A Breast Augmentation Journey

Below is a story from one of my patients that I’d like to share with you.

I grew up in Dallas and had a wonderful childhood. But no matter the generation, kids are just MEAN. When all the girls started to need larger bras I was barely filling my A cup. And I was a tough Texas girl, but when the kids in highschool started calling me “flat-chested”, saying I had bee stings, and even calling me a boy, it was a little hard to deal with.

I have a wonderful mother who I could share anything with. When I told her about this one day after school, she said something I will never forget: “Confidence is what makes you beautiful. You find what makes you confident, no matter what it is, and you hold on to that. They can’t take that feeling away from you.”

Fast forward to college I never heard those mean terms again, thankfully. I eventually met my boyfriend who loved me just the way I was, and after we graduated we moved to his home town of Culver City, CA. We got married, had 3 beautiful kids, and life was great. Something I couldn’t shake though was when I was pregnant with them, each time my breasts grew to a C cup! I was extremely confident before my kids thanks to my mother, but man did I like the way they looked for those glorious child-bearing years.

Keeping my mother’s words of wisdom in mind, I held on to that idea of what made me (even more so) confident and started to make it a reality. Undoubtedly my husband had no complaints. So then began the Breast Augmentation research. The first thing I typed in naturally was “Beverly Hills Breast Augmentation,” hearing about all those fabulous Beverly Hills plastic surgeons and all. Low and behold, Gabbay Plastic Surgery was at the top of the page. I continued looking at a few other surgeons, but I kept finding myself going back to Dr. Gabbay’s website.

I knew then I had to call and schedule a consultation.

CONSULTATION

The office was stunning; I loved the view! When they called my name to come back I felt a combination of nervousness and excitement. Dr. Joubin Gabbay began the consultation with chit-chat which made me feel more comfortable and then slowly eased into the topic of breast augmentation.

I had no idea there were so many choices to choose from when it came to Breast Augmentation. It actually makes it better though since you basically customize the way you want your breasts to turn out because you have the control to choose. Dr. Gabbay laid out what I had to choose from and each option in full detail, reassuring me that he would help me with each decision.

Firstly, he asked how much larger I wanted to be. I told him how I was a full C when I had my kids and he agreed that was a good increase in size without being obvious. He then explained the pros and cons of silicone, saline, and gummy bear implants. We both came to the decision that silicone would suite me best. Dr. Gabbay and I decided on round shaped implants since tear-drop shape can rotate in the pocket and potentially cause problems, where the round implants can rotate and not cause any problems or noticeable change. We also decided on smooth implants rather than textured since smooth feels more natural to the touch and has a much less chance of rippling.

Not wanting obvious scarring, he said he can insert them by making an incision around my areola so any resulting scars would blend in naturally. I had asked if the procedure would hurt, and he said with all surgeries there is a chance of slight discomfort, but he does everything in his power to keep his patients as comfortable as possible. That was definitely a plus!

He was so patient when I asked question after question and he made sure that I was not just listening but actually understood everything he was telling me. Dr. Gabbay made me feel so comfortable with my Breast Augmentation option decisions, which made me feel EVEN MORE confident that I was making the right decision for myself. His knowledge combined with his support and bedside manners made me want to just get them that day!

PROCEDURE

The morning of my surgery I could not stop smiling. My husband dropped me off, gave me a kiss, told me he’d be waiting when I woke, and I confidently strut my Texas turned West Coast self into the office.

Dr. Gabbay marked the incision locations on my breast where he would insert the implant through. I was then given general anesthesia, and sure enough the next thing I remember is waking up and seeing my bigger bust!

So after I was anesthetized he made the incisions around the areola, created the pocket underneath the muscle, and then placed my implants. He told me he was very diligent in making sure they were as even and symmetrical as possible. The incisions were then closed and I woke up slowly with the care of his helpful staff. The whole procedure lasted around an hour and a half plus the time I spent recuperating in the recovery room.

From the moment I opened my eyes I could not stop staring at them! Given they were wrapped in bandaging, but I could tell there was an amazing physical enhancement underneath. It was the most incredible feeling knowing that this body alteration was not just due to pregnancy, but would last for years to come!

Pain was very minimal, like Dr. Gabbay said it would be. Yes, I felt some pressure, but I had just undergone a surgical procedure; some discomfort was assumed. It was not unbearable though, and pain medication was only needed on occasion. Going home and resting definitely helped my comfort level too.

DOWNTIME

I was able to take a week off from work to ensure I got enough rest, and I have the best friends in the world for helping me with my little ones while my husband was working. I slept on my back with my head elevated for a couple weeks; it helped reduce the swelling a lot. I couldn’t lift my arms very high but Dr. Gabbay warned me of this so we set everything I would need at counter level ahead of time.

I was able to get back to work after a week and return to my normal daily activities. At my first follow-up appointment Dr. Gabbay assessed my healing progress and made sure everything was going as plan, which it was! My surgical bra came off after a couple of weeks, and he told me I should massage my breasts in a specific way to relax and soften them. The discomfort only lasted about a week after my surgery.

PRICE

This was not a quick little procedure; a lot of time and care went into it. And Gabbay Plastic Surgery offers the occasional special so that helped a lot. You pay for your results ultimately, so I was okay with paying a little more. Of course you see those surgeons online who offer ⅓ of the average rate, but if you look at their before and after pictures you can see why. You don’t want to skimp on something that lasts for years and I am sure glad I didn’t.

BEAUTIFUL RESULTS!

I am over-the-moon ecstatic with my results, and my confidence is through the roof! It was exactly what I had envisioned, looking just about identical to how they looked when I was pregnant. If I wasn’t at work or with my kids you can sure bet I was at Victoria’s Secret! I feel so amazing about the way I look, the way I feel, and the fact that I did it because I wanted to. Nobody pushed me to get this done; it was my own decision which makes it that much more special.

Thank you Dr. Gabbay for my Texas-sized confidence,

Grace R.