Breast Augmentation In Chicago, IL

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Female breast augmentation, or breast enlargement, is a surgical procedure to enhance the size and shape of a woman’s breasts. Women may select breast augmentation surgery to enhance their breast size or to fill out skin that is now empty following pregnancy or weight loss. By inserting an implant filled with saline or silicone behind each breast, Dr. Casas is able to improve the shape of a female’s breasts as well as to increase the woman’s bustline by one or more bra cup sizes.

Is Breast Augmentation Right for You?

In an initial consultation, Dr. Casas will talk to you about your expectations and will examine your breasts. She will consider many factors such as:

• FDA regarding textured Biocell implants from Allergan
• the quality of your skin
• the symmetry between your breasts
• the quantity and quality of your breast tissue
• your nipple size and position
• your muscle and chest size

If you are considering breast augmentation in Chicago you must be at least 18 yrs or older and in good health.

Dr. Casas may recommend a breast lift in conjunction with augmentation if you have excess or loose skin. She will stress that a breast implant is not a lifetime device and will at some point require reoperation and replacement.

Making Decisions About
Breast Augmentation Surgery

* Individual results may vary

Breast Enlargement / Augmentation Galleries

Breast Enlargement / Augmentation Information Resources

Breast Augmentation Patient Testimonials

Types of Breast Implants (Saline vs. Silicone)

There are two types of breast implants that you can choose from, each offering unique characteristics suitable for every person’s individual preferences. Saline-filled implants are made from a silicone shell filled with sterile saltwater. They provide a natural look with a life-like feel; some come pre-filled while others are filled during the operation.

Silicone gel-filled implants are also made with a silicone shell, but they’re filled with gel rather than sterile saltwater. It’s a consensus that gel-filled implants appear and feel more natural but, considering what they’re filled with, they can pose more health risks if they happen to leak. Both options have the potential to provide stellar results, but you should consider the potential complications and fine details related to each method before making a choice.

Suitable Candidates for Breast Augmentation Surgery

Breast augmentation can provide aesthetically pleasing results, but a list of criteria must be met before you’re considered a suitable candidate. Regardless of how common the procedure may be, it still takes a considerable toll on the body, which means your health must be in order beforehand. Patients can’t have any ongoing infections or serious illnesses such as cancer. If you have any specific medical complications, your surgeon will need to know about them beforehand.

You must consume zero or minimal amounts of alcohol before your surgery; although your body needs to be in decent shape, your mental health should be in a clean and safe place. Those who have the resources and capability to properly recover and rest after the surgery are also considered excellent candidates. Regarding saline implants, the minimum age requirement is 18, but if you want silicone implants, that age requirement goes up to 22.

Breast Implant Placement Options

Many women are surprised to learn that breast implants aren’t always placed in the same area with every procedure. Plastic surgeons have the knowledge and technical skills to place the implants behind the breast tissue, behind the chest muscles, or sub-glandular. A majority of breast augmentations are done in the submuscular area, as research shows that this area reduces the chance of scar tissue forming. It also makes mammography much easier postop. The submuscular area provides better results for women looking to make drastic changes or those with a thinner body type. To offer further insight, women looking to reduce the amount of sag in their breasts generally benefit more from a sub-glandular placement.

What to Know About Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation

If you aren’t a fan of the silicone or saline options, you could resort to a fat transfer breast augmentation. Also called autologous breast augmentation, this procedure takes fat from the body, such as the thighs, buttocks, or abdomen, and then injects it into the breasts after the fat cells are purified. It’s a much less invasive solution, yet it generally only provides a slight increase in breast volume. Nevertheless, it always leaves a noticeable difference, and many women feel it gives the most natural results.

This procedure has a unique approach, and it also comes with a list of factors that should be considered before diving into surgery. The breasts must be overfilled, as some of the injected fat cells will be reabsorbed by the body. After the healing process, the fat that remains will have developed blood vessels in the tissue, which supports your new look for the long term.

Another factor you should consider is that fluctuation in your body weight can affect the results of your breast augmentation. Considering that this type of augmentation is through fat transfer, changes in your body weight can change how you look. The optimal way to keep the results of your fat transfer breast augmentation is through a healthy lifestyle through exercise and a diet rich in vegetables and fruit. Because it’s relatively non-invasive, many women appreciate an easier path to recovery and the overall natural look and feel of what the procedure provides.

Making the Right Decision about Breast Augmentation

As much as you’re ready to see change, it’s vital to pay close attention to your physical and mental health, as it’s a big decision to make and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Your surgeon will always work closely with you from the moment you walk through their door, but there’s plenty that you’ll have to think about and consider on your own.

You must ensure your mind and body are in the right place, but it’s equally important to know your surgeon and if they’re the right person for your body and the task at hand. You can easily find their qualifications in addition to their career history. You’ll also want to look for evidence of their career and skillset claims.

Every board-eligible plastic surgeon will have an approved application from the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). This tells you that they’ve completed the required education and training in plastic surgery. You might be pretty excited to face your surgery head-on and take a look at the new you, but you want to always consider the potential risk factors and have a clear vision of what you’d like your outcome to be. Once again, a knowledgeable surgeon will work with you on these different points to ensure you get the results you want in the safest and healthiest way possible. They will also discuss your financial situation, as it can be a costly procedure, and they won’t hide any realities about these costs from you before you decide to move forward.

