Transforming Visions into Reality: Expertise in Breast Enhancement
Breast Augmentation
PREMIER PLASTIC SURGERY IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Enhance Shape and Volume with Breast Augmentation
Breast augmentation is most commonly a procedure in which an implant is placed in the breast to increase its size and improve its shape. Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Michael J. Lee has performed numerous breast augmentations for patients in Chicago and possesses the expertise necessary to achieve impressive results.
What is Breast Augmentation?
Breast augmentation, also known as augmentation mammoplasty, is a surgical procedure designed to enhance breast size and improve shape. This is accomplished using breast implants to add volume, restore fullness that may have been lost after pregnancy or weight fluctuations, or correct breast asymmetry. The primary goal of this breast enlargement is to create a bustline that is in harmony with your overall body frame, enhancing your natural contours.
Personalizing Your Procedure
Every breast augmentation surgery is tailored to the individual’s anatomy and specific goals. Dr. Lee works closely with each patient to select the ideal implants that will achieve their desired outcome.
Types of Breast Implants
The two main types of breast implants are saline and silicone. Saline implants have a silicone shell filled with sterile salt water, providing a firmer feel. Silicone implants are pre-filled with a soft, cohesive silicone gel that closely mimics the feel of natural breast tissue.
Implant Shape and Profile
Implants are available in various shapes and profiles to achieve distinct aesthetic results. Round implants offer more fullness in the upper part of the breast, while teardrop-shaped implants create a more sloped, natural contour. The profile refers to the implant’s projection, and selecting the right one is key to achieving your desired silhouette.
Incision Options
Dr. Lee utilizes advanced surgical techniques to place incisions in discreet locations, such as the crease beneath the breast or around the areola, to minimize visible scarring. The best incision plan for you will be determined during your private breast augmentation consultation.
Key Benefits of Breast Enhancement
Breast enhancement offers a range of positive outcomes that go beyond physical appearance. This procedure can help you:
- Achieve a more balanced and proportionate figure
- Restore breast volume lost due to pregnancy or weight loss
- Improve symmetry between the breasts for a more even appearance
- Boost self-esteem and confidence in clothing and swimwear
Who is a Good Candidate for Breast Augmentation?
During your consultation, Dr. Lee will determine whether you are a good candidate for the breast enlargement procedure. The two of you will review your complete medical history, and an examination will be performed.
Those individuals who have small breasts, loose skin from weight loss or pregnancy, and breast asymmetry can all have an improvement in the shape with breast augmentation. As with any surgery, individuals with little to no medical problems are unlikely to have major complications.
During your consultation, you can also review breast augmentation before and after photos. The techniques used in the procedure and the overall time it takes.
The Breast Augmentation Surgery
Your breast augmentation procedure is performed as an outpatient surgery, typically lasting one to two hours. For your safety and comfort, general anesthesia is administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist, so you are fully asleep throughout the entire process.
Once you are prepared, Dr. Lee will begin by making a precise and discreet incision in one of the pre-determined locations, commonly within the natural crease beneath the breast (inframammary fold) or along the edge of the areola (periareolar). Through this opening, he will carefully create a structural pocket for the implant, either directly behind the breast tissue or beneath the pectoral muscle, based on the plan tailored to your unique anatomy and desired outcome.
Before placing the final implant, Dr. Lee may use a temporary sizer to verify the size, shape, and positioning, helping to achieve a symmetrical and natural-looking result. He then places the permanent breast implant into the pocket. The incision is then closed in meticulous layers with fine sutures to support the breast tissue and minimize the appearance of the scar.
What to Expect During Your Breast Augmentation Recovery
Following your surgery, you will be fitted with a supportive surgical bra to minimize swelling. The first three to five days require rest to manage expected soreness and tightness, which can be addressed with prescribed medication. Most patients can return to desk work and light daily activities in approximately one week.
Strenuous activity and exercise, particularly involving the chest muscles, must be avoided for at least four to six weeks to allow for proper healing. Swelling will decrease over several months as the implants settle into their final position. You will receive detailed post-operative instructions and be monitored during follow-up appointments to track your progress.
What is the Cost of Breast Augmentation?
The cost of a breast augmentation in Chicago varies for each patient, as every procedure is highly personalized. The final price reflects several components, including fees for the operating room facilities, anesthesia, the breast implants, and other related surgical expenses. During your consultation, our team will provide a detailed price quote and discuss financing options.
Why Choose Dr. Michael J. Lee for Breast Augmentation?
Dr. Michael J. Lee stands out as a leading breast augmentation surgeon in Chicago, demonstrating the highest level of expertise and commitment to safety standards. His approach combines advanced techniques with personalized care. Dr. Lee’s artistic eye and surgical precision create balanced, proportionate outcomes that complement the patient’s physique.
