Breast Augmentation in Chicago, Proportioned to Your Frame

What is a breast augmentation?

A breast augmentation is a procedure that increases breast volume using an implant placed either above or beneath the chest muscle. It takes one to two hours under general anesthesia and is performed as an outpatient surgery, so you go home the same day. The implant does the work of adding size; it does not lift tissue that has descended.

That last distinction matters more than most patients expect. Augmentation adds fullness. It does not raise the position of the breast on your chest, and it does not tighten skin that has stretched. If your concern is that your breasts sit lower than they used to, the honest answer may be a lift, an augmentation with a lift, or neither. Your surgeon will say so at the consultation rather than after it.

You may also hear it called a boob job or an augmentation mammoplasty. All three names describe the same operation. Many patients come to it after pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight loss, or the changes that come with age, when the goal is less about adding something new than about restoring what was there.

There is also a non-implant option. Fat transfer to the breasts uses liposuction to harvest your own fat and place it into the breast, which produces a modest increase in size with no implant to maintain. It suits a narrower set of goals than an implant does, and we will tell you honestly which one your goal points toward.

Who will perform your surgery?

Two surgeons perform breast augmentation at Chicago Breast & Body, and you will meet the one who will operate on you before you commit to anything. Neither of them runs a general practice where breast surgery is one item on a long menu. Both do this procedure regularly, which is the difference patients feel in the sizing conversation more than anywhere else.

It is also part of why roughly 40% of our patients travel to us from outside Illinois. They are not looking for a surgeon who does a little bit of everything.

Dr. Anh-Tuan Truong, MD, FACS, FAACS

Dr. Truong is a triple board-certified cosmetic surgeon, certified by the American Board of Surgery, the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, and the American Board of Facial Cosmetic Surgery. He directs a fellowship that trains the next generation of cosmetic surgeons, which means he teaches this work as well as performs it. Read his full bio.

Dr. Pey-Yi Kevin Lin, MD

Dr. Lin is a board-certified plastic surgeon, certified by the American Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. His focus is body contouring and breast surgery, with a consistent emphasis on results that read as natural on the patient’s own frame. Read his full bio.

Surgery is performed in our AAAHC-accredited surgical facility on site. Our practice also includes Dr. John D. Rachel, a facial plastic surgeon, and you can meet the full surgical team here.

Are you a good candidate for breast augmentation?

You are likely a good candidate if you are in good general health, at a stable weight, and want more volume or better balance between your breasts. Most patients are done having children, though that is a preference rather than a requirement. What matters most is that your goal is something an implant can actually deliver.

This procedure tends to suit you if

1. You want more fullness in the upper part of the breast, particularly in clothing.
2. Your breasts differ noticeably in size and you want closer symmetry.
3. You lost volume after pregnancy, breastfeeding, or weight loss and want it restored.
4. Your breasts feel small relative to your hips and shoulders, and you want proportion rather than size.
5. You are at a stable weight and expect to stay there.
6. You are a non-smoker, or willing to stop, and your expectations are realistic.

This procedure is not the right answer if

1. Your main concern is that your breasts sit low on your chest. That is a lift, not an implant, and adding volume to descended tissue usually makes the position more obvious rather than less.
2. You are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning a pregnancy in the near term. Pregnancy changes breast tissue after surgery, and it is worth waiting.
3. You are still actively losing weight. A significant change after surgery will change your result.
4. You smoke and are not willing to stop for the period your surgeon specifies. Smoking measurably affects healing.
5. You are considering this because someone else wants you to. Every good outcome we see starts with the patient wanting it for herself.

If you land in the second list, that is worth knowing now rather than three months from now. The consultation exists to sort this out honestly.

Find out which category you are in.

Book a complimentary virtual consultation, regularly $250, and get a straight answer about whether an implant is the right procedure for your goal.

No pressure, and no obligation to book surgery.

Silicone or saline, and above or beneath the muscle?

Most patients at our practice choose silicone implants placed partially beneath the muscle, because that combination gives the most natural feel for the widest range of body types. It is not the only right answer. Each choice carries a real trade-off, and the honest version of this comparison includes what each option costs you.

