Phone: 408.358.7000

Breast Augmentation and Breast Implant Surgery near San Jose and Santa Cruz

Dr. Kirk Churukian offers exceptional breast augmentation and breast implant surgery to patients from San Jose, Santa Cruz, and beyond. Whether a patient seeks breast enhancement through implants, secondary (or revision) breast augmentation to repair implants, or nipple surgery, Dr. Churukian uses his artistic eye and technical skill to shape breasts according to your desires. He also offers high quality breast reduction surgery, breast reduction surgery for men with gynecomastia, and breast lift surgery.

Breast Augmentation with Implants

Dr. Kirk Churukian is sought for breast augmentation using breast implant surgery by women of all ages from San Jose, Santa Cruz, and the Greater Bay Area. Through breast enhancement with Dr. Churukian, you can increase your breast size and volume for a shapelier silhouette.

The Breast Augmentation Procedure

Breast augmentation surgery enlarges the breasts, typically using saline-filled implants constructed of tough solid silicone shells known as silastic. (Silastic is used for all types of implants, such as pacemakers, artificial joints, heart valves, and artificial lenses for the eye.) It may be done in conjunction with a breast lift to achieve a bustline that is better contoured as well as larger.

Every aspect of the patient's experience in breast augmentation is changing. Thorough education, quality choices, and a refinement in surgical technique have produced dramatically better surgical outcomes—with rapid recovery in three days or less. Patients now routinely return to normal levels of activity immediately following surgery. There's no need for narcotic pain medication, no special bras or drain tubes, and, best of all, no prolonged recovery.

Candidates for Breast Augmentation with Implants

In general, the best candidates for breast augmentation are:

Types of Breast Implants

Two basic shapes of breast implants used during breast augmentation surgery are currently available—round and anatomically-shaped.

Anatomically-shaped implants are teardrop shaped (taller and narrower than round) and are designed to appear more like the anatomy of the normal breast. Anatomically-shaped implants must be very carefully positioned during surgery, requiring an extremely accurate dissected pocket.

Round implants, in contrast, do not require a precisely dissected pocket. In fact, the pocket for a round implant is uniformly dissected larger than the implant. In most cases, since anatomically-shaped implants demand more precision during surgery, surgeons who have little experience or training in their placement technique typically prefer to use round implants.

To find which type of breast implant is right for you or for more information on breast augmentation surgery, contact our office near Santa Cruz and San Jose.

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Rapid Recovery After Breast Augmentation Surgery

Below is a list of guidelines for your first two days of recovery, as well as information on taking medication after breast augmentation surgery. If you have any questions during your recovery, call our office at 408.358.7000. If you call after office hours and reach our answering service, inform the operator that you just had surgery, give them the phone number where you can be reached, and they will contact Dr. Churukian immediately.

The First Day

  1. When you get home from the surgery center, take a two-hour nap. That's all the sleeping for the day. Wake up and move around. You can sit and rest with frozen peas on your chest, but no more napping until bedtime (around 10:00 p.m.).
  2. When you wake up from your nap, take 800 mg Ibuprofen with food. Eat something substantial and drink plenty of fluids. Crackers and a sip of water are simply not enough. If it is going to happen, post-surgical nausea usually occurs within three to four hours and is typically from taking medications without food or not drinking enough fluids.
  3. Take a warm shower to help loosen things up. A warm (not hot) shower does wonders and helps wipe away the fog from anesthesia. (If you feel unsteady, have your caregiver help you.)
  4. Begin your arm exercises now. S-l-o-w-l-y raise your arms above your head in a "jumping jack-style" motion. Make sure your arms are straight out and up and the backs of your hands touch together. (Your bicep muscles will touch your ears if you are doing this exercise properly.) Get a good stretch every time you do these exercises.
  5. Do five consecutive arm exercises every hour on the hour until bedtime. This will speed up your recovery.
  6. Keep moving around the house today or take a walk outside. (Don't forget to do your arm exercises every hour.) You can resume light activities. Just do not overdo it. By moving around and treating this like a muscle injury, you will recover faster.
  7. Before bedtime take another 800 mg Ibuprofen. You may take 25 mg Benadryl® to help you sleep. Take all medications with food.
  8. Lie face down on the bed and put pressure on your breasts for at least 15 minutes. This is a very important part of your recovery and must be done every night following your surgery for at least six weeks. (You may want to take a shower beforehand to loosen the area up.) When getting up, do not push up from this position during the first week. Tuck your arms in and gently roll to your side to sit up.

