The First Few Days After Surgery

You’ll go home the same day as your procedure. During the first several days, it’s completely normal to feel tightness or pressure across your chest as your body adjusts to the implants. Dr. Coscia provides detailed instructions on how to rest, care for your incisions, and manage discomfort.

Resting with your upper body slightly elevated often helps reduce swelling and makes those first days much more comfortable. This is your time to relax, recover, and let your body begin adjusting to its new shape.

Early Healing and Adjusting to Changes

Over the next one to two weeks, you’ll notice steady progress. Most women find they can move more easily, return to light daily activities, and feel more like themselves again. Swelling gradually decreases, and the implants begin settling into a more natural position.

You’ll see Dr. Coscia for follow-up visits so he can monitor your healing and reassure you about what’s normal at each stage. His experience in breast surgery gives you clarity and peace of mind as your body changes.

Returning to Normal Activities

Once Dr. Coscia approves it, you can slowly resume low-impact exercise — usually a few weeks after surgery. More strenuous workouts and heavy lifting require additional healing time, and he’ll give you specific guidance based on how your body is recovering.

This stage is where you’ll really start to enjoy your results. Clothes tend to fit better, your shape becomes more refined, and your confidence grows as swelling fades and the implants soften naturally.

Long-Term Results

Your final results will continue to develop over the next few months. As tissues relax and swelling resolves fully, your breasts take on a smooth, soft, natural contour. Dr. Coscia and his team follow you throughout this process to make sure everything is progressing exactly as expected.

With stable weight and healthy habits, you can enjoy long-lasting improvement in volume, shape, and balance.

Schedule Your Breast Augmentation Consultation

If you’re ready to explore breast augmentation with a surgeon known for skill, artistry, and meticulous care, schedule your consultation with Dr. Rudy Coscia. Contact the Sacramento area office at (916) 318-5826 or request an appointment online to begin your journey with confidence.

How Breast Surgery Can Impact Sensation

The degree of sensation change depends on several factors, including the type of procedure, incision placement, and individual healing response.

• Breast augmentation: Since implants are placed under or above the chest muscle, they may stretch or compress nerves temporarily. Some patients experience increased sensitivity in the weeks following surgery, while others notice slight numbness near the incision area.
• Breast lift: A lift reshapes the breast and repositions the nipple-areola complex, which may affect nerves in the area. Sensation often returns gradually within months as the body heals.
• Breast reduction: Because this procedure removes excess breast tissue and repositions the nipple, there is a slightly higher chance of sensation changes. However, most patients retain normal feeling over time.

How Long Do Changes in Sensation Last?

Most sensation changes are temporary, lasting anywhere from a few weeks to a year as nerve endings regenerate. Many patients notice gradual improvement over time as swelling subsides and healing progresses. The likelihood of permanent numbness is low, but some women may experience minor, long-term changes in certain areas of the breast or nipple.

Factors That Influence Sensation Changes

• Surgical technique: Dr. Coscia uses precise methods to minimize nerve disruption and protect sensation.
• Incision placement: Incisions made around the nipple-areola complex (such as in a breast lift) have a higher chance of affecting sensitivity than incisions under the breast.
• Individual healing response: Some patients naturally regain sensation faster than others, depending on how quickly their nerves regenerate.

Schedule a Consultation with Dr. Coscia

If you are considering cosmetic breast surgery and have concerns about sensation changes, Dr. Rudy Coscia can help you understand what to expect based on your procedure and anatomy. With extensive experience in breast augmentation, lift, and reduction, he prioritizes both aesthetic outcomes and patient safety. To schedule a consultation, contact our team in Granite Bay, CA at (916) 249-2863, or Sacramento, CA at (916) 3180-5826.

That’s where implants can come into the picture. Our esteemed board-certified surgeon, Dr. Rudy Coscia, offers both surgeries in our state-of-the-art Sacramento surgery center.

Each surgery has unique benefits, and they can work beautifully together. But is this combination right for you? In this blog, Dr. Coscia explains how each procedure works and how the two can come together to give you your dream contours.

Enhanced Volume and Fullness

A breast lift corrects sagging and reshapes the breasts. It can elevate your breast mound, including your nipples, to give you a perkier and more youthful look. But a breast lift won’t make your breasts look bigger. In fact, on average, women lose about one cup size during breast lift surgery.

Adding implants to your breast lift fills out the upper part of the breast. Ultimately, this gives you a more rounded and fuller look.

This is particularly beneficial for women who have lost breast volume following pregnancy, breastfeeding, or weight loss. The extra volume restores fullness and achieves the look you’ve always desired.

