Breast implants in Raleigh and elsewhere for cosmetic augmentation have been available since the 1960's. By the 1980 breast augmentation was the 2nd most popular plastic surgery (after liposuction), and the motto seemed to be "the bigger the better". The oversized implants seen everywhere in the popular media in the 80's and 90's clearly served to alter the public's perception of what breasts are supposed to look like: large, taut and high.

Now, breast augmentation surgery is more popular than ever. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (www.plasticsurgery.org), 329,000 breast augmentation surgeries were performed in 2006. This is an almost thirty percent increase from 2003. Today patients and the public are 'rediscovering' the fact that the ideal breast is soft, supple, fuller in the lower than the upper pole, and in proportion to the rest of the figure.

Patients are changing, too. Women in their 30's and 40's, particularly mothers are the fastest growing group of patients seeking breast implants today. These women who have lost breast volume following pregnancy and lactation, and seek to restore a natural, more youthful breast contour. They don't want to look like they've had surgery; they instead wish to 'fill out' clothing better and feel more comfortable out of clothing. Even gals who have not had children are choosing smaller, more realistic appearing breast augmentation. Professional women (including doctors!) want to look their best, but they don't want to look "done".

"Often in my practice I perform breast enhancement that changes the breast size from and 'A' cup to a 'B' cup," says Dr. Michael Law, board-certified plastic surgeon in Raleigh, North Carolina, CA, formerly of Beverly Hills. A woman with very large breast implants that doesn't match her frame looks like a cartoon character, and that is not my aesthetic ideal. I simply won't perform any aesthetic surgery that doesn't look natural. The patients who want a size I won't provide never have any problem finding someone who will give them the look that they want.

A significant advantage of a moderately sized breast implants is that these implants are much more likely to feel natural. It is possible to provide a result that is soft, supple and even undetectable (by touching) with a conservativeimplant, something that is never achieved with very large breast implants.

"One of my recent breast augmetation patients (a doctor) said the following to say at her follow-up appointment: 'If I hadn't written a check to pay for my breast implants , Dr. Law, I wouldn't know they're not really mine.'

Implants of a moderate (and in my opinion, appropriate) volume, whether they be saline or the newly re-approved silicone gel implants, look and feel natural. The implant sizes I most commonly use blend in nicely with existing breast tissue, and patient satisfaction is high.

Dr. Michael Law is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery His Raleigh, North Carolina plastic surgery practice has twice been featured on the cover of Plastic Surgery News, the official news journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Dr. Law performs surgery in a hospital O.R. and provides patients with a complimentary overnight hospital stay to make sure they're comfortable and receive the best possible postoperative care. Dr. Michael Law beleives that great plastic surgery doesn't look like surgery, it just looks great.