Do whatever it takes to get comfortable. This may mean taking another warm shower or doing more arm exercises or putting on a bra for more support. A bra is totally optional. Some patients are more comfortable with one and some without one. Whatever makes you comfortable is fine.

The Second Day

  1. Wake up, eat breakfast, and take 800 mg Ibuprofen.
  2. Wait 30 minutes, then take a warm shower. Repeat your arm exercises in the shower. (It is difficult to simply get out of bed and start the arm exercise routine. The warm water will help loosen things up.)
  3. Use the momentum you have built up to keep moving today. You can take a walk around the block, stroll at the mall, and get out of the house. Normal movement is essential and a change of scenery is a good thing.
  4. Expect to run out of energy by mid-day. Plan your day so you can stop and rest or nap for a while. After your nap, remember to get up and keep moving. The more you move around, the better you will feel.
  5. Remember to do your arm exercises today, every hour on the hour.
  6. Expect to feel tighter and more swollen at the end of the day. This is normal and temporary. Expect soreness in your ribs and lower back by the end of today or tomorrow. The discomfort is simply caused by fluid moving through the tissue. You will lose this bloating in your abdomen within five to seven days.
  7. It is important to relax and stretch your shoulders back and forth during the day to avoid tension and pain in your upper back.
  8. Don't forget to lie face down and place pressure on your breasts for 15 minutes today and every day for six weeks.

Medication Schedule

If you would like more information on breast implants and breast augmentation surgery and live in the San Jose and Santa Cruz area, contact our office in Los Gatos today.

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Secondary (Revision) Breast Implant Surgery

Breast implant revision is performed to replace an implant that has ruptured, replace implants that are more than 10 years old, or remove implants altogether. Revision surgery may also become necessary if a capsular contracture (an abnormally tight scar) forms around the implant. This is the most common risk of breast augmentation and presents when the scar or capsule around the implant begins to tighten, squeezing the implant and causing the once soft breast to feel hard or painful. Capsular contracture is in no way a medical threat and can be surgically treated by either removing or "scoring" the scar tissue and repositioning the implant. Revision surgery recovery is similar to breast augmentation recovery.

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Nipple Repair Surgery

Dr. Kirk Churukian can perform several types of nipple correction procedures, which include reducing oversized nipples, reducing the size of the areola, and reversing inverted nipples.

Sometimes, as a result of breast feeding or other reasons, a woman's nipples are too large. Nipple reduction can be performed alone or at the same time as breast augmentation. The dark portion of the nipple, or areola, over four and a half centimeters in diameter is considered "aesthetically" too large. Likewise, the areola can be reduced at the same time as breast augmentation.

The reduction of the nipple and/or the areola can enhance the end result of a breast augmentation and does not compromise the sensitivity of the nipple.

Inverted nipples lay flat against the breast or actually pull in from the breast surface. Inversion of the nipple is caused by a short milk duct system running from the chest wall to the nipple and can be corrected by surgically detaching the milk ducts, allowing a natural-looking projection of the nipple. Inverted nipple repair can be performed alone or at the same time as breast augmentation. (This correction technique does not restore the ability to breastfeed.)

Candidates for Nipple Repair Surgery

In general, the best candidates for nipple repair are:

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Contact Aesthetic Images Surgery Center

If you would like to learn more about breast augmentation and breast implant surgery and live near San Jose or Santa Cruz, contact our Los Gatos office for a consultation. Dr. Kirk Churukian can help you achieve the body contour you desire.

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If you are considering breast augmentation or breast implant surgery, contact Aesthetic Images Cosmetic Surgery Center in Los Gatos, Palo Alto or Santa Cruz for more information.






Kirk A. Churukian, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Office Locations:

los gatos15047 Los Gatos Blvd, Suite #150
Los Gatos, CA 95032
Phone: (408) 358-7000

palo alto805 El Camino Real, Suite A
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Phone: (650) 325-1118

santa cruz108 Magnolia Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
Phone: (408) 358-7000