Scottsdale Plastic Surgery Practice Stands Behind U.S. Breast Implant Safety

Scottsdale, AZ — Breast augmentation remains the most popular surgical cosmetic enhancement in the U.S., which is mirrored in the Scottsdale plastic surgery practice of Dr. Steven Turkeltaub. He believes the extensive, exhaustive studies and research conducted over the years supports the general safety of both silicone and saline breast implants and refutes the nebulous charges of self interest groups. Furthermore, he states that the strict requirements and thorough oversight by the FDA in their approval adds additional credence to their safety.

The recently publicized breast implant safety issue concerned the French breast implant manufacturer Poly Implant Prothese (PIP), which was caught substituting industrial grade silicone for some of their implants instead of using the far more expensive medical grade silicone. Fortunately, none of their silicone breast implants were used in the United States because the company failed to meet the numerous and strict regulations and guidelines established by the FDA. As a board-certified Scottsdale plastic surgeon, Dr. Turkeltaub says that a patient who has had a breast augmentation in the U.S. from a reputable board-certified plastic surgeon need not be concerned about this issue.

Dr. Turkeltaub says he strongly believes in the safety of silicone gel implants for patients looking for breast augmentation in Scottsdale, Phoenix, and Glendale. “Silicone gel breast implants, which are FDA approved, are probably the most studied medical device ever. I feel extremely comfortable reassuring my patients of their safety and effectiveness and recommending them.” In fact, Dr. Turkeltaub says silicone breast implants in Scottsdale are the most popular choice of implant for patients at his practice, noting that more than 95% of his patients select the gel option for its natural look, feel and durability. “My patients find that silicone feels more like natural breast tissue, whereas saline implants can feel more like a water balloon. When considering a procedure that can have such a significant impact on the way a woman looks and feels about her body, I’m not surprised a majority of women choose the silicone gel implants.” The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) confirms his observations, reporting that 62% of breast augmentation procedures used silicone implants, whereas only 38% of cases used saline.

Whether patients are looking for silicone or saline implants for a breast enlargement in Scottsdale, Dr. Turkeltaub says consulting with an experienced and reputable board certified plastic surgery practice is essential for having a much greater likelihood for achieving an aesthetically-pleasing outcome. He also stresses the importance of seeking a board-certified plastic surgeon who is caring, easily relates with patients, and spends an appropriate amount of time discussing all aspects of the procedure and answering their questions.

“Board certification with the American Board of Plastic Surgery is critically important when considering a procedure such as breast augmentation. Many of my patients have told me that word-of-mouth from friends and acquaintances who are or have been patients of the plastic surgeon can be quite helpful.”

About Steven H. Turkeltaub, MD, PC

A graduate of the Six-Year Medical Program at Boston University and Boston University School of Medicine, Dr. Steven Turkeltaub completed his general surgery residency at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital and Northwestern Medical Center in Chicago, as well as a plastic surgery residency at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. He is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the Arizona Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, the Arizona Medical Association, and several other professional societies. Board-certified in Plastic Surgery, Dr. Turkeltaub has also been published in several scholarly articles and textbooks on plastic surgery, in addition to a number of magazines and newspapers.

With two locations at 10290 N. 92nd Street Suite 207 in Scottsdale, AZ and 18275 N. 59th Avenue Bldg. E Suite 126 in Glendale, AZ, Dr. Turkeltaub’s practice, the Arizona Center for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, can be reached at (480) 451-3000. He can also be contacted online via the website turkeltaub.com, arizonabreast.com, or the Arizona Center for Breast Surgery Facebook page.

Contact:
Rosemont Media
Aaron Hurst
aaron@rosemontmedia.com
(858) 200-0044

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There is considerable disagreement, however, on the amount of discomfort that is experienced immediately following a breast augmentation where the breast implants are placed behind the muscle. Many women are under the impression that there is necessarily a considerable amount of pain for several days following the surgery. They might have heard this from some of their friends or even read about it online. This can create anxiety prior to surgery or even cause some women to abandon their pursuit of a breast enlargement.

How true is this?

Should you expect to be in a considerable amount of pain for days after your surgery?

For most women, when the breast augmentation surgery is performed by a plastic surgeon employing the most advanced and meticulous plastic surgery techniques, the immediate postoperative course can be surprisingly tolerable with mild, fairly easily manageable discomfort. Of course and unfortunately, this is not true in every situation.

