PROCEDURES / BREAST
Breast Augmentation
on Long Island
Harris Plastic Surgery specializes in breast augmentation for Long Island women seeking a natural look and enhanced confidence. Dr. Harris has over 30 years of experience giving women their ideal breast size, shape, and symmetry. Harris Plastic Surgery offers cutting-edge techniques and warm patient care to ensure you have a great experience along the way to your desired results. Take the first step towards feeling like your best self with our expert breast augmentation team.
trUfit™ Breast Augmentation Long Island
The Harris Plastic Surgery trUfit™ Experience offers breast augmentation tailored to your unique anatomy and goals. Dr. Harris uses advanced surgical techniques, including a “no-touch” insertion method to reduce complications like infection and capsular contracture. His personalized, data-driven trUfit™ process brings patients closer to their desired outcome while ensuring safe and natural-looking results.
With the Harris Plastic Surgery trUfit™ Experience, you can expect:
- Customized surgical plans based on detailed physical assessment
- Choice of cutting-edge implant types: silicone, saline, and Serene structured implants
- Use of advanced techniques to reduce risks and speed healing
Examination
You’ll have a thorough physical exam with Dr. Harris. He’ll chat with you about your goals and desired look.
Measurement
trUfit™ enables precise measurements for fully customized breast enhancement, to optimize implant selection.
Customization
Dr. Harris will work with you to develop a detailed, customized surgical plan. He’ll chat with you about your expected results, risks, costs, and recovery time, so there are no surprises.
What to Expect With Breast Augmentation Surgery
We know breast augmentation is a big decision, and we’re with you every step of the way, with patient support throughout the entire surgery process. From your first consultation through your final results, here’s what you can expect.
Initial Consult
During the initial consultation, we’ll talk to you about the different types of breast implants available, including 5th-generation form-stable silicone implants, saline-filled implants, and the new-generation structured saline implants branded as the Serene Implant. You’ll get to choose from different implant shapes, sizes, and textures, and Dr. Harris will explain his incision techniques. We want to help you make informed decisions about your breast augmentation procedure.
Customized Assessment
The trUfit™ breast enhancement process involves a customized assessment to guide surgical planning, resulting in better outcomes. During your exam with Dr. Harris, several measurements will be taken to find the best implant for you.
Surgery Day
You won’t feel a thing. Patients often wake up asking, “Did it happen yet?”. We usually perform this surgery in an outpatient center under general anesthesia, and patients go home the same day. We use state-of-the-art surgical techniques to place the breast implant, including protocols to avoid skin contact with the implant and prevent any possible bacterial contamination of the implant pocket. This approach reduces the possibility of capsular contracture, an abnormal formation of scar tissue that can make the breast feel firmer or deform the implant shape over time.
Recovery & Support
We use a long-acting local anesthetic, which means a more rapid postoperative recovery and less narcotic pain medication. Patients usually find pain manageable with over-the-counter options, and most can return to work after about 2 weeks.
Choosing Your Implants for Breast Augmentation
Dr. Harris uses precise chest wall measurements alongside your aesthetic goals to select the best type of implant for you. Harris Plastic Surgery offers a range of advanced options, including 5th-generation form-stable silicone implants, saline, and structured saline (Serene Implant) options.
Silicone implants are a top choice among patients for their natural feel and shape. They’re the option closest to natural breast tissue, so patients love how they feel. These implants hold their shape well over time and aren’t as prone to rippling. The only drawback is that if rupture occurs, the gel will stay and require an MRI or ultrasound for detection.
Saline implants filled with sterile saltwater are less frequently used due to their liquid sensation, but they are a safer option than silicone since they are simply made of saltwater. This type of implant is prone to ripples and sloshing, especially in thinner patients.
Serene implants are a newer type of implant that combines the feel of silicone with the safety of saline. They are made of saline and a gel blend, making them a safer option for patients who still want silicone’s natural, firm look. They have a natural look and feel, with minimized wrinkling or sloshing.
Fat grafting is also available to patients as a natural alternative or complement to implants. Fat grafting is ideal for patients who desire subtle volume enhancement using their own tissue.
Meet Your Surgeon: Dr. Stephen U. Harris, MD, FACS
Dr. Stephen U. Harris is a board-certified plastic surgeon with 35 years of experience. He has pioneered advanced techniques, including being the first at Good Samaritan Hospital to offer prepectoral implant breast reconstruction and secondary prepectoral revision surgery. He is widely recognized for his patient-focused approach and commitment to improving his patients’ quality of life and physical appearance.
Dr. Harris is the Chief of Plastic Surgery at Good Samaritan Hospital and an active staff surgeon at South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, New York.
Are you a Candidate for Breast Augmentation?
The best candidates are:
- In good health
- Have realistic expectations
- Are free from active infections and/or serious medical conditions
- Ideally, non-smokers
- 18 and older for saline implants, 22 and older for silicone implants
Ultimately, a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon is the best way to determine if you’re a good candidate for breast augmentation surgery. This way, your doctor can thoroughly evaluate your medical history and provide expert guidance on how to best achieve your desired results.
