8 West Clinic · Vancouver and North Vancouver
The Essential Guide to Breast and Body Surgery
Breast augmentation, breast lift, breast reduction, tummy tuck and liposuction, with Dr. Geoff Masschelein, MD, FRCSC, and the 8 West team
8west.ca
Contents · 18 chapters+
- 01 · How to use this guide
- 02 · Implants, a lift, or both?
- 03 · Breast augmentation: your choices
- 04 · Breast lift
- 05 · Breast reduction
- 06 · Tummy tuck
- 07 · Liposuction
- 08 · Combining procedures
- 09 · When surgery isn't the first step
- 10 · One plan, under one roof
- 11 · Timing: your weight and your family
- 12 · Living with implants
- 13 · Your recovery: what to expect
- 14 · How it works: your next steps
- 15 · Cost and financing
- 16 · More from Dr. Masschelein
- 17 · Meet your team
- 18 · Ready when you are
About 8 West Clinic
Surgeon-led care, since 2006.
A surgeon-led clinic in Vancouver and North Vancouver, led by facial plastic surgeon Dr. Thomas Buonassisi, who has over 25 years of experience in Vancouver. Breast and body surgery is with Dr. Geoff Masschelein, our Royal College–certified plastic surgeon.
Surgeons, registered nurses and patient care managers work here as one team, from your first call to your recovery. Your plan is made with the full picture, and you'll hear plainly if surgery isn't the right step for you.
- Since 2006Caring for patients in Vancouver
- Surgeon-ledPhysician oversight on every treatment
- Two clinicsVancouver and North Vancouver
- 4.8 ★Across 1,900+ verified reviews
Vancouver
300-1788 W Broadway
Vancouver, BC V6J 1Y1
North Vancouver
300-221 West Esplanade
North Vancouver, BC V7M 3J3
One number for both
01
How to use this guide.
This guide is for anyone thinking about breast surgery, a tummy tuck or liposuction, or about shaping their body without surgery.
Read it in order, or go straight to what matters to you. Everything here is general information. Your own plan comes from a consultation, because every body is different.
Start here
Chapter 2
Implants, a lift, or both: the first question for most breast surgery, and how Dr. Masschelein answers it.
Breast surgery
Chapters 3 to 5
Breast augmentation and the choices it involves, breast lift, and breast reduction.
Body
Chapters 6 to 8
Tummy tuck, liposuction, and combining procedures in one surgery.
The 8 West approach
Chapters 9 and 10
When surgery isn't the first step, and one plan under one roof: Emsculpt NEO, regenerative aesthetic treatments and recovery support.
Planning ahead
Chapters 11 and 12
Timing around your weight, pregnancy and breastfeeding, and living with implants long term.
Next steps
Chapters 13 to 18
Recovery, how it works from first call to consultation, cost, more videos from Dr. Masschelein, meet your team, and how to reach us.
Your surgeon
Dr. Geoff Masschelein, MD, FRCSC
8 West Clinic's plastic surgeon, certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. His focus is breast and body surgery. He builds each plan around what your anatomy can realistically support, so the result looks natural on you.
- FRCSC, Plastic Surgery (Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada)
- Breast and body surgery at 8 West Clinic
02
Implants, a lift, or both?
For most breast surgery, the first question is whether you need more volume, a lift, or both. Dr. Masschelein says the deciding factor is usually where the nipple sits today.
More volume
Breast augmentation
When you mainly want more volume and the nipple is still in a fairly high position, augmentation alone is often enough.
Lower position
Breast lift
When the breast, nipple and areola have descended more, a lift repositions them.
Both
A lift with implants
When you want both a lifted position and more volume, the two are often combined.
Why not just a bigger implant?
A common question. Dr. Masschelein explains that a larger implant can lift the nipple slightly, but the change is minimal. When the nipple has descended past a certain level, a lift is what recentres it on the breast.
“For nipples that have descended with time past a certain level, you really do need a lift if you want to recenter the nipple on the breast mound.”
Dr. Masschelein, on choosing a bigger implant instead of a lift
03
Breast augmentation: your choices.
Breast augmentation adds volume with silicone or saline implants, placed through discreet incisions. Dr. Masschelein offers a range of implant sizes, profiles and placements, chosen for your anatomy and goals.
