Aesthetic Plastic and Reconstructive

Are you thinking about breast augmentation surgery? Many women do consider it, and when they undergo the procedure, they report increased satisfaction with their personal appearance. So learn all you can first before saying yes to this common plastic surgery and consult with only the best surgeon for your procedure, Dr. Alexandrina Saulis of Aesthetic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. A board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Saulis has perfected the art of breast augmentation in her Oakbrook, Hinsdale and Elmhurst, IL area practice.

What is breast augmentation?

Breast augmentation is an aesthetic surgery aimed at enhancing overall breast size, shape or volume. Many of Dr. Saulis' patients report a dissatisfaction with the size of their breasts when compared with their hips, or they dislike being "lopsided"--that is, one breast is noticeably larger than the other. This disparity in size often can be noticed even through a woman's clothing, with the left breast usually being the larger one.

Finally, women of child-bearing years experience a loss of breast volume after pregnancy. Alternatively, when a child is no longer nursing, a young mother's breast tissue shrinks and sags.

So the answer to these disconcerting cosmetic problems can be breast augmentation, a simple and usually successful way to change breast size and shape. This procedure is exceptionally popular as the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports: approximately 290,000 surgeries of this type were performed in the United States in 2016 alone.

What's the procedure like in Oakbrook, Hinsdale and Elmhurst?

To undergo this surgery, your overall health must be good, and you must be willing to be patient with the recovery time which is a full four weeks. Dr. Saulis does the surgery under general anesthesia and performs the procedure through the IMF incision under the breast. The breast implant is placed subpectoral to decrease implant contracture rates and optimize breast tissue visualization on a mammogram which is obscured with implants placed above the muscle (missing early breast cancers).

Regarding the breast implants themselves, Dr. Saulis almost exclusively uses silicone gel implants which are much more natural than saline implants and have almost double the shelf-life. Saline implants are filled on the table and have an access valve that can begin to leak after a while. Silicone gel implants are pre-filled at the Mentor factory with a double disk shield preventing any leaks or variation or change in implant volume. Also, implant "leak" and sudden rupture with deflation is avoided with silicone gel implants. They do require a larger incision (about 2-3 inches but it is well hidden in the inframammary crease and the scarring is generally excellent in time).

Many patients are trading out their saline implants for silicone gel for the above-stated reasons. In addition, silicone gel implants have a thicker rubberized silicone shell than saline filled implants, last longer, come in all volumes and three profiles and are softer and much more natural than saline. They also correct any issues of rippling a patient may have with a saline implant.

After effects

Breast augmentation in Oakbrook, Hinsdale and Elmhurst does cause soreness, swelling and bruising which resolves over a period of weeks. Stitches stay in place for about ten days, and most patients take up their normal activities within several days. However, anything strenuous should be avoided for up to four weeks to ensure good healing. Dr. Saulis offers patients post op pain control with an On-Q pain pump that allows for local anesthetic or numbing medication to be used for pain after surgery. This significantly minimizes pain and reduces the recovery time, and allows patients to avoid narcotic use after surgery.

You can make an informed decision

Find out if breast augmentation is right for you with a confidential consultation with Dr. Saulis. She'll explain your options so you understand the surgery fully and can decide what's best for your health and personal appearance. Why not call Aesthetic & Reconstructive Plastic Surgery today for an appointment? Phone 630-920-9404 to speak with a team member.