Breast Augmentation
Which Implant is Best for Me?
By Dr. Johnny Franco MD
Miami Plastic Surgery
B reast augmentation was
the most common cosmet-
ic procedure performed by
plastic surgeons in 2013
with almost 300,000 augmentations and
this number continues to grow every year.
It has become so popular as patients are ex-
tremely happy and the recovery is very easy.
The hardest part of the process for
women is deciding what implant size they
wish to be after the augmentation. Patients
most commonly say that they want to be
the infamous “full C” or that they just want
to be “natural but full.” These terms are not
very descriptive and can mean a lot things
to different people. I once had a patient
tell me she wanted to be natural and then
sent me a picture of Pamela Anderson as
an example of what she wanted to look like
after the surgery.
There are several ways that I help
patients decide which implant is best
for them as no one implant is perfect
for everyone. One of the benefits that
women have today that was not available
to them 10 years ago is the large range
of options in implants. The first thing
I have patients do when they are trying
to decide on implants is actually try the
implants on with bra and tank top. This
give patients a real feel for the size and
weight of the actual implants.
The newest method for helping patients
decide on the correct implant is 3D
imaging. This technology allows a patient
to have her picture taken and then a virtual
simulation is done so that the patient can
see what they would look like with various
implants. This is a great option if you don’t
have a twin sister that has already had
a breast augmentation as implants look
different from patient to patient.
The virtual technology allows the patient
and surgeon to have a discussion about the
look and size they desire after the procedure.
The virtual simulations are available to
patients after the consultation so that they
can go back and look at the different virtual
images for each size they are contemplating.
Patients can view the images on their home
computer, ipad or smart phone.
Technology continues to make breast
augmentation easier for patients. 3D
imaging has improved the process for
patients making the decision on what
implant much easier.
3D IMAGING
before after
before after
DR. JOHNNY FRANCO MD
A graduate of Beloit College
with a Bachelor of Science
in Biochemistry, Dr. Fran-
co earned his Doctorate of
Medicine from the University
of Texas Medical Branch at
Galveston. Dr. Franco served his
residency in Plastic Surgery
at Saint Louis University
School of Medicine. There,
he was chief resident from
2010-2011. In 2011, he com-
pleted additional training at
Chan Gung Hospital in Taiwan
with a focus on microsur-
gery primarily in cancer re-
construction, followed by a
fellowship at Gent University
Hospital in Belgium where he
specialized in breast recon-
struction and fat grafting.
Dr. Franco has an im-
pressive history of publica-
tions and presentations and
has received many academic
achievement awards includ-
ing the Walter S. Haven Prize,
Elizabeth W. Souter Award
and the Merck Index Award.
Originally from Las Cru-
ces, New Mexico, Dr. Fran-
co is bilingual in English and
Spanish. Have Questions? Ask Dr. Franco:
Johnny Franco MD
jfranco@miamiplasticsurgery.com Miami Plastic Surgery
www.miamiplasticsurgery.com BEAUTY MIAMI SHOOT MAGAZINE 11