Improved Symmetry and Balance

Many women experience breast asymmetry, where one breast is bigger or shaped differently than the other. If you’ve always wanted your breasts to be higher, more rounded, and, most of all, matching, a breast lift plus implants could be a great option for you.

By adding implants to your breast lift, Dr. Coscia can rebalance your breasts. He takes great care to create a natural-looking, balanced appearance that enhances your overall body proportions.

Long-Lasting Results

The combination of a breast lift and implants can give you long-lasting results. Because these procedures involve removing extra tissue and fat while adding volume specifically where you need it, you can expect an outcome you’ll be happy with.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast lift surgery (with or without implants) can last years if you take good care of your skin, maintain a healthy weight, and wear supportive undergarments.

Breast Lift and Implants in Sacramento

If you’re considering enhancing your breast contours, consult with Dr. Coscia. We take the time to understand your goals so you can achieve the appearance you’ve always wished for. Book your consultation online or call our office to schedule your appointment with Dr. Coscia now.

Breast Surgery and Milk Production: Myth vs Fact

Some patients are under the impression that having breast surgery, such as breast augmentation with implants or a breast reduction, can leave them unable to breastfeed. Many do not fully understand the anatomy of the breasts, which contain nerves, fat deposits, and connective tissues, and assume that any procedure that involves surgically altering this part of the body affects its function. While breast surgery can impact the amount of milk that can be stored in the breasts, the truth is most women will still be able to nurse their children after breast surgery.

Breastfeeding After Enhancement

During a breast augmentation, implants are carefully placed in such a way that they do not interfere with the milk-producing areas of the breasts. Because the mammary glands and ducts are not affected, milk can still be safely secreted in the breastfeeding process. Keep in mind that the size and placement of the implant may affect milk production.

Breastfeeding After a Reduction

When patients undergo breast reduction surgery, excess skin, fat, and tissue are removed from the breasts to reduce their size and shape. Enough tissue can be left in the breast so that the woman still has the option to breastfeed.

Family Planning

Your consultation with Dr. Coscia will allow you the opportunity to discuss all of your questions and concerns about your surgery and your ability to breastfeed afterward. Dr. Coscia will conduct a thorough examination and provide you with information on any functional changes you should expect after surgery. In some cases, patients may be advised to wait until after they have completed their families before undergoing cosmetic surgery.

Schedule an Appointment in Sacramento or Granite Bay

The goal of breast surgery is to improve or enhance the appearance of the chest without reducing function. With this in mind, a skilled surgeon, such as Dr. Coscia, is always the ideal choice for complex cosmetic procedures. To schedule your consultation with Dr. Coscia, contact our office today, where a friendly and professional member of our team is eager to help you get started.

Preparing for Your Breast Augmentation Consultation

Preparation is the key when it comes to your breast augmentation consultation. Consider the following tips:

Research your surgeon: Many surgeons perform breast augmentations; however, the goal is to find a surgeon who is experienced and qualified. Additionally, your surgeon should have photos conveniently available, which allows prospective patients to review them at their leisure as they learn more about their surgeon. Dr. Coscia has extensive experience providing one-of-a-kind patient care while delivering outstanding results for his patients. His before and after photos can be found here.

Explore your implant options: Choosing the type of breast implant you want is a major decision, and patients often find it useful to conduct some preliminary research about their implant options. For example, it may be helpful to learn more about silicone implants if you desire a natural look and feel. Saline and gummy bear implants are also available at Dr. Coscia’s office, and he will help you make a final decision based on your unique needs and goals.

Prepare your questions: One of the most beneficial aspects of the consultation is the discussion portion. You will have the space to ask questions, have your concerns addressed, and gain a clear understanding of the procedure. You will likely have questions about what to expect before, during, and after the procedure, so having these questions written down can be a big help.

Be ready to discuss your medical history and lifestyle: Your medical history and lifestyle will play a large role in determining your candidacy for breast augmentation surgery. You will need to provide Dr. Coscia with this information, so it is important to come ready to discuss your history. This may include a list of medications, past surgeries, medical conditions, and other factors.

Schedule Your Breast Consultation in Sacramento and Coeur d’Alene

Dr. Coscia and his skilled team are ready to help you enhance your appearance. Dr. Coscia regularly performs breast augmentation surgery on patients in Sacramento and Coeur d’Alene. In addition, he provides a range of procedures to help patients reveal the best version of themselves. Schedule your consultation today by getting in touch with our office.

Breastfeeding Shouldn’t Be More Challenging

The number one concern women of childbearing age have about breast augmentation is its potential effects on breastfeeding. Fortunately, most women with breast implants have no trouble lactating and feeding their children. By placing an implant between the chest wall and the breast, the implant very minimally obstructs the breast ducts and mammary glands — the parts of the breast responsible for lactation.