In the pursuit of seeking the ideal ways to minimize immediate postoperative discomfort following a breast augmentation, my techniques and approaches have evolved considerably over my 25 years in practice here in Scottsdale and the Phoenix metropolitan area. The result is that it is not very common for my patients to complain about greater than mild to moderate pain that can’t be controlled with analgesics and muscle relaxants. Unfortunately, there are many plastic surgeons and other physicians performing breast augmentations who are not very mindful of the ways to make the postoperative course far more pleasant and tolerable.

The following is a video of a recent patient of mine who wanted to share with others her experiences and perspectives following her breast augmentation surgery.

If you would like more information on breast augmentation surgery or for any other plastic surgery procedure that I perform, or to schedule a consultation with me, please call my office at 480-451-3000.

Steven H. Turkeltaub, M.D. P.C.
Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona

A very significant percentage of women that I see in consultation for breast reduction surgery (reduction mammoplasty) are well above their ideal body weight. Many of these same women express a desire, serious or not, to lose a substantial amount of weight in addition to breast size.

When considering weight loss and breast reduction surgery, should a woman lose some or most of the weight:

A.)  prior to breast reduction surgery?
B.) after the breast reduction surgery?
C.) or some before and the rest afterwards?

In a perfect world, my recommendation would be to lose as much of the excess weight prior to breast reduction surgery rather than afterwards. The advantages of this are many. When the breasts are reduced in size and contoured into a desirable shape with a rejuvenated appearance, there is a fixed ratio of skin and enclosed breast tissue. This can be maintained to some extent over time if weight remains constant though gravity continues to take its toll with regard to continuation of drooping over time. With a postoperative weight loss well in excess of 5 or 10 pounds, there will be additional loss of breast volume yet the amount of skin remains the same. The result would be even smaller breasts that are less firm and shapely and droopier than they otherwise would have been.

What are other advantages of preoperative weight loss?

At a substantially lower weight, surgical and anesthetic risks may be decreased as would the risk of infection and healing problems. This relevant for those individuals whose body mass index (BMI) places them in the obese or morbidly obese categories.

Unfortunately, what is best and what can be accomplished are often not the same. Many women may desire to lose their excess poundage but know that they can’t and won’t. Others can actually lose at least some of the weight but nowhere near all of it. Regardless, both of these groups of women should not be denied breast reduction surgery and its associated benefits if they are otherwise excellent candidates for it and are relatively low medical and anesthetic risks.

The positive impact of a reduction mammoplasty on the quality of life is difficult to overstate. It is so rare for any woman who has undergone this procedure to regret her decision. In fact, the satisfaction rate for this procedure even exceeds that of breast augmentation surgery which is around 94%.

For more information on a breast reduction surgery or on any other plastic surgery procedure that I perform or to schedule your consultation with me, please call my office at 480-451-3000.

Steven H. Turkeltaub, M.D. P.C.
Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona

Doctor-Patient Communication is Essential for Successful Results Says Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon

At his center for plastic surgery in Scottsdale, Dr. Steven Turkeltaub says initial consultations with one’s surgeon can have a profound impact on the quality of results they can achieve as well as overall patient comfort. Dr. Turkeltaub offers tips for finding a practice dedicated to patient satisfaction as well as how to increase the effectiveness of doctor-patient consultations.

Dr. Steven Turkeltaub, a plastic surgeon in Scottsdale, says with an improvement in the economy on the optimistic horizon, there should be a significant increase in the number of plastic surgery procedures being performed. He adds that some of this will be related to pent up demand from patients who have long desired to have cosmetic surgery, but couldn’t afford it due to the dire and protracted economic issues that have plagued the US for several years.

As patients pursue plastic surgery, Dr. Turkeltaub says they need to consult with a surgeon who has the proper training, qualifications, and passion for excellence in patient care. He states that this can be quite difficult to discern given deceptive advertising, marketing and even information imparted by less than forthright physicians. “When seeking the right surgeon, a patient should start by making sure their doctor is a plastic surgeon who is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Many less-than-scrupulous physicians will deceptively claim that they are ‘board certified,’ but it either is not an officially recognized board or one in an area that is not plastic surgery.”

