Dr. Clayton Frenzel discusses popularity of TUBA breast augmentation on The CW33 News

At his Dallas cosmetic surgery practice, Dr. Clayton Frenzel was recently featured on the CW33 News sharing the secret of a no-scar breast augmentation, otherwise known as trans-umbilical breast augmentation or TUBA.

TUBA Breast Augmentation aka "belly button" breast augmentation

TUBA, often called the “scarless” or even “belly button” breast augmentation, is an effective method of breast implant placement that’s introduced through the navel, and produces attractive results with scars that are literally invisible.

Forest Park Medical Center surgeon Dr. Clayton Frenzel uses an endoscope to guide the empty saline implants through two tunnels into the chest–when in place the implants are filled with sterile saline to the size and shape the patient wants.

Dr. Frenzel performing a TUBA procedure

Implanting around the breast or through the armpit can leave visible scars.

Dr. Frenzel said he used to perform the TUBA procedure as many as twenty times a month in California and now it’s growing in popularity here.

“It’s a lot more popular for the younger girls,” Dr. Frenzel said. “The girls between 18 and 25 or 30, once you get in the girls that are 30, 35 or 40 a lot of those patients are choosing silicone for some reason.”

Dr. Frenzel said the procedure takes about an hour with most patients getting back to normal in about a week.

Watch the full story here.

To setup a one-on-one consultation with Dr. Clayton Frenzel for the TUBA procedure, please call the Advanced Cosmetic Surgery office at (817)342-0232 or click here to schedule online.

Some have argued that the procedure, which requires the use of an endoscopic camera, has an increased risk because the surgeon does not directly access the breasts. However, according to a review of 3,300 consecutive TUBA cases performed by Dr. Robert A. Shumway from 1994 to 2010, TUBA appears to be faster, safer, and more effective than other methods of breast augmentation.

All surgeries carry certain risks, but Dr. Shumway’s assertion that “TUBA is about as safe as breast augmentation can get” certainly seems to be borne out by the numbers. Here are the postoperative issues and complaints encountered by Dr. Shumway after 17 years and 3,300 TUBA patients:

• Capsular contracture, which occurred in 69 cases, was the most common complaint. At 2.09%, this was much less than the national average for other augmentation methods.
• There was one possible infection, treated with an overnight antibiotic intravenous.
• There were no acute hematomas, and delayed hematomas occurred in less than 0.05% of cases. All were surgically treated and fully resolved.
• A few other complications had rates of incidence up to 0.18%, and included minor naval scars, breast asymmetry, and size dissatisfaction. These could be resolved with followup treatments.
• Two patients experienced implant extrusion, one because of a self-induced injury and the other due to unsanctioned postoperative medication and underwire bra use.

The doctor recommends that TUBA patients tell their cosmetic surgeon about over-the-counter and prescription drug use, including those taken in the weeks before and after the surgery. He also recommends the tumescent anesthetic method for its safety and effectiveness, and strongly encourages ongoing postoperative care. Of course, the best way for patients to ensure their safety is to be careful in selecting a qualified and experienced surgeon with training in proven techniques.

“Implications from this correlation found in our study include possibly improving implant volume predictions preoperatively, leading to improved efficiency, outcomes and reduced reoperation rates,” the authors wrote. They also said that the patients’ BMI could potentially provide an additional data point on which to make operative planning decisions.

The researchers looked at 100 breast augmentation cases in three cities in order to gather demographics of these patients, which they said was lacking from other research. Breast augmentation surgery has been on the increase in the past decade — according to statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there has been a 45% increase in women seeking breast augmentation since 2000.

The study looked at 100 consecutive breast augmentation cases at each location; they were retrospectively reviewed, and data was gathered on height, weight, body mass index (BMI), age, the number of children the patient had and implant volume.

The three geographic group medians were significantly different for weight, BMI and implant volume. BMI was lowest in the Canadian city and highest in Temple, Tex. Temple patients had the smallest average implant size, significantly lower than the other two cities.

The study also looked at the data for all 300 patients as one group. On average, the breast augmentation patients studied were 34 years old, 5’ 4” tall and 128 pounds.

Dr Frenzel specializes in breast augmentation surgery, offering the traditional surgery, TUBA breast augmentation, and breast augmentation revision surgery.

While the poll showed that more women planned to choose silicone implants, 2009 statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) showed that women who actually had the surgery in the United States last year were evenly divided on the type of implant, with 50 percent using saline and 50 percent silicone.

However, since the FDA approved silicone breast implants in November 2006, ASPS data has shown that the use of silicone implants has grown each year, gaining on saline:

• In 2007, 65% of total breast implants were saline; 35% were silicone.
• In 2008, 53% of total breast implants were saline; 47% were silicone.
• In 2009, 50% of total breast implants were saline; 50% were silicone.

Implant Differences

Saline breast implants:

• Are filled with saline, usually at the time of surgery, which allows for a smaller incision.
• Are available to women 18 and older for breast augmentation.
• Can be made bigger or smaller without further surgery: the implants have small valves in which a surgeon can insert a needle and either add or remove the liquid to change their size.
• It is easier to detect ruptures in saline implants, because they deflate so the woman notices it almost immediately.

Silicone breast implants:

• Are pre-filled with silicone gel.
• Look and feel more natural, compared to saline implants.
• Are available to women 22 and older for breast augmentation.
• Cannot be changed in size; if a different size is desired at a later point, a surgery must be performed to change the implant.

Both types of breast implants are approved by the FDA, so they have been thoroughly researched and tested and reviewed by an independent panel of physicians for safety.

Having undergone over 30 plastic surgeries, Hershey suffered her first complication during her most recent breast augmentation procedure when a severe staph infection reached both of her breasts, reports Fox News in Houston.

Hershey, who lives in Houston, has had to give herself infusions of intravenous antibiotics every 12 hours to fight the infection. She said her surgeon told her she should be concerned for her life because the infection could leak into her bloodstream. According to her website www.sheylahershey.net, she is currently undergoing treatment.

Is this type of complication common after breast surgery?

Dr. Michael Will, who performs breast augmentation and breast implant repairs in Frederick County, Maryland at his Ijamsville office, says that “infection related to breast augmentation is rare, and when encountered, the implants frequently need to be removed and replaced at a later date.”

He also stressed the importance of a thorough consultation with your doctor before undergoing breast surgery:

Breast augmentation procedures should be preceded by a comprehensive consultation between the cosmetic surgeon and the patient, where the patient’s concerns and expectations are discussed in relation to the patient’s breast and chest wall anatomy.

An effective evaluation and treatment plan should result in a post-operative outcome that reaches a balance between the patient’s expectations and the surgeon’s surgical and anatomical limitations to yield an esthetic and healthy outcome. When the surgical tissue tension and stress exceed the capacity for normal healing, wound breakdown and infection often develop.

Dr. Frenzel specializes in breast augmentation surgery and spent a year in a specialized cosmetic surgery fellowship to learn the art of aesthetic breast surgery, including breast augmentation.

Can breast implants be considered a marital asset?  That’s what an attorney in a recent divorce case argued, but according to an Associated Press article, the judge rejected the idea as “absolutely nonsense.”  Read the Minneapolis Star Tribune: N.D. High Court considers Lasik, Breast implants values in divorce case

Employees at a British clinic are showing off their cosmetic surgery results in a 2010 calendar.  “The calendar is tongue-in-cheek, but tasteful. It features girls from across our company of all ages and they all look amazing.”  Read and see a slideshow at The Sun News – Cosmetic Surgery Calendar Girls