Breast Augmentation with breast implants is the most popular procedure performed at CASI! We at CASI (Chicago Aesthetic Surgery Institute) routinely perform three to nine breast augmentation surgeries per week for cosmetic indications – giving our doctors and staff more experience than most surgeons in the country!
Read on to learn more about the breast augmentation experience at CASI or contact our practice to set up a personal consultation. Feel free to look at our photo gallery.
Initial Consultation
During your initial consultation, the CASI staff will spend as much time as you need choosing your breast implant WITH YOU and not for you! Detailed and precise measurements are performed at your initial visit so we can customize your new look! We at CASI (Chicago Aesthetic Surgery Institute) attribute our success with breast implant surgery to precise measurements. Breast augmentation with implants may need to be combined with additional techniques such as breast lift, fat grafting, internal mesh or internal tissue releases for optimal outcome- which is why we spend as much time as it takes to get it right.
The first visit starts with a thorough discussion of your goals and a review of your medical history. Careful measurements of your body are then performed so we can customize your new look! With your measurements and goals in mind, you can then try on implants. We have hundreds of implants to sample -so bring a plain comfortable shirt to your appointment! You’ll get a good look in the mirror as to how your implants will look on your frame. To get even more precise, we can also put you on the computer and virtually “try on” implants in 3D with our VECTRA camera system.
Ready to book an appointment? Click here. Need more information? Keep reading below…
Breast Augmentation with Breast Implants Procedure
During breast augmentation surgery, the surgeons at CASI makes a small incision in the skin, gently opens the area for the implant (either under or over the muscle) and then places the implant in the space created. The minimal size of the incision, the meticulous attention to surgical details and the “no touch” technique is what Dr. Szczerba is well known for, not just from his patients, but also from his own staff that works with him every week!
Breast Augmentation with Implants Recovery
The recovery from surgery is surprisingly easier than patients expect. Most patients, particularly those who make wise choices for implant size, need just a few days off from work after the procedure; taking off a week is usually more than enough for just about everyone. With appropriate choices of breast implant size combined with meticulous surgical techniques, recovery can be very predictable and, just as we mentioned before, can be surprisingly easier than expected!
At CASI, we can further customize your recovery process options offering Exparel injections during surgery and Non-narcotic pain regimens and Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) protocols after surgery. Exparel, which is a long lasting, local anesthetic (numbing injection) can be added to your procedure while Non-narcotic and ERAS protocols can be initiated before surgery to customize your recovery after breast augmentation with implants. Feel free to ask us for details during initial consultation or as you are getting close to surgery!
Ready to book an appointment? Click here. Need more information? Keep reading below…
Procedure Candidates
Ideal patients for breast augmentation with breast implant are women with naturally small, even (symmetrical) breasts without much droop to their breast tissue. We also see many patients who simply want to optimize the ratios between their breast area to their shoulders, waist and hips. Those “ideal” patients for breast augmentation, however, are not the only patients who choose to get breast implants. Women with uneven (asymmetric) breasts, breast deformities (like tubular or tuberous breast deformity), chest wall or rib deformities, volume loss after pregnancy, breastfeeding or weight loss are more challenging but definitely seen daily in our offices.
These more challenging patients may also be candidates for breast implants. Aging changes such as breast droop know as breast ptosis, massive weight loss (over 100lbs), traumatic injuries, changes from cancer treatments and finally deformities noted from birth known as congenital deformities such as Tuberous breast deformity or Poland syndrome can be improved with breast implants. Breast augmentation with implants may need to be combined with additional techniques such as breast lift, fat grafting, internal absorbable mesh or internal tissue releases for optimal outcome.
Getting Started
The decision to augment your breasts with breast implants is a personal one. Have realistic expectations! Don’t choose an implant that is too big or too small, instead use your own body as a guide to safe choices in breast implants. Women who are being influenced by a spouse or a significant other should carefully think over their motivation to undergo surgery; do this procedure for yourself and not to please someone else.
Experience definitely matters! At CASI, we definitely have experience! We routinely perform three to nine breast implant cases for cosmetic purposes every week. The goal is to get you the perfect breast augmentation that you’re happy with- for life!