The importance of the initial consultation cannot be overstated, according to Dr. Turkeltaub. Patients can enhance the value and experience of their consultation by some preparation beforehand. He states that specifically identifying one’s cosmetic goals for a procedure such as for breast augmentation and the use of breast implants in Scottsdale prior to the consultation helps the plastic surgeon and the patient in the decision-making process and in selecting the best course of action.

Dr. Turkeltaub also adds that preparing a list of important questions or concerns can help patients feel more comfortable about the procedure(s) that they are considering as well as relieve the expected anxiety and indecisiveness. “I thoroughly discuss the contemplated procedure or procedures in detail including the surgery itself, the postoperative course, expectations, and risks and complications. Usually, I cover everything that most patients would normally ask so that few have any additional questions. This further creates a greater sense of comfort, trust, and understanding.”

For example, Dr. Turkeltaub offers some typical questions patients must address when considering breast augmentation: How can I be sure that I will be the size that I want to be? How painful is the procedure? How long is the recovery period? How long do the breast implants last? Are they durable? Do they have to be changed every 10 years? Do I have any long-term limitations? He adds that it is imperative for patients to be knowledgeable and informed regarding both their implants and breast enlargement in general so that they feel much more comfortable when making their decisions.

Whether they are seeking a non-invasive enhancement like BOTOX® Cosmetic or a surgical procedure such as breast augmentation in Scottsdale, Dr. Turkeltaub says patients should be sure to choose a plastic surgeon and associated office staff that are respectful, courteous, empathetic and willing to spend the necessary time with them. “Researching a practice and plastic surgeon ahead of the consultation and procedure will increase the likelihood of an overall better experience both during and after the surgery.”

About Steven H. Turkeltaub, MD, PC

Following graduation from the Six-Year Medical Program at Boston University and Boston University School of Medicine, Dr. Steven Turkeltaub completed a post-graduate training residency in general surgery at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital and Northwestern Medical Center in Chicago. He also trained during a plastic surgery residency at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, where he held an academic appointment as Clinical Instructor and Attending Physician in Plastic and reconstructive Surgery. Having authored several papers and textbook chapters on plastic surgery, Dr. Turkeltaub is also a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the Arizona Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, the Arizona Medical Associations, and several other professional organizations. He regularly attends national symposiums and meetings each year to keep up-to-date on the latest in plastic surgery techniques and technology.

Dr. Turkeltaub’s practice, The Arizona Center for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, has two locations at 10290 N. 92nd St., Suite 207 in Scottsdale, AZ and 18275 N. 59th Ave. Bldg. E Suite 126 in Glendale, AZ, reachable at (480) 451-3000. He can also be contacted online via the website www.arizonabreast.com, www.turkeltaub.com, or facebook.com/drturkeltaub.

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There is no need for risky breast enlargement surgery. Say “no thanks” to those dangerous breast implants.

No! No! No! No! You don’t want those fake, manufactured things in YOUR body!

Plastic surgeons will be outraged … but you can laugh, look great and not have to pay those exorbitant surgical fees. And best of all: avoid surgery!

How is this possible?

It can’t be true, can it?

I, myself, never thought it possible that some rare and exotic herb could have such beneficial effects. Being highly skeptical, I hiked deep into a remote region of the Amazon to visit a primitive tribe I heard about where all the women were at least a “D” cup. Even more amazing, as I subsequently learned, was that their breasts remained firm and youthful well into their 50’s – even after several pregnancies and breast feeding.

What is their “secret”?

The answer is a diet rich in a leafy plant that only the women eat. It’s an herb that is found nowhere else on the planet.

Until now.

So if you want your breasts to grow bigger the natural way, without the risks and pain of breast augmentation surgery, you don’t have to go to the Amazon rainforest to obtain this amazing herb. I’ve brought it back for you in my safe, all natural proprietary formulation.

So hurry now and take advantage of this introductory, discounted limited time offer! You can get 100 of these amazing, patented breast pills for the easy low price of $89.99 plus S & H. And for the first 1000 callers, I will throw in a second bottle at no charge.  You just pay the additional S & H.

To place your order now, just call 800-TIT-PILLS (or 800-848-7455). Operators are standing by 24 hours a day.

If you call in the next 60 minutes, we will include for free in your order, 25 tablets for your man that contain another tropical herb that will help to further extend his interest in you …

Do you really believe advertisements like this touting incredible pills, tablet, or lotions guaranteed to enlarge your breasts or your man’s manhood?

Hopefully not, as they don’t exist!

