Dr. Catherine Bergeret-Galley

Catherine Bergeret-Galley is one of the few female plastic surgeons in Paris. She is married, with three children. Dr. Bergeret Galley is passionate about her work in plastic and reconstructive surgery. "Enhancing, and making patients more attractive is my goal. I take the time to listen to their deepest concerns, to evaluate the defect they are worried about and often see as a handicap. I want to enhance the lives of my patients.

I started training as a plastic surgeon during my internship in 1984, first in general surgery, then specializing in cervico facial surgery, microsurgery, plastic and reconstructive and aesthetic surgery, both in France and in the United States." More...

Address: 36 rue Penthièvre, 75008, Paris
Telephone: +33(0)1 42 89 62 02

NEWS:

BREAST AUGMENTATION

Breast augmentation is one of the most common plastic surgery procedures these days. Breast augmentation is recommended for women who suffer from breast hypoplasia (small breasts), and women who have lost their breast volume after pregnancies.

Breast hypoplasia affects young women and adolescents with underdeveloped breasts. Having small breasts can also be a very subjective notion, which can be corrected by breast implants.

After pregnancies , sometimes the breast loses its volume, and is often combined with ptosis (sagging). This can also occur in women after significant loss of weight. A breast implant can compensate this.

The latter also applies to women with average breasts, but who would still like them to be larger. Dr Bergeret´s experience and preoperative consultation will strike the balance between the visible necessity, the patient's wishes, and a judicious choice of operation. Very large implants does not only look disproportionate, but will also lead to secondary ptosis, and sometimes back and shoulder pain.

The breast augmentation procedure

Preoperative precautions

No medication not approved by your surgeon and especially not aspirin based medication should be taken fifteen days prior to surgery

Operation

Surgery is performed under general anesthesia, and will last  about one hour.

Hospitalization is generally for one night.

There are two types of implants for breast augmentation, saline and silicone. Silicone breast implants is most often used because the results are more natural in term of palpability and the feeling of the implant.The expected life of the silicone breast implant is also longer. With the newest type of implants (jelly bean type), the risk of leaking in the event of a perforation is eliminated. For most patients this means that the implant is permanent, and will not have to be changed.

The incision (and therefore the scar) can be areolar, inframammary, or axillary. All depends on the patient's anatomy and the size of the breast implant to be used. The surgeon chooses the position of the implant (above or below the pectoral muscle), depending on the patient's anatomy and wishes. If there is also significant ptosis,(sagging of the breast), a breast lifting  might be necessary.

Postoperative care after breast augmentation

The patient can leave the hospital on the day after surgery or the same day . With a dressing, which will be kept for several days.

The patient after a breast augmentation will then be advised to wear a specially adapted bra, or a sports bra, for a month after the operation.

The patient may feel some pain following surgery, generally for a few days.

The breasts may feel more firm at the beginning of the postoperative period. This is due to the bruising and inflammation around the implant and scar tissue. The implants will soften after a few weeks. It is recommended that the breasts implants  be massaged  every day. We will show you how at the first post op visit.  

The sutures generally used are resorbable, so there is no need to remove them.

It has scientifically been proven that breast implants does not increase the risk of breast cancer or do not interfere with the detection of a breast tumor.

The breast implants will not interfere with a mammography, but the radiologist needs to be notified about the implants, as the examination is done a little differently.

Complications of breast augmentation procedure

There are some associated risks with breast augmentation surgery as with any surgery: (haematoma, infection, hypertrophic scar). The  main complications are  linked to the implant itself. Capsular contraction may appear.

The body's natural healing process creates a capsule around the breast implant, just as it would around any other foreign object. Capsular formation is normal, but should the membrane  around the implant thickens, it can cause the breast to feel hard and may cause pain and change the shape of the breast. Additional surgery will be needed to solve the problem, however, it is not always  necessary to replace the implant.

The results of breast augmentation

Investigations have shown that patients who have done a breast implant augmentation, are among the most satisfied patients in cosmetic plastic surgery.For a woman missing her breasts as she was used to have before pregnancies, is nothing less than   catastrophic

The same feeling is of course applicable to the young girl, who’s breast does not develop, when all her friends are. This can lead to a self inflicted isolation, difficulties in relations to the opposite sex, but also to a lower self esteem afflicting their whole life.

As being a woman, dr Catherine Bergeret, can fully appreciate these difficulties and will fully penetrate all aspects of your situation during a consultation.