Implant type
Silicone
Silicone gel implants. Your surgeon talks you through how each type looks and feels on your body.
Saline
Implants filled with sterile salt water. Which type suits you depends on your tissue, your goals and what matters most to you.
Under or over the muscle
There are two main places an implant can go: under the chest muscle, or over it (beneath the breast tissue). Dr. Masschelein says the safety profiles are fairly similar. The choice depends on how much breast tissue you have, and on which trade-off matters more to you.
Under the muscle
- Often suits: people without much existing breast tissue to hide the shape of the implant.
- Plus: the implant is hidden under the muscle, so there can be less visible rippling.
- Trade-off: “animation deformity”: the implant can move when you tighten your chest muscle.
Over the muscle
- Often suits: people with a little more breast volume, enough to hide the implant without it being overly visible or easy to feel.
- Plus: no movement of the implant with the chest muscle.
- Trade-off: the implant can be more visible, with more rippling or ridging.
“We typically have a conversation about what your goals are, when determining implant location.”
Dr. Masschelein, on under or over the muscle
Size and shape
Breast augmentation consultations at 8 West include 3D imaging, to help you see your options. In surgery, Dr. Masschelein uses implant sizers: once he has created the space for the implant, he places a sizer to check it, and can adjust the space before the final implant goes in.
“It allows me to be extra happy before we put the final implant in and finish the surgery.”
Dr. Masschelein, on implant sizers
04
Breast lift.
A breast lift (mastopexy) reshapes and raises the breasts by removing extra skin and moving the nipple and areola to a higher position.
A lift on its own doesn't add volume. If you'd like more fullness too, it's often combined with implants (chapter 2).
Lift techniques
Dr. Masschelein performs several lift techniques, chosen by how much the breast has descended.
Periareolar
An incision around the areola.
Vertical
Around the areola and straight down, for more reshaping.
Anchor
Adds an incision along the breast fold, when more lift is needed.
Will my nipple size change?
Often, yes. Dr. Masschelein explains that the areola is often made a little smaller during a lift, and that this is something you decide together before surgery: some people like a larger areola, others a smaller one.
05
Breast reduction.
A breast reduction removes extra breast tissue, fat and skin, for a size in proportion with your body.
It can address the physical side of large breasts, such as back and neck discomfort, grooves from bra straps and skin irritation under the breast fold, as well as how your breasts look and how clothes fit.
Where possible, Dr. Masschelein uses techniques that preserve nipple sensation and the ability to breastfeed. If either matters to you, raise it at your consultation (chapter 11).
- Often a good fit when symptoms have been there for a while and your weight is stable
- Can be planned together with a tummy tuck (chapter 8)
06
Tummy tuck.
A tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) removes extra skin and fat from the abdomen and tightens the muscles underneath.
That includes muscle separation (diastasis recti), which is common after pregnancy and doesn't improve with exercise alone. A tummy tuck isn't a way to lose weight: it's for loose skin and stretched muscles once your weight is where you want it (chapter 11).
Full, mini or extended
Full
Skin and fat removed, and the abdominal muscles tightened.
Mini
For a smaller amount of loose skin, lower on the abdomen.
Extended
For loose skin that reaches further around the sides.
Dr. Masschelein chooses the approach from your anatomy, and often combines a tummy tuck with liposuction to refine the contour (chapter 7).
What happens to your belly button?
In most patients, you keep your own belly button. Dr. Masschelein explains that he makes a circle around it, brings the skin of the abdomen down, then creates a new opening and brings your belly button through. It's your own belly button, in a new place in the skin.
07
Liposuction: body contouring.
Liposuction removes stubborn, localised fat from areas such as the abdomen, flanks, thighs, arms and back.
It's a contouring tool, not a way to lose weight. It suits people who are at or near their goal weight, with good skin elasticity, who have areas that don't respond to diet and exercise. Dr. Masschelein uses the tumescent technique for precise contouring, and often combines liposuction with other body procedures, such as a tummy tuck or breast surgery (chapter 8).
Common areas
Abdomen, flanks, thighs, arms and back
And other areas, chosen from your anatomy and goals.
Recovery
1–2 weeks
Depending on the areas treated. The result lasts as long as your weight stays stable.
