Robert Vitolo M.D
(866) 322-8874
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Manhattan
1136 5th Avenue
New York , New York 10128
(212) 289-5200
Brooklyn
9920 4th Avenue
Suite 308
Brooklyn, New York 11209
(718) 836-6400
Staten Island
1504 Richmond Road
Staten Island, New York 10304
(718) 667-0890
Breast Augmentation with Implants in the New York City, Staten Island, Brooklyn, and New Jersey Areas
Sweaters. Bikinis. A low-cut dress. A lot of new possibilities await you once you've had breast augmentation with either silicone or saline implants. But when searching for a plastic surgeon in the New York City area, choose a doctor with both expertise and an eye for beauty. In his years serving Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and New Jersey as a premier plastic surgeon, Dr. Robert Vitolo pioneered the development of the revolutionary no-visible-scar breast augmentation—a technique that's quick, with a shorter recovery period than traditional breast augmentation. He is one of the few board-certified plastic surgeons in the country qualified to perform this revolutionary endoscopic technique.
- Transumbilical Breast Augmentation (TUBA)
- TUBA Results — Before-and-After Images
- Videos
- Virtual Consultation
- Manhattan Breast Augmentation Cost
- Brooklyn Breast Augmentation Cost
Transumbilical Breast Augmentation (TUBA)
The scarless transumbilical breast augmentation technique is very difficult to learn because it involves endoscopy. In endoscopic surgery, Dr. Vitolo operates on the subject not by looking at the tissues themselves, but by looking at a monitor connected to a small camera that is inserted into the body. This is different from the standard surgery that most plastic surgeons perform. Once the technique is mastered, however, it is far superior to the standard open surgical techniques because it is more precise and causes much less trauma to the body.
The Procedure
After the incision is made within the belly button, Dr. Vitolo uses a tubular, baton-like device called an introducer to tunnel into the subcutaneous tissue, either beneath the breast tissue or beneath the pectoralis muscle underlying the breast. The choice of position depends upon Dr. Vitolo and the patient's preference.
Dr. Vitolo then inserts a thin, pencil-shaped camera called an endoscope into the introducer so that now he can visualize the exact placement of the implant. As the introducer is withdrawn with the endoscope inside it, Dr. Vitolo can see the tissue planes that will receive the saline-filled implant. This procedure causes minimal trauma to the tissues.
After the introducer is removed, a filler tube is attached to the self-sealing valve in the implant; removing all air from the implant so that it becomes pancake-like. The flattened implant is then rolled like a cigar and slipped up the tunnel that has been made by the introducer until it lies in the pocket underneath the breast. The filler tube extends out through the incision in the navel.
Using a special syringe device, the implant is filled with sterile saline solution. As the implant is filled, it unrolls and creates a pocket for itself that is the exact size desired. The implant is overinflated, then deflated until the final desired volume is reached.
When the final shape and volume has been achieved, Dr. Vitolo pulls on the filler tube and it slips out of the self-sealing valve. As the filler tube exits from the valve, a diaphragm snaps closed and seals the implant. The filler tube is then completely removed and the implant remains filled underneath the breast. The identical procedure is then performed on the opposite side. One can compensate for the variations in size and shapes of the two different breasts by using different volumes in the implants.
The incision in the belly button is closed with a dissolving suture and the patient is placed in a mildly compressive dressing for twenty-four hours.
Dr. Vitolo can also remove old silicone gel implants with the same technique without re-opening your old scars, allowing you to return to your normal activities much quicker. To learn more about the transumbilical breast augmentation procedure or to learn more about the types of implants available, please contact our practice serving New York City, Brooklyn, Staten Island, New Jersey, and beyond.
Post-Op
Transumbilical breast augmentation causes little trauma to the body, and post-operatively patients experience minimal discomfort. No incisions are made underneath the breast or in the surrounding tissues; the implant simply creates a space for itself by blunt dissection. On average, this amazing procedure takes Dr. Vitolo no more than thirty minutes to perform.
The average patient can return to work the day after surgery, although we recommended that she take one day to rest. When the dressings are removed twenty-four hours later, the breasts look a little too full and too stiff for approximately another forty-eight hours. Usually, in three to four days the patient's breasts have achieved the shape and softness anticipated.
Risks and Considerations
Since all saline-filled implants are man-made devices that contain a self-sealing valve, the implants can sometimes leak. This rarely occurs, but if the implants do leak, the body absorbs the saline, a fluid that is safe to the body. The implants can be changed through the umbilical approach and are fully guaranteed by the manufacturers for five years. The implants themselves are warranted for life by the manufacturer and if they ever deflate, the patient will receive a new implant free.
TUBA Results — Before-and-After Images
Videos
Virtual Consultation
Contact Dr. Vitolo for Your Breast Augmentation Consultation
For more information about Dr. Vitolo and his breast augmentation techniques, or to schedule a consultation to learn more about breast implants, please contact our practice serving New York City, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and New Jersey.