Plastic Surgery Q and A

Question: I've seen on line a plastic surgeon who does navel incisions is that worth it. Do you do put implants in this way? Whats the advantage and disadvantage??
Answer: I do perform the TUBA (Trans Umbilical Breast Augmentation) and I have patients who are very happy with this approach. The advantage of a TUBA is that patients who are candidates for this approach will have no scars on their breasts. A minor disadvantage of having breast implants placed in through the belly button is that patients will have a scar around the belly button. Another potential disadvantage of the TUBA is incorrect implant placement. I have corrected patients done else where who have had problems with implant placement. One implant was submuscular and the other was in front of the muscle leaving the breasts looking different. Or one breast implant is higher than the other. Another disadvantage of the TUBA is that not everyone is a candidate. Only patients with excellent measurements, symmetrical breasts, nipples that are at the same heights and no drooping or sagging are candidates for this procedure. The surgeon's evaluation of his patient's anatomy is k
ey to getting the best surgical outcome and some may do a TUBA on a patient who would get a better result with another approach. Further disadvantages of the TUBA are that the belly button is a long way from the breasts and the long tunnel created to put the breast implants in through creates a track leading from the belly button to the breasts that in some patients may leave irregularities. If patients wish to have the more natural feeling silicone breast implants they can not be put in using a trans umbilical approach and the breast implant manufactures recommend using saline breast implants only for the TUBA approach. The final disadvantage of a TUBA is if the patient is unhappy with the final outcome or needs a breast revision rarely can the correction be done using the same belly button scar and new scars may have to be placed elsewhere to correct a problem.