Liposuction removes fat. Loose skin and muscle separation on the abdomen are what a tummy tuck addresses (chapter 6), and the two are often done together.
08
Combining procedures, one recovery.
Breast surgery (augmentation, lift or reduction) and a tummy tuck, with liposuction if needed, can be done in one surgical session. This is sometimes called a mommy makeover.
Dr. Masschelein plans the combination around your goals and your anatomy. Doing both together means one recovery instead of two, which is why many people who are considering both choose to combine them.
It's usually planned once your weight is stable and you've finished having children (chapter 11).
Asking us about both? In the form at the end of this guide, choose “Mommy Makeover”.
09
When surgery isn't the first step.
Not everyone is ready for surgery, or needs it. For some goals, a non-surgical plan comes first.
Emsculpt NEO: body shaping without surgery
Emsculpt NEO builds muscle and reduces fat in the same treatment, using two kinds of energy together: high-intensity focused electromagnetic energy (HIFEM) and radiofrequency. It's often a fit for people who are already fairly active and close to their goal weight, and who want more muscle definition or have areas that don't respond to exercise.
Areas
Abdomen, buttocks, arms, calves and thighs
Sessions
30 minutes, no downtime
Done as a series of sessions.
With
Our medical aestheticians
Before and after: Emsculpt NEO
Emsculpt NEO · Abdomen · Front view
Emsculpt NEO · Abdomen · Three-quarter view
Emsculpt NEO · Buttocks · Back view
Real 8 West patients. Results vary.
Because 8 West offers surgical and non-surgical care, the advice can go either way: surgery when it's the right answer, and not yet when it isn't. Your patient care manager can tell you which options fit your goals.
10
One plan, under one roof.
At 8 West, body surgery, non-surgical body shaping, regenerative aesthetic treatments and recovery support are all in one practice. So your plan can include what suits you, before and after surgery.
Surgery is one part of a longer plan, not an isolated event. Every service runs under physician oversight, and each treatment is delivered by a specialist in that area.
Six kinds of care, joined into one plan around you.
Regenerative aesthetic treatments
Your own fat
Nano fat
A small amount of your own fat is collected by a physician, refined through a fine filter and placed in areas such as the décolletage.
For the skin
PRP and exosomes
PRP (platelet-rich plasma) is made from a small sample of your own blood, spun to concentrate the platelets. It's used alongside some skin treatments, such as medical microneedling.
Exosomes are tiny cell-derived vesicles, used by our medical aestheticians as an add-on to some laser treatments.
Whether any of these suits you is decided at your consultation.
Recovery support
At 8 West, recovery support can be part of your plan. Your care team suggests what suits each stage.
- The Boa Max 2 lymphatic drainage suit: sequential compression, used after surgery as part of recovery. Sessions are 30 to 45 minutes.
- The red light bed: full-body red and near-infrared light, used as an add-on during recovery. Sessions are 10 to 20 minutes.
- IV therapy: vitamins, minerals and hydration, with formulations for recovery. Sessions are 30 to 60 minutes.
At 8 West
The red light bed, one of the recovery options in your plan.
11
Timing: your weight and your family.
Two things often decide when surgery makes sense: your weight, and your plans for pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Your weight
Dr. Masschelein sees patients at all points of a weight-loss journey. His advice: when you're at a weight you're comfortable with, and that you feel you can confidently maintain, it's usually a good time to go ahead. If your weight is still changing, the long-term result is hard to predict. Losing a lot of weight after surgery can change how the skin sits, and gaining weight can change the result too.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Many breast augmentation patients are thinking about a family in the future, and it's a good thing to plan for. Dr. Masschelein's answer is honest: it's hard to predict exactly. Any surgery on the breast disrupts some of its blood supply, so it can affect breastfeeding. Many women who would naturally be able to breastfeed should still be able to after augmentation, but it can reduce total milk supply, especially with larger implants.
A tummy tuck, and breast surgery with a tummy tuck, are usually planned once you've finished having children, because a later pregnancy can stretch the skin and muscles again.
12
Living with implants.
Do implants expire? Dr. Masschelein's answer: they don't have an exact expiry date, but they may not last forever, so they aren't necessarily lifetime devices.
One reason people replace an implant is rupture. He explains that one of the most common causes is a car accident, when the airbag goes off or the seat belt presses on the implant. If you're ever in a car accident with implants, it's a good idea to have an ultrasound to check them.