Ready to book an appointment? Click here. Need more information? Keep reading below…
Making Decisions about Breast Augmentation with Breast Implants
Breast Implant options: Saline & Silicone
Currently, both saline and silicone gel implants are approved by the FDA. Saline implants arrive from the company filled with air. During your surgery, the air in the implant is completely deflated and the implant is then inserted through a small incision into the empty space created by Dr. Szczerba. With a filling tube, the implant is then filled with a sterile physiologic saltwater solution that is used routinely in health care. Saline is used to rinse everyday items like contacts for your eyes; it is also the actual sterile fluid that goes directly into a vein to hydrate the body during surgery.
The advantage of saline implants is that they are easily monitored. Although the implant is designed to last a very long time, if the implant deflates, your body will absorb the sterile physiologic saltwater fluid and your breast will appear smaller within a few hours. The process is not harmful because the sterile liquid is simply absorbed by the body. Once the patient notices the deflation, the implant can be replaced with a new implant. The exchange surgery is usually extremely easy on the patient as the pocket for the implant is well healed from the initial surgery. The ease of knowing when to call your plastic surgeon for an exchange makes saline implant a wise choice for young, healthy patients who do not see doctors on a regular schedule. When the surgery is properly performed and the patient chooses an implant that fits their body, saline implants can be a fantastic choice!
Silicone implants have many other advantages and are routinely used by patients who are 22 years old or older. Many patients find that silicone feels very natural and that is definitely an advantage over saline implants. Silicone breast implants have many more choices for the patient than saline implants. You can make custom choices in implant size, shape and feel based on your body’s measurements and your artistic goals.
Once the silicone implant has been decided upon, the meticulous surgical procedure performed by the surgeons at CASI to create the space for the implant is identical to the procedure for saline breast implants. The difference for silicone implant surgery is that the surgeon uses a protective funnel called a Keller Funnel to insert a silicone implant. The Keller funnel allows him to insert your implant through a very small incision similar to the incision for saline breast implants. The Keller funnel also allows the surgeon to insert your implant without actually touching it; this has been called a “no touch” technique by us at CASI for years. The lack of direct contact with the implant combined with meticulous technique is considered by our surgeons at CASI and a huge advantage in terms of keeping your surgery as sterile as possible thereby minimizing risks of infection and risk of long term issues like capsular contracture (“hardening” of the scar tissue around the implant). Dr. Szczerba is well known by his patients and certainly by his staff for considering breast implant surgery, not just a sterile procedure, but a “super sterile” procedure requiring meticulous attention!
Besides the incision size and the “no touch technique” the silicone implant is easily inserted with the Keller funnel into the space created by Dr. Szczerba. This less traumatic technique produces less strain on the implant shell during the insertion process and theoretically may contribute to how long silicone implants last. The implant companies Dr. Szczerba has partnered with are all very stable companies that are based in the United States and offer extremely good warranties to the patient. We at CASI have seen the warranties for silicone breast implants get better and better over the years and are very comfortable recommending silicone breast implants to the appropriate patient.
Since the silicone breast implant is designed to last a very long time and the insertion technique is easier on the implant shell using a Keller funnel, it can be difficult to detect if your implant needs to be exchanged. Although wear and tear on the implant shell does occur as the years go on, rupture of the implant is rare and very well warrantied by the implant companies. Women are encouraged to have an imaging study to monitor the breast implant, such as an ultrasound or an MRI, on year three after surgery and every two years to follow. With the older style implants used years ago, we at CASI have taken care of patients that a standard screening mammogram determined that the implant was due for an exchange.
The modern, cohesive silicone inside the implant shell is designed to be thicker than liquid silicone implants from years ago. The amount of “cohesivity” of the silicone correlates to the firmness of the implant with the most cohesive implant being called a “gummy bear implant.” Currently there are three choices in thickness of the silicone gel from one company we at CASI partner with the other company offering a similar but perhaps more comprehensive warranty. If the shell of a modern, silicone implant wears down, the cohesive silicone acts more like the center of a gummy bear candy and does not want to leak out of the shell like older liquid silicone implants. Thankfully rupture of the silicone implant is rare, the implant has a great warranty from the company and the modern silicone acts like a gel and does not want to leak out of the implant even if the shell of the implant has worn down.
