Incredible new 'undetectable' boob job: Surgeons have perfected novel procedure with almost NO downtime or scarring… here's what every woman should know
In a brightly lit operating theatre in New Jersey, country music plays softly as a surgical team works with a hushed focus.On the table, a woman lies unconscious, her chest draped in surgical sheets as she undergoes a breast enlargement procedure.Plastic surgeon Dr Smita Ramanadham leans in and makes a small incision - barely an inch long - in the fold beneath one breast.There is almost no blood.She lifts a translucent, doughnut-shaped implant, folds it in on itself and slides it into a device that looks more like a cake frosting bag than surgical equipment.The tip of the bag is then pressed against the incision.With a few short, controlled squeezes, the implant is fed through the tiny opening and slips firmly into place.There is no cutting through muscle - no force or rush. Within minutes, it is done. Vicky Ziskind, 40, from New Jersey, decided to get a breast augmentation after hearing about a new procedure with very little downtime. She is shown above before and after
This is not the invasive breast augmentation many women fear, but a new $20,000 technique designed to create natural-looking 'ballerina breasts' - one that is far less invasive and involves virtually no downtime.The goal, experts say, is to create a perkier shape that suits a lean frame, using smaller implants to add subtle volume without appearing disproportionate.I was one of the first journalists invited to watch the procedure being carried out, and I was struck by just how minimally invasive and straightforward it was.The patient was Vicky Ziskind, a 40-year-old mother of two from New Jersey. She was not the sort of person who ever imagined she would have cosmetic surgery.I spoke to her at length before she went under the knife.Ziskind told me she was proud of her appearance - she would 'never do Botox' and had always avoided push-up bras, saying it was not worth pretending to have something that she didn't.The finance worker admitted she had long felt a lingering dissatisfaction with her A-cup breasts, which she felt did not match her curvier hips and bottom.However, she had never considered surgery, fearing the potential complications. Ziskind said she started thinking about the procedure just before her 40th birthday. She felt she could take the time for herself as her daughters are now five and nine years old Ziskind said she always felt her breasts did not quite match her curvy hips and bottomZiskind said she had heard worrying stories about breast implant illness where women suffered severe pain and fatigue, sometimes years afterward. She was also concerned implants could affect cancer screenings and might look too big for her body. But just before her 40th birthday, and with her daughters now aged five and nine, a chance conversation at the gym changed everything.Read More They tried everything to lose stubborn fat. A 'miracle' treatment brought back their abs After a fitness class where people were discussing modeling in their 40s, Ziskind said, 'I can't fitness model because I don't have much of a chest.'Others quickly countered, saying there were subtle ways to enhance her breasts. A friend even told her she was getting implants. After the procedure in mid-December, she texted Ziskind pictures of her results with two words: 'Do it.'Ziskind said it was a lightbulb moment.'I look fine, I really do,' she told me. 'I've always loved my body. But then I thought: Why not? Why not do something for myself?'I'd always felt like my chest size didn't quite go along with the rest of me. I'm very curvy in other places.'She said her husband was initially surprised by her decision. 'He was fine with it, but a little caught off-guard,' she said. 'It wasn't something I'd ever complained about, so he asked, "why now?"' Shown above are Ziskind's implants in sealed plastic containers before they were inserted into her body Shown above is the moment the implant was inserted into the breast. It appears orange in this image because it has been bathed in the antimicrobial liquid iodineFor decades, breast augmentation has involved cutting through muscle and ligaments. Implants are usually placed beneath the chest muscle - which is often followed by weeks of pain, swelling and recovery.Patients typically face four to six weeks of downtime, with many reporting significant discomfort.But in February last year, a small number of surgeons began offering a different approach.Formally known as preservation breast augmentation, the 'ballerina' technique places the implant above the chest muscle. Instead of cutting through tissue, surgeons use a balloon to gently stretch the ligaments and create space for the implant.The result is a far less invasive procedure, with minimal bleeding and a much faster recovery.The operation itself takes under an hour, and many patients are able to return to normal activities within a day or two. It can take two to three months for swelling to subside and for implants to move into their final position in the breasts.Only a select group of surgeons in the US are currently trained to perform the procedure, including Ramanadham.'This technique is really for patients who want that ballerina look and smaller implants,' she told me. Shown above is Dr Smita Ramanadham carrying out the procedure for Ziskind'It's for those looking for implants that complement their frame without overpowering them.'The implants used are also smaller than those typically chosen for the traditional surgery. Preservation procedures are generally limited to around 315cc, compared with up to 800cc in standard augmentations.Ziskind opted for a 205cc implant - enough to take her from an A cup to a B cup.Before the operation, she underwent consultations and medical checks. She said her fears of the complications were overcome after her surgeon said the risks were low.Her surgery took place in late February and began at 7am.After she was placed under anesthetic, a team of two surgeons, an anesthesiologist and three nurses carried out the procedure.First, her breasts were filled with a numbing fluid for around ten minutes. A small balloon was then inserted and inflated to stretch the ligaments.Just before insertion, the implant was bathed in iodine - an antiseptic solution used to reduce the risk of infection.Once the implant was in place, doctors stitched the incision closed.Ramanadham had prepared multiple implant sizes in advance in case Ziskind changed her mind.As she began to wake from the anesthetic, the surgeon reassured her. 'You did really well, Vicky,' she said. 'Everything went great.'Within 30 minutes, Ziskind was awake - eating a cracker and drinking water, and ready to talk to me.'I'm really excited to see them,' she said.'The surgery went great. This is so for me, this is what I wanted. I didn't want big boobs.'Ziskind, who had planned to be off from her job the day of the procedure, said she 'might even go to work later today.' Ziskind is pictured above just after the procedure. Within 30 minutes, she was awake and ready to speak to the Daily Mail Shown above is the end of the inflatable balloon used in the technique (purple object). Surgeons inflate the balloon inside the breast to create a space for the implant and stretch the ligaments, ensuring that they don't need to be cutShe did not - later telling me she felt groggy, tired and had a tightness in her chest.But, she returned to work, although from home, the next day and was already back to living her daily life.Three days after the procedure, she helped to rescue a lost dog in the woods near her home. Six days later, she did the one hour drive from her home to the office, and two weeks after surgery she was back at the gym.'I am so incredibly happy with the results,' she said when I spoke to her on the phone Monday night. 'I got what I wanted without it changing my lifestyle. It has also enhanced my life and the way I fit into clothes and look at myself in the mirror.'I was in Miami last weekend for a few days with a girlfriend, and it just felt so good to wear bathing suits. There was also this family dinner I went to where I wore a fitted dress, and everyone was just like "wow."'She said her five-year-old hasn't yet realized that anything has changed, while her nine-year-old was upset when she first found out.Ziskind said she's now eased her daughter's concerns, with her eldest now even making jokes about plastic surgery.'I am not trying to shelter her,' Ziskind said. 'I want to help her understand that if someone wants to change something about themselves in a reasonable manner, that is totally fine.'She said she would be supportive of her daughter getting surgery after a certain age, suggesting her mid-20s or after she turns 40, like her mother, may be the best moment.Her husband has continued to be supportive, she said, and, even though they are smaller compared to other breasts on the market, now jokes about how 'big' they are.'I am really, really happy with this change,' she added. 'By talking about it, I want to take the stigma away for other women. 'I am proud of it. I want more women to own their body and just be proud of it and any procedures that they may have had done.'
