Your Basic Anatomy

You aced basic anatomy in college and med school. You're giving yourself a gift for being a dedicated resident. While you didn't study plastic surgery, you know quite a bit about breast surgery. So you'll be able to tell your breast surgeon what she already knows about your breast implants and breast augmentation. Basic anatomical considerations include:

• Your build--medium, slight, heavy
• Your shoulder width (have you been hitting the gym in-between rounds)?
• Laxity or tautness of your chest wall
• Whether you have scoliosis
• Any pectal muscle deformities)
• Body asymmetries

You delved into specific body systems and organs, so while you're telling the breast surgeon she should make incisions beneath the breast (inconspicuous incisions with less risk of bleeding) rather than through the underarm, you rattle off everythign she should know about your breasts:

• Your skin and tissue--lax or taut?
• Spacing--how far apart are your breasts? Are they widely or closely spaced?
• Cleavage--how wide or deep is it?
• Asymmetries--are your breasts even? (Usually one breast will be bigger than the other.)
• Size--small, medium, large?
• Breast placement--high or low?
• Nipple placement--dead center? Up and "perky"? Above the intramammary fold is best.
• Shape--round or teardrop? Pyramid is usually best.
• Narrow base (tubular) with abnormally narrow tissue? Wider tisse and a wider base are ideal.

Avoid sounding like an arrogant know-it-all (something people hate in doctors). Think like the patient you are. Try not to yawn during your consult (lack of sleep), and make sure that you can take it easy after your breast augmentation surgery. Maybe you should wait until your sabbatical. After all, you'd tell your patients not to overdo. Doctors do make the worst patients, so follow the recommendations and advice of your breast surgeon. Learn from your breast augmentation and breast enhancement surgeon. Let your experience be a boost to your bedside manner and your professionalism as well as your bust.