Doctor Van Den Broeck

Dr Van Den Broeck, who are you ? I got out of the Faculty of Medicine of the Université Libre de Bruxelles in 1990. I then specialized in plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery. I worked in both the public and private sectors. I participated in several humanitarian missions in Africa in the late 90s. Today, I specialize in breast surgery, and after having long worked as a reconstructive surgeon in a multidisciplinary team, I am currently devoting myself to cosmetic surgery of the breast.

Why this choice ? I have always had an artistic fibre in me. I practiced photography, music, painting ... I consider plastic surgery as an art. When I go into the operating room, I know I'm there to "create beauty." I'm not there to stop a disease or infection. There is no greater satisfaction than a patient who thanks you for the quality and beauty of your work. Our profession does not limit its concern to appearance only but it also soothes internal conflicts related to it, brings confidence and self esteem.

What are the beauty criteria ? For the past fifteen years, demand never ceased to grow for this type of intervention. The criteria also. The Lolo Ferrari and Pamela Anderson fashion has long passed. Today, ideal breasts can be defined as follows: firm and of average size. This standard conforms to my philosophy of cosmetic surgery: a successful breast enlargement is an enlargement as natural as possible. The surgery should not be noticeable.

Who are your patients ? Mainly women who are at a crossroads in their lives. They can have a complex, lack self esteem ... They may wish to correct the effects of time, to feel beautiful again. Breast enlargement has to remain a surgical act that has been seriously thought about and mainly accomplished for oneself.

When can one redo one's breast ? Ideally after having had your children. If no pregnancy is planned, breast enlargement can be performed immediately and the prosthesis will however not interfere with either a pregnancy or breastfeeding. On the other hand, pregnancy can damage the breast. Patience can therefore be an ally. Each case is the object of a customized analysis; everything depends on the timing between the intervention and a possible pregnancy as well as the shape of the breast, skin type, and the age of the patient ...

In practice, how does it happen ? Everything starts with an initial consultation. During a lengthy discussion, I create with my patient the profile of her future breast. Nothing is forgotten : medical history, motivations, expectations, general physical condition, lifestyle, type of sports practiced.

Then ? We determine the type of prosthesis, its positioning, the incision method ... For me, this is the time to reassure my patient, to advise her, to make her comfortable with her choices. We then have to meet a second time to plan the intervention. In practice, the procedure for breast enlargement takes approximately one hour and is performed in a hospital, in day surgery and under general anaesthesia. In the evening, my patient can go home ...

Are there postoperative recommendations ? Upon exiting the operating room, we place a light dressing and a special bra. Wearing this bra is recommended day and night in the month following breast enlargement. My patients then recover their complete freedom. They feel better about their bodies and tell me how delighted they are: the intervention has changed their lives at every level and most regret not having had surgery earlier ...