The implants we use

Silicone gel implants are made of a cohesive gel that mimics natural breast tissue in the way it feels and behaves. It is not a liquid, so even if the shell ruptures the gel does not flow out. Cohesive gel is also less likely to show rippling, which can be a problem in very thin patients.

We offer two implant families, and your surgeon will recommend one based on your goals, your anatomy, and how you want the result to behave day to day.

Natrelle® by Allergan. A long-established silicone gel family with a wide range of profiles and base widths, suited to patients who want predictable upper-pole fullness and a structured shape.

Motiva®. A smooth-surface silicone gel family. The two options we most often compare are SmoothSilk® Round, designed to hold a consistently rounder, fuller shape including upper fullness, and SmoothSilk® Round Ergonomix®, designed to adapt with movement and position for a softer, more natural slope when you are upright.

Which family suits you is a conversation about how you want to look standing up, not only how you want to look in a mirror. We compare them side by side at your consultation against your base width, your chest dimensions, and your tissue quality.

Read the full comparison: Motiva breast implants in Chicago.

Incision placement

There are three main incision approaches, each with its own advantages.

1. Inframammary, under the breast. Made in the natural crease beneath your breast. The most common approach, because it gives surgeons the best access and control during placement. The scar typically heals well and is hidden in the natural fold.
2. Periareolar, around the nipple. Follows the edge of your areola where the darker skin meets the lighter breast skin. A good option if you want the scar to blend with the natural color change, but it is not suitable for everyone, particularly with smaller areolas, and it carries a somewhat higher chance of affecting breastfeeding.
3. Transaxillary, through the armpit. Places the incision in your armpit crease, so there is no scar on the breast itself. It can be more technically challenging and may limit implant options. Some surgeons use an endoscope to assist with placement.

Where the implant sits

Implants can be placed either above or below the pectoral muscle. Dr. Truong and Dr. Lin are trained in every approach and will recommend one based on your anatomy. Most patients do best with a submuscular or dual-plane placement, because of the need for extra coverage over the upper pole of the implant.

Every one of these choices is made with you at the consultation, not for you afterward. Implants are also not lifetime devices, and how long they last is worth understanding before you decide.

What are the risks, and what does the research actually say?

Breast augmentation carries the risks of any surgery under general anesthesia, plus risks specific to implants: capsular contracture, where scar tissue tightens around the implant; implant rupture; changes in nipple sensation; asymmetry; and the possibility of needing revision surgery later. Your surgeon reviews each of these against your health history before you consent to anything.

Breast implants are among the most-studied medical devices in use, with safety data collected over decades and across millions of patients. That research is also why the known risks are specific and documented rather than vague.

The FDA has identified an association between breast implants and BIA-ALCL, a rare lymphoma of the immune system found in the scar capsule around an implant, with risk concentrated in textured-surface implants rather than the smooth implants used in most augmentations today. The FDA has also recognized a set of symptoms some patients report and refer to as breast implant illness, which remains under study. Both are uncommon, and both are things your surgeon will review with you by name before you consent to anything.

We would rather you hear this from us than find it somewhere else after your consultation.

Nipple sensation is the risk patients ask about most. Some change is common in the first weeks and months, and in most patients it resolves. A small minority experience a permanent change, and the likelihood is somewhat higher with a periareolar incision, with a lift performed at the same time, and with larger implants. Recovery of sensation can take anywhere from a few days to six months.

Further reading from neutral sources: the FDA breast implant information center and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons on breast augmentation risks and safety. This page is general education and is not medical advice.

What is recovery from breast augmentation actually like?

Most patients are up and walking the same day, back to desk work within about 7 to 10 days, and cleared for full exercise between four and six weeks. The first three days are the hardest, and the discomfort is usually described as tightness across the chest rather than sharp pain. You will need someone to drive you home and to help for the first day or two.

During your recovery, plan to rest the first day, start short walks the next morning, and wear your post-surgical bra around the clock until your first visit. Most people feel ready to return to work in about 7 to 10 days, then slowly add activity over the next few weeks. Swelling, bruising, and some numb spots are common early on and improve with time. Showers are okay after 48 hours, but no soaking, pools, or hot tubs for 4 weeks, and no underwire for up to 8 weeks unless your surgeon clears you sooner.