If your implants are in a good position and not causing you any trouble, he doesn't usually recommend replacing them just because of their age.
13
Your recovery: what to expect.
Every recovery is different. These are typical ranges for getting back to most daily activities; your care team goes through what to expect for your own plan.
Breast augmentation
1–2 weeks
For most daily activities.
Liposuction
1–2 weeks
Depending on the areas treated.
Breast lift or reduction
2–3 weeks
For most daily activities.
Tummy tuck, or combined procedures
3–4 weeks
For most daily activities. Combining means one recovery instead of two.
Looking after yourself
- Your care team gives you instructions before surgery, and checks in at each stage after it.
- They'll tell you when you can return to exercise, lifting and other activities. Strenuous exercise usually waits longer than daily activities.
- Swelling settles gradually over the weeks and months after surgery.
- Recovery support (the lymphatic drainage suit, the red light bed and IV therapy) is available at 8 West (chapter 10).
14
How it works: your next steps.
Most people start with a conversation. There's no obligation at any step.
From first question to recovery.
01 · Contact us
Ask for a call
Fill in the short form at the end of this guide, or call 604-733-1669.
02 · First call
A complimentary, friendly call with a patient care manager
Complimentary, by phone. They answer your questions about the procedure, recovery, timing and cost, and find a time for your consultation when you're ready.
03 · With Dr. Masschelein
Your consultation
He assesses your anatomy, explains what's realistic for you and what recovery will look like, and builds your plan. Breast augmentation consultations include 3D imaging. There is a fee for this consultation; your patient care manager confirms it when you book.
04 · Surgery and recovery
Ready for surgery, supported in recovery
We help you prepare for surgery and support you through your recovery, with your care team checking in at each stage.
Questions worth asking
Bring these to your first call and your consultation.
- Do I need implants, a lift, or both, and why?
- Which implant type and placement would suit my body, and what are the trade-offs?
- What size range makes sense for my frame? Can I see it with 3D imaging?
- Where will my scars be?
- Would a full, mini or extended tummy tuck suit me, and would liposuction help?
- Does it make sense to combine procedures, such as breast surgery, a tummy tuck and liposuction?
- Could non-surgical body shaping, regenerative aesthetic treatments or recovery support be part of my plan?
- How could surgery affect breastfeeding or a future pregnancy?
- What will my recovery look like, week by week, and when can I exercise?
- Where will surgery take place, and what anaesthesia is used?
- What will my plan cost, and what financing is available?
How to prepare
- A list of your medications and supplements
- Any previous surgery or treatments on the breasts or abdomen
- Your plans for pregnancy and breastfeeding, if any
- What you'd most like to change, in your own words
- If you smoke, be ready to talk about stopping before and after surgery
Who is a good candidate
Generally, someone in good overall health, at a stable weight they can maintain, who doesn't smoke or is willing to stop, and who has realistic expectations. For a tummy tuck, or breast surgery with a tummy tuck, usually someone who has finished having children. Dr. Masschelein will tell you honestly whether surgery is right for you.
15
Cost and financing.
All procedures at 8 West Clinic are performed on a private-pay basis. Your cost depends on your plan and is confirmed after your consultation. A patient care manager can talk you through typical costs on your first call. The first call is complimentary.
Ask your patient care manager about financing options.
16
More from Dr. Masschelein.
All nine of his short answers, in one place.
17
Meet your team.
The people you'll meet, at every step.
Your surgeon and surgical nurse
Dr. Geoff Masschelein
Body plastic and reconstructive surgeon, MD, FRCSC
Caroline Genove, RN
Surgical and Injectables Registered Nurse
Your patient care manager
Dione Gillett takes your first, complimentary call, answers your questions about the procedure, recovery, timing and pricing, and books your consultation with Dr. Masschelein when you're ready.
18
Ready when you are. Start with a conversation.
A patient care manager will call you for a complimentary, friendly conversation, answer your questions, and book your consultation with Dr. Masschelein when you're ready.
Prefer to talk now?
604-733-1669Call and a patient care manager can answer your questions. Or fill in the form below.
Speak to a patient care manager
Strictly confidential.
Results vary. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Book a consultation at 8west.ca to discuss your individual candidacy.