These scams only serve to enlarge the bank accounts of the con artists promoting their quack medications and formulations. As the old adage goes: “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

If you would like some information on the real thing, breast augmentation surgery, or for any other plastic surgery procedure that I perform or to schedule a consultation with me, please call my office at 480-451-3000.

Steven H. Turkeltaub, M.D. P.C.
Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona

“Natural” looking breasts.

Over the years, many thousands of women have seen me in consultation for their breast augmentation. When sharing their goals to me, a majority of them invariably requested that they wanted their breasts to look “natural”. Then they proceeded to describe these desired outcomes that were in reality not so very “natural”. What might be “natural” to one woman would not be very satisfactory to another who was also looking for that “natural” result. Furthermore, many women just use the term but haven’t really thought about what it means to them except that it doesn’t include obscenely big.

What are natural looking breasts?

Are they a so called “C” cup or a “D” cup? Or even a “B” cup for the very petite? And which company’s bra will be the standard to make that determination?

Are they somewhat round, broad and with moderate projection? Or are they more projecting and less wide?

Is a tear drop shaped breast more natural or more desirable than a smooth and round one?

I could go on but you get the gist. Though it may give some people the warm and fuzzies, the use of “natural” together with breast implants and breast augmentation is not a very useful, descriptive or precise term. The one thing that it does convey is that the woman does not want to be grotesquely large (whatever size that may be!).

“Natural”, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder. When you are seeking to have a breast augmentation, know exactly what it is that you want and if you still insist on using the term “natural”, explain to your plastic surgeon exactly what that means to you. This includes such considerations as relative cup size, proportionality, cleavage, roundness, fullness, etc. Providing some photos showing women both in more revealing clothes and naked can be helpful to convey your thoughts.

If you don’t express exactly what it is that you want from your breast augmentation, there is a greater chance that you might not be entirely satisfied with the outcome.

For more information on breast augmentation surgery, breast implants or for any plastic surgery procedure that I perform, or to schedule a consultation with me, please call my office at 480-451-3000.

Steven H. Turkeltaub, M.D. P.C.
Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona

A French manufacturer of breast implants, Poly Implant Prosthese (PIP), has been in the news worldwide and for all the wrong reasons.

Inferior quality breast implants that break easily.
Usage of unauthorized, non-medical grade silicone in their silicone implants.
Poor quality control and manufacturing techniques.
Concern that their implants may be associated with an increased incidence of cancer.
And now there are allegations that a fuel additive, untested in any human trials, was used in these implants.

These issues show an egregious violation of standards, ethics and integrity. On top of this, European medical regulatory agencies and other government agencies failed to protect the consumer.

Women in numerous countries around the world who had these implants used for their breast enlargement are quite understandably in a panic. There may be hundreds of thousands of them.

What about American women? Do they have anything to worry about here? How many of these implants were used in the United States?

Fortunately, the answers to these questions are both easy and positive.

PIP sold only saline implants in the United States for a short period of time – between the end of 1996 and 2000. In their investigation of the company and its saline implants, the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) in 2000 cited numerous issues and concerns including quality control problems and the unacceptably high deflation rate. This led to PIP immediately withdrawing these implants from the United States market.

And now for even better news: No PIP silicone implants were ever legally sold or used in the United States. Therefore, despite the worldwide uproar and concerns about these disastrous PIP silicone breast implants, American women don’t have to worry about this issue because they were never available for implantation here.

If you would like to obtain information on silicone breast implants, breast augmentation surgery or for any other plastic surgery procedure that I perform, or to schedule a consultation with me, please call my office at 480-451-3000.

Steven H. Turkeltaub, M.D. P.C.
Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona

These reports garnished quite a lot of attention and also provoked some anxiety, concern and questions particularly in some women who already have breast implants. They want to know: “Is there a risk that the body can really “swallow” a breast implant?”

This case report involved a 59 year old woman who had previously undergone a bilateral mastectomy for breast cancer and had reconstruction with breast implants. During a Pilates stretching exercise, her right breast implant … disappeared. Gone in a flash! No external trace. She experienced no symptoms such as pain or shortness of breath.

A medical evaluation was performed including obtaining an ultrasound, chest X-ray and CT scan. What was discovered was that her intact breast implant was in her right chest cavity. It had been sucked into it during her stretching exercise.