Some plastic surgeons suggest that their patients who are concerned about future breastfeeding avoid periareolar breast augmentation (a procedure that places the incision around the areola). In reality, though, a periareolar incision has limited effect on the milk ducts. Most women ultimately choose to insert implants through an incision along the lower breast crease, making this debate moot anyway.

Implants Do Not Affect Fertility or Your Baby

Studies have examined whether women with breast implants have lower fertility rates. The good news is that implants do not in any way impair a woman’s ability to conceive. If breast implants make a woman feel sexier and more confident, that can only make conceiving a baby easier!

Research also confirms that babies do not develop health problems because of implants, so women do not need to worry about their future children’s safety.

Pregnancy Affects the Size and Shape of the Breasts

Throughout pregnancy, a woman’s breasts enlarge to produce milk. Once the baby has weaned, the breasts will shrink in volume — sometimes back to their original size and sometimes somewhat bigger or smaller than they were previously. They can also look more deflated because of stretched skin.

Breast implants are strong enough to weather these changes, so safety is not an issue. However, because the breasts can look different in size and shape following pregnancy, some women may be dissatisfied with these changes. That can happen to women with or without breast implants.

When Dr. Coscia Recommends Waiting

So many of Dr. Coscia’s breast augmentation patients have gone on to have children with zero complications that he does not hesitate to endorse this procedure for younger women who may decide to start a family one day.

The only time he may suggest that a woman postpone a breast procedure is if she is actively planning to have a child. The breasts need time to heal after plastic surgery, and the natural changes that happen to the breasts if she becomes pregnant can complicate that process. Furthermore, since sagging is a common concern after pregnancy, she may decide to combine breast augmentation with breast lift to achieve an appealing breast shape and elevation.

To discuss breast augmentation in more detail with an expert, board-certified plastic surgeon, please schedule a consultation with Dr. Coscia by calling 916-773-5559 for his Granite Bay office or 916-929-1833 for his Sacramento office.

Breasts That Look Natural

The best way to have a realistic-looking augmentation is by choosing modestly sized breast implants. If your breasts look significantly too large for your body, that’s when acquaintances may start to suspect cosmetic surgery. Larger implants are great if you want obvious enhancement, but maintaining normal proportions is your ticket to having natural-looking results.

Another factor that can help is the shape of your implants. While most breast augmentation surgeries are performed with round implants, gummy bear implants (aka teardrop implants) have grown in popularity in the past decade. These implants are silicone and give your breasts a sloping shape that looks more youthful and natural.

Breasts That Feel Natural

If you are most concerned with how your breast augmentation will feel, your top priority in choosing breast implants should be the texture. Most patients report that silicone implants feel more like natural breast tissue inside their body than saline implants. The same is true for anyone who may touch your breasts: silicone implants will feel more natural than saline varieties. Therefore, women with silicone implants are more likely to forget they have had breast augmentation.

Breasts That Have Natural Materials

While the risk of having an implant break is very low, it is common to have concerns about implant rupture. If safety is your top priority, you may want to consider saline implants instead. The sterile saltwater at the center of saline implants does not pose any health risks to your body — if the implant ruptures, this saltwater is easily expelled from your body. On the other hand, a ruptured silicone implant should be removed as soon as the problem is discovered.

Make a Decision That Feels Best for You

Every breast augmentation that Dr. Coscia performs is customized to the requests of that patient. Ultimately, your definition of “natural” may be quite different from another patient’s definition, and that is perfectly okay. Dr. Coscia’s goal is to help you attain breasts that make you look and feel your best. During the consultation phase, he discusses the pros and cons of all your options so that you can make a choice that gives you joy and confidence. To schedule a consultation, please call 916-773-5559 (Granite Bay) or 916-929-1833 (Sacramento), or book one directly online.

Implant Type

One of the major choices breast augmentation patients must make concerns the implant type. The two basic choices are saline or silicone, but different varieties are available.

• Saline implants – These implants contain sterile saltwater. Should the implant leak, the contents are absorbed by the body. Structured saline implants feel more natural than standard saline implants due to their inner structure.
• Silicone implants – Silicone implants feel more natural than saline, but the leakage of silicone gel can cause issues.
• Gummy bear implants – Also made of silicone but firmer and thicker than standard silicone implants, teardrop-shaped gummy bear implants receive this name because they keep their shape even if the implant shell breaks. That is due to the more concentrated nature of the gel.

Fat Transfer

Implants are not the only option for breast enlargement. Some women choose fat transfer, which has the added benefit of taking fat from where it is not wanted, via liposuction, and having it injected into the breasts after processing.

The downside of fat transfer is that breasts cannot increase by more than two cup sizes with this method.

