op, he did some quick measurements of the distance between my nipples and said it won’t be an issue because my nipples are within a reasonable distance. Not too close not too far.
I asked him about what Dr Song recommended which was a combination of Fat Graft plus Anatomical implants. Dr Lee said he was not fond of using Fat Graft because of the low survivability and the risk of developing uneven lumps around the breast. When asked about motiva he said he prefers using Allegan because it has not been out on the market long enough for clearly empirical evidence of superiority over the current ones which have been available on the market for years.
Pros:
1. Reputation within this field, not through marketing but respected amongst his peers.
2. Academic publishings
3. Have their own breast center
Cons:
1. No English or Chinese translators. I’m not 100% sure about the Chinese translators but there weren’t any on site the day I had my consultation at least
2. It was a bit hard for me to communicate with Dr Lee. His English was understandable but his demeanor made me less inclined to feel comfortable enough to ask all the questions wanted to. To add his responses were rather abrupt and he did not explain much in detail.
3. Did not give me a good explanation on how to minimize the risk of capsular contraction. His response was pretty much “the risk goes down with the surgeon’s skill. It rarely happens to me patients”. This to me is not good enough. If you are cutting into me, I want to know exactly what will be done, how it will be done, what the risks and limitations are and what you will be doing to minimize that risk. I understand given his reputation he is confident of his skill, and I also understand that when patients ask dumb question repeatedly it can be frustrating af. However I am not one to ask dumb questions, and I have enough knowledge to engage in an objective conversation with the surgeon. I really had high hopes for this consultation but it wasn’t the case.
Neutral comment:
Compulsory drains required. However he did not explain why.
Recommended Size: 370cc
Recommended Implant: Anatomical
I consulted a total of 8 Breast Specialists but I will only be mentioning the 5 that stood out to me, because these 5 were the only ones who left an impression. I made 2 separate trips to korea to complete these consultations. So I am pretty optimistic about my surgery thats scheduled for in just over 2 weeks
A bit about my boobage or lack off….I’m pretty much a surfboard. My mum was a surfboard too until she got preggers and gave birth to 3 kids. I hate kids -_-. Anyways so lack of boobage runs in my family lol. My case is not simple too because not only do I not have much breast tissue, my breast muscles are also tighter and I have broad shoulders. Additionally, my nipples are a little higher up than the ideal location. So this is the pre exisiting structure which my surgeon has to work with.
Dr Song
He was very very talkative. The impression I got from him is that he is very passionate about his speciality. He seemed very excited to talk to me about his technique and the academics of breast augmentation. In fact his consultation turned into more of a discussion and teaching session than a consultation haha. Which I didn’t have a problem with.
He was going to perform the surgery via an endoscope, and actually showed me videos of his usage of the endoscope to separate the muscle layer. He also explained how he planned to position the implant in the submuscular plane whilst leaving an open side pocket to allow for natural movement of the breast.
He also suggested using fat graft to minimize the distance between my nipples because he felt that it was something I was very concerned with.
When I asked him about placing the implant closer he said that was only possible to a mild extent to avoid a mono boob aesthetic. Additionally I also asked about resection of the inner chest wall muscle. However he said because that region is thin, it can cause a creasing and wrinkling effect if too much is resected. Hence he did not recommend it.
When I asked him about risk of capsular contraction his response is: “I’ve done many breast augmentations, and through my experience I am always thinking about how to minimize any risk of complications for the patient. I cannot guarantee there will be no complications, but I have enough experience to actively minimize the risk. Also, don’t use too big an implant that will help too”.
When I asked him about motiva, he said it was not suitable for me because motiva would not allow for enough tissue expansion due to how soft it is. Additionally anatomical implants would be able to give me more natural cleavage due to this shape and structure.
Pros:
1. Very detailed DISCUSSION on how to select the right breast implants.
2. Provided me with so much information that while I learnt a lot I could not absorb all of what he taught me
3. Very academic type surgeon
Cons:
1. Did not mention how my nipple is higher than the ideal location.
2. Did not have a specialized breast facility
3. Did not do a breast fitting with me
4. Doesn’t have their own breast center
Neutral comment:
Drains compulsory. However unlike Dr Lee he explained why he prefers it. Reason being not just for if in case of bleeding, but also will allow him to suck out any air build up during the procedure which could delay swelling. Ok that makes sense.
Recommended size: 330cc
Recommended implant: Anatomical
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr Lee
I’ve had a friend who did her BA through him before and she told me how good the after care service is. He is also a very reputable breast surgeon even amongst the senior level and higher surgeons.
His opinion was that I would require the anatomical implants due to my breast being naturally positioned slightly above the ideal location. Hence the region underneath my nipple would require more expansion than the upper breast. This is in line with what all the surgeons I have mentioned in this post said, so there is no conflicting opinion here.
When I voiced my concern about having a gapped breast post op, he did some quick measurements of the distance between my nipples and said it won’t be an issue because my nipples are within a reasonable distance. Not too close not too far.
I asked him about what Dr Song recommended which was a combination of Fat Graft plus Anatomical implants. Dr Lee said he was not fond of using Fat Graft because of the low survivability and the risk of developing uneven lumps around the breast. When asked about motiva he said he prefers using Allegan because it has not been out on the market long enough for clearly empirical evidence of superiority over the current ones which have been available on the market for years.
Pros:
1. Reputation within this field, not through marketing but respected amongst his peers.
2. Academic publishings
3. Have their own breast center
Cons:
1. No English or Chinese translators. I’m not 100% sure about the Chinese translators but there weren’t any on site the day I had my consultation at least
2. It was a bit hard for me to communicate with Dr Lee. His English was understandable but his demeanor made me less inclined to feel comfortable enough to ask all the questions wanted to. To add his responses were rather abrupt and he did not explain much in detail.
3. Did not give me a good explanation on how to minimize the risk of capsular contraction. His response was pretty much “the risk goes down with the surgeon’s skill. It rarely happens to me patients”. This to me is not good enough. If you are cutting into me, I want to know exactly what will be done, how it will be done, what the risks and limitations are and what you will be doing to minimize that risk. I understand given his reputation he is confident of his skill, and I also understand that when patients ask dumb question repeatedly it can be frustrating af. However I am not one to ask dumb questions, and I have enough knowledge to engage in an objective conversation with the surgeon. I really had high hopes for this consultation but it wasn’t the case.
Neutral comment:
Compulsory drains required. However he did not explain why.
Recommended Size: 370cc
Recommended Implant: Anatomical
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