She was taken to surgery during which the implant was extracted from the chest cavity and repositioned on the chest wall again where it belonged. A defect between the ribs which had allowed the implant to be displaced, was repaired. And she lived happily ever after. (Well, I don’t exactly know about that!)

So how did this bizarre situation occur?

This was the result of a confluence of issues and factors that together created the “perfect storm” for this rarity. The patient already had weak, flexible ribs. Her implants were not very large. And most importantly and what wasn’t clearly disclosed: she recently had undergone a mitral valve (a heart valve) replacement for a leaky heart valve and the approach used to access the heart was between the same two ribs that the implant slid between. The normal anatomy was disrupted by the surgery and a significant defect remained between these two ribs. Now, add to all of this a stretching maneuver that separated the ribs and created a negative force and, voilà, her breast implant was sucked into the chest cavity.

As you can see, the odds of this happening are less than being struck by lightning or winning the lottery. It is about on par with the probability of Obama suddenly becoming an adherent of conservative policies and slightly higher that the likelihood of taking a snapshot of the Loch Ness monster frolicking with its family or eating lunch with the Abominable snowman.

There are more important things to worry about in life.

Steven H. Turkeltaub, M.D. P.C.
Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona

The incision that I have always preferred for a breast augmentation is the inframammary one (with rare exceptions). The reasons have been many including the relatively inconspicuous location and healing of the incision, better surgical exposure that facilitates precise technique and control, a reduced risk of developing capsular contracture (tight scar formation around the implant causing the breasts to feel hard), and what intuitively seemed to have a lower risk of affecting the sensation of the nipple-areola complex (NAC). No large scale study had been conducted to prove or refute my sentiment on the effect of the incision location on sensation until now.

A large scientific study was conducted in Italy that evaluated the possible effect of the incision location for breast augmentation surgery on the postoperative sensation of the nipple-areola complex. This assessed data from over 1200 women who had the same plastic surgeon perform their surgery over a slightly greater than six year period. Among the variables investigated were patient age, the breast implant size and whether the implants were placed above or below the muscle.

What the study found was that the implant size had no significant impact on the sensation of the nipple-areola complex postoperatively, an outcome that may surprise many. In addition, neither the patient’s age nor whether the implant was in a submuscular or submammary pocket, had any influence on sensation. The only variable that had a statistically significant association with reduced NAC sensation after surgery was the incision location, with the periareolar affecting 9.5% of women compared to 3.5% with the inframammary one which translates into a 2.7 times greater risk of sensory loss. It also had a 3.5 times greater risk of causing areolar pain.

Now there is even more convincing evidence supporting the superiority of the inframammary incision over the periareolar one for breast augmentation surgery.

If you would like to obtain more information on breast augmentation surgery or for any other plastic surgery procedure that I perform, or to schedule a consultation with me, please call my office at 480-451-3000.

Steven H. Turkeltaub, M.D. P.C.
Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona

A question that many women have who are either considering a breast reduction or have already undergone one is “When can I start wearing an underwire bra?” Some are under the impression that they are not suppose to wear one any more following surgery; others have heard recommendations that involve widely differing periods of time. This can be decidedly confusing.

What is the right answer?

Well, there really is not one absolute, definitive answer. (Even this sounds vague!) One of the reasons for this is that there are no evidence based studies in the medical literature which identify one specific period of time following breast reduction surgery that is better than any other to start wearing an underwire bra again. Consequently, each plastic surgeon determines his or her own protocol based on a variety of factors including experiences with their patients. Some may recommend waiting at least 3 or 4 weeks whereas others may suggest 2 to 3 months or more.

What is my protocol for wearing an underwire bra following a breast reduction?

Upon removal of their operative dressing a few days after surgery, my patients are placed in a sports bra which they will wear for a couple of weeks. After this, they can wear any comfortable but supportive bra which they like and which includes an underwire bra. The purpose is to help to maintain the improved shape of their breasts for a longer period of time by counteracting, to some extent, the relentless forces of gravity.

With normal postoperative healing, the incision along the crease at the bottom of the breast will be inflamed and even tender for several months. During this period of time, an underwire bra may be somewhat uncomfortable to wear. As a result, most patients will wait at least 2 to 3 months before being wearing one on a regular basis.

For more information on breast reduction surgery or for any other plastic surgery procedure that I perform or to schedule your free consultation with me, please call my office at 480-451-3000.

Steven H. Turkeltaub, M.D. P.C.
Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona