TUBA Breast Augmentation

Transumbilical breast augmentation (TUBA) performed by Baltimore, Maryland board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Salman Ashruf M.D can give you larger, fuller breasts using the latest in endoscopic technology.

During TUBA breast augmentation, the breast implants are inserted through a small incision at the upper rim of the belly button and tunneled beneath the skin of the abdomen, which is more elastic than the skin around the breasts. The result — a fuller appearance and enhanced contour with no scars on the breasts, a quicker recovery and less risk of sensation changes in the nipples and breasts.

The incision is made at the top rim of the belly button, leaving only a small scar inside the navel's upper rim. Dr. Ashruf uses an endoscope fitted with a surgical camera to create a channel from the incision to the tissues behind each breast. A tissue expander with a long fill tube is inserted through the channel, positioned over the chest muscle (subglandular) or partially under the chest muscle (subpectoral) and filled with either saline or air to expand the breast pocket. The expander is filled to approximately 1 1/2 times the volume of the permanent implant to create a pocket large enough for natural movement.

After the breast pocket is sufficiently expanded, the tissue expander is deflated and removed. The empty breast implant is rolled up, inserted in the same manner as the tissue expander and filled with saline using a syringe or a fill tube. The entire surgery usually takes 90 minutes. After TUBA breast augmentation, patients are able to return to the comfort of their home after spending time under medical supervision in the recovery room. Though complications are rare, they can and do occur, as with any surgery.