Real Patients, Real Results
At Harris Plastic Surgery, we’re proud of our work, and here’s our breast augmentation before-and-after gallery to prove it. Explore the gallery to see real results from real patients who chose Harris Plastic Surgery for breast augmentation.
A Smooth Recovery and Stunning Results
We love helping patients meet their aesthetic and functional goals. Our definition of a successful outcome is you feeling like your best self. Patients enjoy improved confidence and clothing that fits better, but breast augmentation isn’t just for aesthetic reasons. After surgery, our patients often find exercise easier, their posture improves, and they have less back and neck pain.
After surgery, patients typically progress through the following recovery stages:
1-2 weeks: The initial recovery phase. Most patients say pain is manageable and return to work by week 2.
1 month: Swelling and tightness gradually improve. Breasts often sit high on the chest.
3 months: Swelling is significantly reduced and implants begin to settle.
6 months: Breasts look and feel more natural as scars begin to fade.
12 months: Final results are visible with implants fully settled; scars will continue to fade.
Most patients experience high satisfaction and long-term results by following post-op instructions and attending their scheduled follow-up appointments. Weight management is also crucial in maintaining long-term results and avoiding revision surgery.
Frequently Asked Questions About Breast Augmentation:
What is breast augmentation, and am I a good candidate?
Breast augmentation is a surgical procedure that uses breast implants to increase breast size, improve breast shape, or restore volume lost after pregnancy, weight loss, or aging. You may be a good candidate if you are in good overall health, have realistic expectations, and want to enhance the size or proportions of your breasts.
How much does breast augmentation cost?
The cost of breast augmentation depends on the type of implant selected, surgical technique, anesthesia, and your individual treatment plan. During your consultation, Dr. Harris will discuss your options and provide a personalized estimate of your total procedure cost.
How do I choose the right breast implant type and size for my body?
Dr. Harris accounts for your breast anatomy, chest dimensions, existing breast tissue, lifestyle, and aesthetic goals when choosing the appropriate implant. Measurements and an in-person consultation help ensure the implant is proportional to your body and can provide a balanced, natural-looking result.
What is the difference between silicone, saline, and structured saline implants?
Silicone implants are filled with cohesive silicone gel and are designed to closely mimic the feel of natural breast tissue. Traditional saline implants are filled with sterile saline solution and can be adjusted during surgery. Structured saline implants also contain saline but use an internal structure designed to improve shape and feel compared with traditional saline implants.
Will my breast implants look and feel natural?
Breast implants can provide a natural-looking and natural-feeling result, but the outcome depends on factors including implant type and size, placement, breast tissue, and your individual anatomy.
How does Dr. Harris's trUfit™ process help determine the right implant for me?
Dr. Harris’s trUfit™ process is designed to help personalize your breast augmentation by accounting for your individual anatomy, measurements, and aesthetic goals. Rather than choosing an implant based on a desired cup size, the process helps identify an implant that fits your body and supports the look you want to achieve.
How long does breast augmentation surgery and recovery take?
Breast augmentation surgery usually takes about one to two hours, and most patients can return home the same day. Initial recovery generally takes several days, while swelling and other changes continue to improve over the following weeks as your breasts settle into their final position. Most patients can drive themselves to their post-op appointment 3-5 days later.
When can I return to work and exercise after breast augmentation?
Many patients can return to desk-based work within several days to a week, depending on how they feel and the nature of their job. Strenuous exercise and heavy lifting should be avoided until Dr. Harris clears you to resume them.
What are the risks and safety complications of breast implants?
As with any surgery, breast augmentation carries potential risks, including infection, bleeding, changes in breast or nipple sensation, asymmetry, implant rupture or deflation, rippling, and capsular contracture. Breast implants are not lifetime devices, and some patients eventually require additional surgery.
How long do breast implants last, and will they need to be replaced?
Breast implants are not considered lifetime devices, but there is no predetermined expiration date. Some implants remain in place for many years without problems, while others may require removal or replacement because of complications, changes in the breast, or a patient’s personal preferences. Regular follow-up and monitoring can help identify potential problems. We use in-office handheld ultrasound to assess the integrity of the implants during annual surveillance visits.
What is breast implant illness (BII), and what should I know about BIA-ALCL?
Breast implant illness (BII) is a term used to describe a range of systemic symptoms some patients report after receiving breast implants, including fatigue, joint or muscle pain, and difficulty concentrating. The FDA notes that BII is not a formal medical diagnosis and that the cause of these symptoms and their relationship to breast implants remain unclear.
BIA-ALCL is a rare type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma associated with breast implants. It is not breast cancer and most often develops in the capsule surrounding an implant. Persistent swelling, a mass, or pain around an implant should be evaluated by a healthcare provider.
Rediscover Confidence With Breast Augmentation on Long Island
If you’re ready to start feeling like your best self again, explore what Harris Plastic Surgery’s breast augmentation on Long Island can do for you.
Reach out to our office to schedule your consultation to learn more. You can also contact us by phone/text.