Breast Size

Women undergoing breast augmentation obviously desire larger breasts. What size is right for you? Much depends on the woman’s frame. Factors to consider when deciding breast implant size include:

• Chest wall shape and size
• Width between natural breasts
• Lifestyle

Keep in mind that too-large breasts can lead to shoulder and back pain. Women may find that very large breasts affect their athletic capabilities. The same holds true for those with physically demanding jobs. The right breast size offers an improved appearance combined with comfort.

Future Breastfeeding?

If a woman plans on having children in the future, she must decide prior to breast augmentation surgery whether she wants to breastfeed. If she does want to breastfeed, that may affect where the incision is placed.

For best breastfeeding results, incisions placed under the breasts or beneath the armpits are preferable to incisions around the areolas.

For More Information, Contact Dr. Rudy Coscia

If you would like more information about breast augmentation, schedule a consultation with top Sacramento plastic surgeon Dr. Rudy Coscia today. He will explain your options and help you make the breast augmentation decisions that are right for you.

Proper Implant Sizing

An important part of the breast augmentation planning process is selecting the right implant size. As you and Dr. Coscia discuss your options, try not to get caught up on the cubic centimeters (cc’s) of an implant or on breast cup size. C-cup breasts or 400cc implants will look very different on you than they would on a curvier woman. It is more important to think about the look or proportions you hope to achieve with surgery. You may show Dr. Coscia photographs of a woman with a similar body type to you whose breasts you want to emulate. Based on what you show him or describe, he can find the best solution for your individual body type and goals.

Our office also uses a 3D imaging software program that allows you to “preview” how you would look with different implant sizes. Looking at computer-generated estimations of your body with different implants is extremely useful in narrowing down the selections.

Over vs. Under the Muscle

The size of your chosen implants isn’t the only important decision you’ll make. You and Dr. Coscia will also need to determine where to place your implants. Will they be positioned over your chest muscle or under it?

Usually leaner women with little natural breast tissue opt to have their implants placed beneath the muscle, because it provides more coverage for the implants. Placing the implants over the muscle may cause the edges of the implant to look more noticeable under the skin. In fact, in women with very thin tissue cover, visible implant rippling may be seen.

Implant Projection

If your breast augmentation goal is to enhance your body without making you look too “top heavy,” implant profile is another factor to consider. An implant’s profile describes how far out it projects from the chest. It may help to think of implants as similar to different types of shoes: You can choose from flats (low profile implants), short “kitten” heels (moderate profile implants) or stiletto heels (high profile implants).

High profile implants provide the most projection with the narrowest base. They often work well on narrow-chested women because they take up the least amount of “real estate” on the chest. If you have a wider chest, you may opt for a low-profile implant, which has a wider base and takes up more space. Dr. Coscia will take measurements of your chest to help you find the implant profile that best suits your anatomy and goals.

Schedule a Breast Augmentation Consultation

To request a consultation with Dr. Coscia to discuss your options, please call or email our office today.

No matter what your reason is for falling out of love with your implants, you always have options with Dr. Rudy Coscia. If your primary concern is the size of your implants, breast implant exchange (also known as breast revision) may be the most suitable solution.

Understanding Breast Implant Exchange

Breast implant exchange is designed to replace your implants with a different pair. Depending on your motivation for surgery and how long it has been since your primary breast surgery, breast implant exchange may help you achieve the size you originally wanted, or it can adjust your implants so they align with your current lifestyle and goals.

The key to successful breast implant exchange is open and honest communication with your plastic surgeon. Both you and Dr. Coscia should be very clear about what you hope to achieve from surgery and what you can expect after the second surgery. When you consult with Dr. Coscia about implant exchange, try to bring in the surgical report from your primary breast augmentation as well as information about your existing implants. It is also useful to bring in photographs of what you hope to look like after your implant exchange. Together, you and Dr. Coscia will select your new implant size and plan out your revision surgery.

You should find that revision surgery itself is quite similar to your first breast augmentation. If possible, Dr. Coscia will try to use the existing incision lines to remove the old implants and place the new pair.

Some factors can make the procedure slightly more involved:

• If it has been a long time since your first surgery and your breasts have naturally sagged
• If you are replacing very small implants with a much larger pair
• If you are replacing very large implants that have stretched out your natural breast tissue and skin

However, Dr. Coscia is well-equipped to work around those challenges. He can address these issues with you and explain how he will help you achieve your goals. For instance, he may recommend combining implant exchange with breast lift to tighten up loose skin and tissues for perkier breasts.

Learn More About Breast Implant Exchange

For more information about replacing your implants with a bigger or smaller pair, please contact our practice and request an appointment with Dr. Coscia. Call or email us today.