Breast Augmentation
Hundreds of thousands of American women each year choose to enhance their appearance and their confidence through breast augmentation with implants. Chicago plastic surgeon Dr. Thomas Mustoe has performed over 3,000 breast surgeries in his career, and is renowned among doctors and patients as a cosmetic breast surgery specialist. In his many years of experience and research, Dr. Mustoe has developed breast augmentation techniques that improve comfort, healing, and results for his patients.
If you would like to learn more about Chicago breast augmentation, request a consultation online with Dr. Thomas Mustoe, a board-certified plastic surgeon. Or you can call our office at (312) 695-6022 and one of our helpful staff members will schedule your appointment.
A Better Breast Augmentation
A worldwide leader in plastic surgery, Dr. Thomas Mustoe offers several improvements over traditional approaches to breast augmentation. These include:
- Minimized tissue damage and scarring
- Shortened, more comfortable recovery
- Use of local anesthesia with sedation
Choosing Breast Augmentation
Breast augmentation involves using breast implants to increase the size and projection of a woman's breasts. Many women also find that breast augmentation increases their feelings of sensuality, femininity and body confidence. Breast enlargement at our Chicago practice may be a good choice for you if:
- You've always been dissatisfied with the size of your breasts
- You feel that larger breasts will balance out your figure
- Your breasts have lost volume with age, weight loss, or pregnancy
The best candidates for breast augmentation surgery are healthy women whose weight is stable, and who have good skin tone. In cases where the breast skin is lax, breast augmentation alone will not correct the sagging. You may choose to combine a breast lift with your breast augmentation in order to create fuller, more youthful looking breasts.
Dr. Mustoe also performs breast augmentation revision for women who have had problems resulting from breast augmentation at another practice. In some cases, revision surgery is performed to exchange or remove breast implants. This procedure is more complex than the initial breast augmentation procedure, and is best performed by a highly qualified and experienced plastic surgeon.
Advanced Breast Augmentation Techniques
There are many considerations involved with breast augmentation, including incision pattern, implant placement, and choice of breast implants. Dr. Mustoe will draw from his experience to help you make these decisions, taking into account your personal preferences, goals, and anatomy.
Incision Pattern
Incisions are placed inconspicuously in order to minimize visible scarring. Dr. Mustoe's extensive research into wound healing and scar prevention has helped him to reduce scarring with any of the incision options he offers.
- Inframammary incision – This is the most commonly used incision, and it is made in or near your natural inframammary fold (the crease beneath the breast). This offers Dr. Mustoe the most direct access to create a pocket for the placement of the breast implant.
- Periareolar incision – This incision is made along the lower border of the areola (the more darkly pigmented circle of skin around the nipple). It also offers good access to the interior breast anatomy for breast implant placement.
- Transaxillary incision – This incision is less commonly used, and is made in the crease of the armpit. The distance of the incision from critical areas of surgical dissection makes precision more challenging, and this incision unsuitable for some patients.
Breast Implant Placement
After Dr. Mustoe makes the incision, a breast implant is inserted into a pocket made either beneath the pectoral muscle (submuscular placement), or behind the breast tissue and above the pectoral muscle (subglandular placement). Submuscular placement is generally considered preferable to subglandular, as it can creates a more natural appearance in the upper part of the breast if done properly, and has advantages for mammography and capsule formation. However, Dr. Mustoe will discuss both options with you, and make a recommendation based on your anatomy, your preferences, and the type of implant you have chosen.
Breast Implant Types
- Saline – Saline filled breast implants are filled with a sterile saltwater solution that is harmless to the body. The implants are filled after insertion, which allows for more incision options, and for adjustments to the fill volume, which affects the size, shape, and feel of the implants. If a saline implant ruptures, it loses volume immediately, and the saline is harmlessly eliminated by the body.
- Silicone – These implants are filled with a cohesive silicone gel that has a feel very similar to natural breast tissue. The latest generation of silicone gel filled implants represent a true innovation in breast implant technology, as they do not leak or bleed if the implant is punctured, torn, or even cut. Since these implants are pre-filled, they may require a slightly longer incision.
Improved Recovery and Results
Choosing Dr. Mustoe to perform your breast augmentation is the first step toward a more comfortable procedure and recovery. His experience and his extensive research into wound healing allow him to perform breast augmentation surgery with less injury, which reduces pain and shortens recovery time. His use of conscious sedation and local anesthesia also results in less bruising and bleeding, and an overall shorter and more comfortable recovery.
Most patients require only a few days of recovery time before they can return to light activities and work. You will continue to wear a support garment and follow Dr. Mustoe's detailed instructions for postsurgical care over the next 4 to 6 weeks. During this time, the tissues will soften, and breast implants will drop or settle into a more natural appearance. Most breast augmentation patients find that the discomfort of their recovery is easily offset by the improved appearance and confidence that breast augmentation gives them.