Implant Size
Implants also come in different sizes and shapes. Once we carefully measure you, we at CASI spend a lot of time carefully reviewing your implant options with you. Although the size of the implant is a very important decision, the exact measurement of your breast helps us the most to determine which implants will work best for your body type. We want you to look fabulous, so once we have you measured, we want you to try on all the “profiles” of breast implant options that fit you. The profile of the implant is simply the height of the implant. The artistic interplay of the width of your breast to the height of the implant helps us determine how to best achieve your goals. We at CASI encourage fitting your implant in your clothes with a trial bra in our office as many times as it takes until you are extremely confident in your implant choice. Over the years, we have become well known for excellence and safety with breast augmentation with breast implants and we will spend as much time as you need choosing your breast implant WITH YOU and not for you!
Incision Location
Dr. Szczerba has been performing breast implant surgery since 2005 and has performed thousands of breast implant surgeries since then. There are three commonly used approaches to insert the implants through: transaxillary (through an armpit crease), periareolar (an incision at the edge of the nipple areola complex) or under the crease of the breast (inframammary). Some scarring is inevitable, but generally it is very well-hidden in these locations and when fully healed, the scar is typically difficult to find! Since 2005, there has been significant research studying which incision approach is recommended. We at CASI and Dr. Szczerba can guide you through the decision of incision location based on your body type, your breast shape and your goals!
Implant Placement
Breast Implants can be placed above or beneath the chest muscle (called the pectoralis muscle). A third option known as subfascial (the fascia of the muscle is the covering tissue of a muscle) can also be used. The decision of what location to place your implant is customized for you! Once we have your breast measured, we at CASI can guide you through this decision. All three locations look amazing when chosen wisely and should definitely be customized to your goals!
Typically the recovery for breast implants placed beneath the muscle is slightly longer compared to the other positions. However, many women feel the submuscular placement produces a more natural appearance and better long-term results. We at CASI encourage saline implants to be placed under the muscle while silicone implants can comfortably be placed under the fascia, under the muscle or over the muscle depending on your breast shape and measurements.
The Procedure
Prior to breast augmentation surgery, a licensed professional administers anesthesia; we employ both board-certified anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists. We at CASI really try to use a consistent anesthesia provider who performs anesthesia for outpatient procedures like breast augmentation regularly. Those anesthesia providers who work with regularly strive to make sure you are comfortable, without feeling nauseated and awake enough to be heading home within an hour of finishing the breast augmentation procedure.
During surgery, Dr. Szczerba will make small surgical incisions in the predetermined locations. The pocket will then be created in the meticulous method Dr. Szczerba is known for and numbing medicine is then injected into the surgical area. Make sure you ask about longer acting numbing medications that can be added to your procedure!
Once the surgical pocket is created and the numbing medicine is injected, the implants will be inserted and positioned within the pockets. Prior to closing the incisions, you will be sat up and the implant position will be carefully inspected for optimal implant position and outcome. The incisions will be closed with multiple layers of stitches and a small adhesive called a steristrip is applied. This is covered by a small gauze dressing on each side which is held in place by a small piece of tape. The recovery team will help you get dressed into comfortable clothing with shirts that button in the front being the easiest. We’ll help you get into your ride and make sure your family or friends get you home safely.
Recovery
With wise choices for breast implants combined with meticulous technique, recovery is surprisingly easier than patients expect. Patients are sent home within an hour of the procedure and can resume most activities within 48 hours. Many breast augmentation patients have gone back to work in 48 hours with less than a week being more than enough to recover from surgery.
Patients may note pressure and mild soreness or discomfort for several days after surgery, but this can be made very tolerable with prescribed pain medications and muscle relaxants. At CASI, we can further customize your options in the recovery process by offering Exparel injections during surgery and Non-narcotic pain regimens and Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) protocols after surgery. Exparel, which is a long lasting, local anesthetic (numbing injection) can be added to your procedure while Non-narcotic and ERAS protocols can be initiated before surgery to customize your recovery after breast augmentation with implants. Feel free to ask us for details during initial consultation or as you are getting close to surgery!