Breast Augmentation Procedure Steps

Your choice of implant enlargement size, shape, and other features will be determined based on your breast anatomy, your body type, and your desired increase in size. Your lifestyle, goals, and personal preferences, as well as Dr. Casas’ recommendations are also determining factors. Breast implants are medical devices with a solid silicone rubber shell. The implant shell may be filled with either saline solution (sterile salt water) or elastic silicone gel. Both saline and silicone gel breast implants are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The size of a breast implant is measured in cubic centimeters (ccs) based on the volume of the saline or silicone filler. Breast implants vary both by filler and by size, and Dr. Casas will review your options with you.

Two weeks prior to breast augmentation surgery, Dr. Casas will provide you with a list of vitamins to take and a list of foods and medications to avoid. This will assure you are in optimal health and will provide for optimal healing.

Typically, breast augmentation patients in Chicago undergo general anesthesia for surgery. When surgery is completed, you will be taken into a recovery area where you will continue to be closely monitored. Your breasts will be wrapped in gauze dressings and a surgical bra.

Dr Casas’s Chicago clinic will provide you with a schedule of follow-up visits and appointments with a lymphatic massage therapist prior to your procedure. The massage is helpful in healing and in reducing fluids and swelling around the implants. Bandages will be removed within a few days, and you may be instructed to wear a support bra and be given exercises and self-massage to administer at home. Stitches will be removed in two to four weeks.

It is often possible to return to work within a week. Vigorous exercise, especially arm movement, may be restricted for two to four weeks. Dr. Casas will detail your schedule for return to normal activities based on the breast augmentation procedure performed.

Manual Lymphatic Drainage, administered by massage, is used after each procedure to reduce swelling. The number of sessions is individualized. It is important that patients follow a healthy lifestyle leading up to and following procedures, including non-smoking, a healthy diet and daily vitamins. Click here to learn more.

Preoperative Sizing for Breast Augmentation
By Dr. Laurie Casas, M.D.

Drs. Hidalgo and Spector demonstrate a valuable adjunct technique for preoperative sizing in breast augmentation in the February 2011 issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Their approach is a patient-centric process that allows the patient to be the key decision-maker in a critical step in the implant-selection process. Unfortunately, the study design has significant flaws, including use of a nonvalidated questionnaire and use of small cohorts that yield insignificant numbers for statistical analysis. These shortcomings of this “scientific article” should not deter the reader from understanding that this important patient-centric process is extremely valuable; however, “preoperative sizing” must be coupled with objective data from measurements and assessments of the patient's chest wall; breast skin; tissue quality, quantity, and adherence; and nipple-areola position, size, and shape.

The finesse in the preoperative implant-selection process evolves as the plastic surgeon allows the patient to actively participate in the process while only offering patients implants to use for sizing that are tissue and dimensionally appropriate in width, height, projection, and volume so that the implant ultimately selected will fulfill the patient's preexisting soft-tissue and chest wall requirements. Many patients will only reveal their unrealistic expectations through this type of patient-centric preoperative sizing process. Three-dimensional imaging may also help to evaluate patient expectations; however, the software is costly.

To achieve high rates of patient satisfaction and low reoperation rates for size dissatisfaction, the plastic surgeon must actively involve the patient. This method does provide the patient with that important decision-making power, but it must be masterminded by the plastic surgeon who has measured and evaluated the objective data from the clinical examination so that the patient is guided to choose the appropriate implant that will safely fill her unique breast dimensions yet provide her with an aesthetic result with which she is satisfied. As always, as plastic surgeons, we must not only merge scientific data with the artistry of plastic surgery but also practice the art of medicine in our approach to patient care. Bravo to Drs. Hidalgo and Spector for reminding us that the patient's desires are a critical part of this implant-selection process.

Laurie A. Casas, M.D.
2050 Pfingsten Road
Suite 270
Glenview, Ill. 60025-1324
lcasas@casas.md

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Additional Information - The Safety of Silicone Breast Implants:

• Use of Patient Decision Aids – Informed Consent - What's New!
  Dr. Casas is dedicated to the ongoing research in breast implant safety
• Breast Augmentation PDA Informed Consent - Making Quality Decisions About Primary Breast Augmentation Surgery
• Use of Patient Decision Aids – Informed Consent
• Breast Augmentation PDA Informed Consent
• Breast Augmentation Cover Sheet PDA Informed Consent
• FDA Updates Analysis of Medical Device Reports of Breast Implant Illness and Breast Implant-Associated Lymphoma
• BIA-ALCL Safety Advisory - June 5, 2019
• FDA Panels Put Silicone Breast Implants Back Under the Microscope - CNN
• FDA Panels Put Silicone Breast Implants Back Under the Microscope - CNN
• FDA Affirms Safety of Breast Implants - The New York Times
• Silicone-gel Breast Implants ’safe and effective,’ FDA affirms - NBCNews.com
• FDA: Breast Implant Safety Studies Will Continue - WebMD
• An Update to Breast Implant-Associated ALCL - The Plastic Surgery Channel
• Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) - FDA.gov
• That Scary News About Breast Implants Causing Cancer? It Isn’t What It Seems. - Allure Magazine
• Why the Plastic Surgery Community Is Speaking Out About a New Breast Implants Study - NewBeauty.com
• The Truth About Breast Implants - NewBeauty.com
• Powerful Breast Implant Testimony Constrained by Limited Evidence - MDedge.com Hematology News
• Why Everyone is Talking About Breast Implant Safety Right Now. Your complete guide to recalls, 'breast implant illness,' and the conversation surrounding them - Allure.com