Plastic Surgeon in North Carolina Debunks Common Myths About Breast Augmentation

KINSTON, NC--(Marketwire - May 3, 2012) - The latest statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) report that breast augmentation is the most popular cosmetic surgical enhancement performed across the country, with over 307,000 procedures in 2011. With such hype around the procedure, North Carolina plastic surgeon Dr. Richard Cummings says rumors and myths run rampant concerning the surgical technique, side effects, and recovery of breast augmentation. Dr. Cummings has been performing breast augmentations since 1980, and he says he hopes to provide patients with the latest and most accurate information about breast augmentation in North Carolina so they can make the right decision for themselves regarding an aesthetic enhancement procedure.

Rising in demand by 4% since 2010 according to the recent ASPS statistics, breast augmentation has been one of the most popular surgical procedures for the past few years, a distinction Dr. Cummings accredits to the high quality techniques and implant technology that have emerged recently to improve the level of results surgeons can achieve. Dr. Cummings says patients often receive misguided information from unreliable news sources, blogs, or inexperienced and non-qualified surgeons. He says he has taken great care to educate his patients about the safety and effectiveness of plastic surgery in North Carolina, particularly breast surgery, in an attempt to ease patient concerns and promote the safe practice of aesthetic procedures.

Dr. Cummings says sub-muscular breast augmentation, a commonly performed placement technique in which the plastic surgeon inserts the implant beneath the pectoral muscle, often has a cloud of surrounding misconceptions because of its popularity. He says one of the main worries patients express during consultations is whether the implants will look unnatural or fake. Through the use of the most recent line of silicone breast implants in North Carolina, Dr. Cummings reassures patients he has been able to achieve proportionate, natural-looking results. He says he also often sees patients return to his practice requesting more volume in their implants as the muscle relaxes and creates more room in the breast tissue. Recent advancements in breast implant technology known as gel implants have also been able to minimize rippling over time, another common patient concern about breast augmentation.

Some functional myths Dr. Cummings says he has to address with his patients involve the effects on breast feeding and breast cancer screenings. Because the implant is placed under the muscle, he says breast feeding is not affected and patients will still be able to have effective mammograms since the implant does not interfere with the detection of breast masses physically, radiologically, or surgically. Dr. Cummings says another myth patients also bring up during consultation is their fear that the weight of the implant will cause their breasts to sag later in life. He says the benefit of sub-muscular breast augmentation is that it does not contribute to the drooping of breast tissue because the implant is added beneath the muscle, and is then supported by this muscular bra for life.

Dr. Cummings says he is always happy and willing to address patient concerns and he hopes patients take the opportunity to do extensive internet research before settling on a decision for themselves. He stresses the importance of consulting with a qualified plastic surgeon for all cosmetic surgical procedures. Ultimately, through the partnership between a dedicated surgeon and a well-educated patient, Dr. Cummings says plastic surgery can help restore self-confidence and improve lives.

About Richard E. Cummings, MD

Dr. Richard Cummings earned his medical degree at the University of Miami School of Medicine, and completed an internship and general surgery residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, as well as the Miami V.A. Hospital and the Mount Sinai Medical Center. He completed his residency in plastic surgery at Loyola University Medical Center and Cook County Hospital in Chicago. Dr. Cummings has been certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and has served as the Chief of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons at Lenoir Memorial Hospital since 1984. He has performed more than 7,000 breast augmentation procedures and has over 30 years of experience in plastic surgery.

Located at 5080 Hwy. 70 West in Kinston, NC, Dr. Cummings' practice, Cummings Plastic Surgery, can be reached at (800) 682-2662. He can also be contacted online via the websites cummingsplastic.com, northcarolinabreast.com, or facebook.com/cummingsplastic.