It's so cool to like yourself

Our appearance affects how we feel, and that, in turn, affects almost everything else—our self-confidence, our zest for life, our willingness to take risks, and our ability to celebrate with champagne. It’s hard to feel confident if you don’t like your breasts. It doesn’t have to be that way! And it can be fixed. Plastic surgeon Kalvis Pastars from the Latvian Microsurgery Center discusses the latest developments and options for enhancing the beauty of your breasts.

Although many people in Latvia still have preconceptions about plastic surgery, it is becoming increasingly popular and accessible around the world, and people are opting for it more and more often. This is happening because society is aging, our life expectancy is increasing, and if we’re going to live, then let’s do it with joy and style! That’s why plastic surgery is gradually becoming just as much a part of our everyday self-care routine as, say, a visit to the dentist or the hairdresser.

It’s high time to dispel the myth that plastic surgery leaves a telltale sign of artificiality. A beautiful result of surgery is when those around you notice positive changes but can’t quite put their finger on what exactly has changed. The effect is natural, and people ask, “Did you get a good night’s sleep? Were you on vacation? Are you in love?” Now that’s a wonderful compliment for both the patient and the surgeon!

Every woman has the right to feel good in her own body. The body isn’t a hotel where we just stop to spend the night as we pass by. The body is a home where we live every day, every minute, so it’s worth investing in—not just to live a long life, but also to live a life of quality and joy.

Feeling good is a choice. It’s not a gift that just falls into your lap.

Breast Augmentation

When it comes to breast augmentation, implants remain the leading method. Fat grafting is considered a more natural option because it uses the patient’s own tissue; however, in practice, this process is complex, requires repeat procedures, and the entire process can take up to a year. For this reason, fat transfer is currently used more for breast contouring than for breast augmentation.

Of course, as a surgeon, I’m also interested in developing new methods, but patient satisfaction and safety always come first, which is why implants are currently the most predictable choice in the long term. The results are visible after just three months, and the entire procedure is usually completed in a single surgery.

The perfect breast implant has not yet been invented. Every implant has its own pros and cons. That is why I usually offer patients implants from two different manufacturers. They differ in texture and appearance. Patients tend to choose based on how they feel, their sense of touch, or visual appearance, but they often place complete trust in the surgeon’s recommendation.

Women are increasingly choosing breasts that are proportionate to their bodies rather than large ones. It is now fashionable to return to a natural, proportionate appearance. Similarly, many are opting for anatomical shapes rather than round ones. Implants are divided into two groups based on shape: round ones, which fill out the upper pole more, creating a beautiful, full décolletage. But these days, women more often choose the other type—anatomical implants, which resemble natural shapes. And if, on a particular evening, a woman wants a more impressive décolletage, then by putting on push-up Breasts—you can get them anyway. The real art is in creating breasts that give the impression that God himself gave them to you.

Breast implants can be placed under the breast gland or under the pectoral muscle. I tend to use the second method—under the muscle—because that way the implant is sort of in its own pocket and won’t shift. You can’t feel or see it when you touch it either. For a woman, this feels pleasant and natural because the edge of the implant isn’t visible. Even when leaning forward, the breast doesn’t sag.

Speaking of new developments, technology is, of course, advancing, and it is now possible to purchase implants that are about 30 percent lighter than standard ones. The implants used so far aren’t heavy, but the new ones are truly very light—even airy.

The lifespan of implants has also increased. It used to be 10 years; now, experts estimate that an implant may need to be replaced after 15–20 years. That’s quite a long time, so it’s possible that the implant passport could get lost. It contains all the important information—the type of implant, where it was placed, and which surgeon performed the procedure. In Latvia, this is still rarely used, but globally, new-generation implants have chips in which all this information is stored, and if any further procedures are ever performed, everything can be read.

Breast Lift

Right now, this is the fastest-growing group of patients, and I’m truly delighted about that. For the most part, these are women who have one or even several children and have breastfed their babies. Many of them have now raised these children—who are no longer babies—and, as they themselves say, have helped them get on their feet, so now they have the time and resources to focus on themselves. These women know what they want; they’re very intelligent and wonderful patients. As one of them put it: «Doctor, I live in such a remote place; I want to go skinny-dipping, and I’d like my breasts to look nice.» They’re really doing this for themselves, not to please anyone else.

In cases where the breasts have lost their shape and elasticity and have become saggy, the solution is a breast lift, which can also be combined with breast augmentation using implants. For me as a surgeon, these procedures are quite challenging because I’m essentially doing two opposite things: with one hand I’m pulling the breast up, and with the other, down. It’s best to do this in two separate surgeries. Start with the lift, wait half a year, and see how it looks. And then, if you still want more volume, insert implants.

Breast Reduction

Breast reduction is becoming increasingly popular, although it accounts for a relatively small proportion of the total number of breast surgeries. For many women, plastic surgery is still associated with stigma, so unfortunately, they only consider this option when health problems arise—such as spinal deformities or back pain. Women with very large breasts often experience discomfort in their daily lives—it’s difficult to move around, exercise, and nearly impossible to buy ready-to-wear clothing. Patients often say they have grown accustomed to these discomforts because they have always had large breasts, so it is not something sudden that they’ve had to accept. But in reality, there’s no need to get used to these discomforts, and the need for breast reduction surgery is a matter of quality of life. It’s possible to improve the situation and live an easier, better life.

A breast reduction is essentially similar to a breast lift, except that in this case, excess tissue is also removed to reduce the size. As a result, the breast is positioned in its anatomically correct place and takes on a lifted, natural appearance. After these surgeries, women wake up from anesthesia feeling happy: according to survey data, these are the procedures that provide the highest level of satisfaction, as they feel relief—there is no longer a feeling of heaviness, and their backs no longer hurt.

A common trend in plastic surgery today is to do everything possible to ensure that surgeries and the procedures that follow are as painless and comfortable as possible. Surgical techniques have improved significantly, and the process itself has become much gentler—tissues are less traumatized, so the patient experiences less pain after surgery. The goal is to ensure that the postoperative period is as comfortable and easy as possible.