You can shower usually within 48 hours. We want you to avoid heavy lifting and activities that raise your heart rate for about two weeks. You can increase your activity and resume careful exercise at two weeks then increase exercise carefully week to week until you are about six weeks from surgery. After six weeks, only a few exercises are restricted for about three to six months. Wound healing after any surgery takes the body approximately 6 weeks, so we will coach you at each visit or by phone through the early phases after surgery. As previously mentioned, once your body has healed, only a few exercises are restricted for three to six months. Your follow-up office visit schedule is regimented but customized to your particular case. The most important visits being 1 week, 3 weeks and 3 months after surgery. Then your visits are more spaced out until you are a year from surgery. Since we at CASI perform breast augmentation with breast implants so regularly, we have many patients following up with us for years after surgery. Once you get to know us at CASI, you’ll find a full menu of services both non-surgical and surgical options to keep you looking fabulous no matter what age you are!
Bra and Brassiere Options after surgery
Over the years, we have found which breast support garments work best. The initial garment is just gentle support while later in the healing process we will guide you to more appropriate bra choices that support your implant in the proper position. Depending on the implant choice, your final outcome for implants can take up to 3-6 months. After that, you can go “fancy” bra shopping to get your accurate new breast size. We can’t wait to see how good you look!
Follow Up
To ensure your peace of mind after surgery, you will have direct contact with Dr. Szczerba and his staff. The follow up schedule is regimented but customized to your particular case. With purposeful, timed follow up visits, we make sure that we get you through not just the critical days after surgery, but also to keep you on track during the important weeks and months after your implant placement.
Our usual follow up schedule starts a few days after surgery – we want to see you and check how things are healing! The most important visits after that include visits at 1 week, 3 weeks and 3 months after surgery. Then your visits are more spaced out until you are a year from surgery. Since we at CASI perform breast augmentation with breast implants so regularly, we have many patients following up with us for years after surgery.
Once you get to know us at CASI, you’ll find a full menu of services both non-surgical and surgical options to keep you looking fabulous no matter what age you are!
Benefits and Risks of Breast Augmentation
With enhanced cleavage and a fuller cup, many patients have more confidence in social situations and feel more feminine in their everyday lives. Experience matters! We at CASI routinely perform 3-9 breast augmentations per week allowing us to be confident that the risk of complications is very, very low. Dr. Szczerba has been performing Breast augmentation since 2005 and has performed thousands of breast implant surgeries since then.
As with all surgeries, the risks cannot be eliminated altogether. Breast augmentation risks can include the possibility for revisions, asymmetry, wound healing problems resulting in a scar that requires revision, bleeding, infections, damage to structures in the area such as the nerve that gives most (but not all) of the sensation to the nipple and hardening of the scar tissue around the implant known as capsular contracture.
Thankfully we know that these risks are very, very low with the surgeons at CASI. Additionally we partner only with reputable and reliable breast implant companies that are based in the United States; should the very rare implant complication such as shell disruption known as rupture actually occur, you are covered with a great warranty. Recent warranty updates by these companies also cover capsular contracture for certain implants.
Any refinement to your outcome that requires surgery is managed in a very agreeable manner at CASI and is based on prior experience of Dr. Szczerba as a patient. We carefully monitor patients during the recovery period to timely diagnose and address any possible complications. As a result, the vast majority of our patients achieve excellent aesthetic results in a quick, comfortable manner.
Schedule Your Consultation Today!
If you are interested in talking with our team at CASI (Chicago Aesthetic Surgery Institute) about breast augmentation surgery, please contact our office any time. We can answer many initial questions over the phone and schedule an in person consultation with Dr. Szczerba within a week or so. Click here to make an appointment!
We recommend reviewing our breast augmentation photo gallery.
We are aware you as a patient have choices in who performs your breast augmentation surgery. We always strive to keep our prices competitive and transparent, usually listing our current price or seasonal specials on the internet.
We do not however recommend choosing your plastic surgeon solely on price; doctors who are not board certified or board eligible by the American Society of Plastic Surgery may offer breast augmentation and other procedures at slightly lower costs but please be careful. You can easily check to see if your surgeon is board certified or eligible by calling the American Society of Plastic Surgeons at 847-228-9900 or checking the website by clicking on the following link: https://find.plasticsurgery.org.
We don’t recommend traveling outside of the United States for your surgery and always encourage looking carefully at the credentials of your doctor.