1. Day 0 to 1. Rest the day of surgery. Stand slowly to avoid dizziness. Start short walks the next morning, and do not stay in bed all day.
2. 48 hours. You may shower. Keep bandages and steri-strips under the bra in place and let them air-dry after. Do not soak in water.
3. Days 2 to 7. Swelling and bruising are normal. Wear your post-surgical bra 24/7 until your first visit. Eat low-salt, high-protein, high-fiber foods; drink plenty of water. Use a stool softener if you are on pain meds.
4. Days 7 to 10. Most people can return to work based on comfort. Keep walking daily; add activity slowly and ask your surgeon before exercising.
5. Weeks 2 to 4. You will likely switch to a post-surgical bra or sports bra, no underwire. Keep bandages off unless you are still draining. No pools, hot tubs, or baths for 4 weeks.
6. Weeks 4 to 8. No underwire bras for up to 8 weeks, confirmed at your visit. Gradually increase workouts per your surgeon’s guidance.
7. Months 1 to 3. Numb spots and nipple sensation changes are common and usually improve as nerves wake up. Keep protecting scars from the sun with SPF 30+.
8. Months 3 to 6. Swelling continues to settle; shape looks more refined. Many patients start feeling like themselves again.
9. Months 6 to 12. Final results come into focus. Some numbness can take up to a year to fully improve.

This timeline is a general guide, and every body heals at its own pace. Always follow your surgeon’s specific directions, including any updates from Dr. Truong or Dr. Lin. If something feels off or you are unsure about an activity, call your surgeon. Our full breast augmentation post-op instructions cover the details.

On the two questions patients ask most and rarely ask out loud

Arrange childcare for at least the first week, because lifting a small child is the exact motion under restriction. And if your job involves lifting or reaching overhead, plan on the full four to six weeks rather than the 7 to 10 day desk-work timeline.

Two more things patients are often surprised by: implants sit high at first and settle over the following months, and there is a defined window before you can go back to wearing a normal bra or none at all.

Individual results may vary.

Ask about the timeline that fits your life.

Bring your calendar to the consultation. We will tell you what your recovery looks like against your actual work and childcare situation, not a generic timeline.

Is breast augmentation the right procedure, or is it something else?

Augmentation adds volume. It does not lift, and it does not reduce. If your goal is a different one, the procedure that serves it is a different one, and it is cheaper to find that out now.

1. If your breasts sit lower than they used to and size is fine, you want a breast lift. A lift repositions tissue and removes excess skin without adding an implant.
2. If you want to be both fuller and higher, you want a breast lift with implants. This is common after pregnancy and after significant weight loss, and it is a single surgery rather than two.
3. If your breasts are large enough to cause neck, shoulder, or back pain, you want a breast reduction, which is a different conversation with a different set of benefits.
4. If you have implants now and are unhappy with them, the conversation is about replacement or removal. Bring your operative report if you have it, and read about breast implant removal and capsulectomy, which removes the surrounding scar capsule.
5. If you want a modest increase without an implant, that is fat transfer to the breasts.
6. If your breasts are one part of a larger post-pregnancy goal, look at a mommy makeover, which combines breast surgery with body contouring in one recovery.
7. If you need more internal support than tissue alone provides, ask about the internal bra, a mesh support technique used in lift and revision cases.
8. If you want the implant comparison in depth, read our full guide to Motiva breast implants, covering Round versus Ergonomix, gel technology, and profile ranges.

You do not need to arrive knowing which of these you want. That is the surgeon’s job at the consultation. You can also browse every breast procedure we perform in one place.

How much does breast augmentation cost in Chicago?

What moves the number

1. Implant type. Silicone typically costs more than saline.
2. Whether a lift is included. An augmentation with a lift is a longer, more complex operation.
3. Revision complexity. Replacing existing implants, or removing scar capsule, adds time.
4. Anesthesia and facility time, which follow directly from the above.

Financing is available and most patients use it. We will walk you through what a monthly payment actually looks like at your consultation, before you decide anything. You can also see our full price list and a deeper breakdown of what breast augmentation costs.

One thing worth saying plainly, because patients say it to us constantly: spending this on yourself is not selfish. You have likely spent years spending it on everyone else.

Breast augmentation questions, answered