Dr. Lee provides thorough consultations to understand your desired outcome. He clearly explains implant options, placement techniques, and recovery expectations. His patient-centered approach ensures compassionate care from planning through follow-up. By creating customized solutions rather than standardized ones, Dr. Lee delivers natural-looking results that complement your unique body.
FAQs About Breast Augmentation
What are the risks of breast augmentation implant placement?
Saline and silicone implants are both approved by the FDA for breast augmentation. Both implants have been studied for long-term complications and the effects of silicone and saline in the body. The results of these studies have not shown any increased risk for breast cancer or autoimmune diseases.
There are several risks associated with having implants, including the risk of infection, deflation of saline implants, capsular contraction, and scarring around the implant. There are also risks for placing the implant, which include decreased or increased nipple sensation, bleeding, asymmetry, and the need for further surgeries.
Should implants be placed underneath or above the muscle?
For the last several years, implants have been placed underneath the muscle to minimize the risks of capsular contracture (scar forming around the implant) and to minimize the rounded appearance at the top of the chest.
With newer implants and silicone implants, the shape of the breast can be natural with placement above the muscle. This type of placement is now referred to as subfascial placement. For breasts that have sagged in position due to age or pregnancy, placement above the muscle can provide a more natural shape.
Dr. Lee will discuss with you whether placement above the muscle or below the muscle is better. The recovery above the muscle is shorter and is usually associated with less pain.
How do I determine the implant size that is right for me?
Some patients benefit from large breast implants, while others have a frame that is more suitable for small breast implants. The breast width or diameter usually determines the ideal size of the implant.
Depending on your preference for a B, C, or D cup bra size, there may be some variation in selection. Dr. Lee spends the most time discussing what you envision as your ideal shape and volume, helping you determine the size of the implant that will best suit you.
To help determine your size, you can use a bag of rice to find the right volume in a sports bra and then measure that amount in a cup. The rice volume (measured in cups) can then be estimated in Dr. Lee’s office to correlate with the volume of cc’s in saline or silicone implants.
Do implants affect mammograms and cancer detection?
Mammograms need to be performed using a different technique when you have implants. There are no current studies that show women with implants are indicative of a more advanced or delayed diagnosis of breast cancer.
When do implants need to be changed?
Many plastic surgeons recommend removing and replacing implants every 15 years, but this is not an absolute rule. Dr. Lee recommends evaluating the implants and their position and shapes at 15 years post-op. If some changes are unacceptable, this is a good time to replace them.
What if I need a breast lift as well as a breast augmentation?
Sometimes, due to weight loss or after pregnancy, the breast loses volume, and the nipple drops lower than the surrounding breast tissue. In some cases, an implant is sufficient to lift the breast tissue and position the nipple. In other cases, a breast lift needs to be performed along with the implant.
This combination procedure is known as augmentation mastopexy or a breast augmentation with lift. Getting a breast lift and implants in the same procedure decreases sagging and increases volume and perkiness. It also only requires a single recovery period. However, when the necessary amount of lift is significant, it may be better to do the procedures separately.
Dr. Lee will evaluate whether an implant can lift the breasts alone or whether additional surgery is needed to help lift the nipples. If the breasts sag but do not lack volume, a breast without implants is typically the ideal option.
What is fat grafting to the breast?
Fat grafting is a form of natural breast enlargement that is becoming more commonly performed for breast augmentation, breast reconstruction, and breast revision procedures.
Fat is harvested from a specific area, strained, and then centrifuged before being transferred to the breast. There has been some controversy regarding the long-term safety of fat injections into the breast. The concern has been regarding cyst formation from fat, as well as the effect of fat transfer on mammography and cancer detection.
With the new techniques and quality of mammograms, the ability to detect and differentiate fat cysts from breast cancer has significantly improved over the years, and more plastic surgeons and patients are becoming comfortable with the technique.
The technique has been performed on other areas of the face and body for many years without problems.
Am I a good candidate for fat transfer to the breast?
Good candidates for fat transfer should have sufficient fat to achieve a noticeable visual improvement in the breast. The goal of the transfer is typically to increase cup size or improve shape, particularly at the top of the breast.
Fat grafting can also help patients who have already had breast implants that have been complicated by the following problems: rippling from implants, too wide a distance between the breast implants, too round at the top of the breast, or the implants being too easily felt underneath the skin.
If there is excessive skin or wrinkling, or the breasts are too low, the fat transfer is unlikely to yield significant improvements.
Schedule Your Consultation for Breast Augmentation in Chicago
Achieve a more balanced silhouette with breast augmentation surgery. Schedule your consultation with Dr. Michael J. Lee to get started. Serving the Greater Chicago Area and Cook County, we provide a professional assessment and create a surgical plan tailored to your aesthetic goals.
