The BRAVA® method, an alternative to surgery for breast augmentation
The breast augmentation method called BRAVA® is used both for aesthetic questions and in cases of breast reconstruction following a mastectomy. This method appears to be a “natural” solution to restore volume to the breasts without resorting to surgery, prostheses or product injections. It meets the needs of women who find their breasts too small, or whose breasts are malformed or damaged by pregnancies or surgical interventions.
Innovative breast augmentation without surgery
This method was developed more than 10 years ago by Dr. Roger Khouri, plastic surgeon at the Miami Breast Center in the United States. Dr. Roger Khouri has been working in fat transfer and breast reconstruction techniques for 20 years. In November 2011, the French Society of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery awarded the BRAVA® system the 1st prize for innovation.
This new technique is a revolution in the field of aesthetics and reconstruction. It allows you to increase the volume of the breasts without major surgery or prosthesis by using the body’s natural mechanism which is the elasticity of the skin. Knowing that tissue artificially stimulated by sustained tension begins to grow, the BRAVA® technique consists of generating homogeneous tension on all the cells of the chest by external suction in order to promote tissue expansion.
Pain-free breast augmentation
The woman applies soft cups connected to a small pump to her breasts. The negative pressure causes gentle suction of the tissues and the tension caused by this suction will encourage the breast tissues to gradually develop on their own. The procedure lasts ten to fifteen weeks. This external device constitutes a relatively gentle and above all non-invasive treatment.
The disadvantages of the BRAVA® method
Although the procedure is not painful, it is nevertheless restrictive and requires a lot of determination and patience. Indeed, to be effective, the tension exerted on the breasts must be maintained for eleven hours a day, for ten to fifteen weeks.
In addition, the pump makes a small noise which is not always discreet. Most women therefore prefer to follow the treatment at home, during the night. However, a bra is provided and it is possible to work with it.
Lipomodeling in addition to the BRAVA® method
Tissue expansion using the suction technique is rarely considered sufficient. It is possible to inject fat into the spaces created by the expansion of breast skin. This fat is taken from the woman herself, often from the thigh. The patient must therefore have a little excess fat.
Lipomodeling was initially a technique used as an alternative to prosthesis for breast reconstruction after cancer or for aesthetic reasons. Combined with the BRAVA® method, its possibilities are extended. With lipomodeling alone, you gain a cup size. Combined with the BRAVA® method, you win two.
The disadvantages of lipomodeling
This technique is not unanimous among cosmetic surgeons because there are certain long-term risks linked to fat injections.
The results?
Studies show a gain of one bra cup for the BRAVA® method and one additional cup if it is completed with lipomodeling, i.e. two cups in all.
Who is this method for?
The BRAVA® method is aimed at women whose breasts are too small, deformed by pregnancy or weight variations. This method allows them to increase the volume of their chest, with a result equivalent to what a prosthesis could offer them.
This method is also recommended for women suffering from congenital malformations or who have undergone a mastectomy. In this case, it replaces breast reconstruction. Women who wish to remove their breast prostheses can also use them and safely regain satisfactory breast volume.
