A Moment with...Dr. Harry Springer

When you meet Dr. Harry Springer for the first time, chances are he’s going to catch you off guard with his sense of humor and friendly nature. After thirty years as a plastic surgeon and thousands of breast augmentations, you’d expect him to be aloof and unapproachable. The opposite is true; he’s so down to earth and friendly, you can’t help but be caught up in the good feeling he and his staff emanate. His office manager Sally sums up Dr. Springer as "very sweet, very charming and he explains things thoroughly. You tell him what you’re looking for and he’s very honest and realistic, so if he doesn’t think he can achieve the result you are looking for, he will let you know." Sally has worked with general surgeons in the past, and she describes Dr. Springer as "completely different. There’s no ego trip. He’s like family, like a second father."

Though the atmosphere is comfortable and personal, Dr. Springer is on the cutting edge of every new development in plastic surgery. As a leader in medicine for the Greater Chicago area, he has served as President of the Chicago Medical Society and of the Illinois State Medical Society. Dr. Springer has also served as associate professor at the University of Chicago and Loyola Medical Center. One of the busiest breast surgeons we’ve interviewed, it was surprising how relaxed and unhurried he is.

Breast Implants USA: What originally interested you in plastic surgery?

Dr. Springer: Actually, I finished college at eighteen and for some reason decided I wanted to go to dental school. At that time, one started dental school starts at eighteen, so I figured "Why not?" and I took the aptitude test. However, once I got there, I hated it! During my freshman year I met a guy named Orion Stuteville who had both medical and dental degrees. He was doing all kinds of head, neck, and reconstruction surgery and I said, "I want to do that!" He informed me that was fine, but after I finished dental school I would have to go to medical school. I went through Stuteville’s recommended internship and general surgery residency and then continued through the Northwestern University system with him.

Breast Implants USA: What should a woman expect during her first consultation with you?

Dr. Springer: First thing is she will be greeted by Sally, who will obtain the basic information. I generally like to go to the waiting room and bring the patient back myself. Then I will bring her into my office/library that has a very comfortable and homey atmosphere where I will ask her the standard physical and medical history questions. In addition we’ll go through why she wants cosmetic surgery and we’ll look at some slides. Then I’ll conduct a physical exam, all the while answering any questions she has. When she is satisfied and I’ve done everything that I can do at that point, she will go back to Sally. At that point they’ll discuss financing and the costs involved.

Breast Implants USA: Do you talk about post-surgical depression with them at all, or do you play that by ear, depending on the patient’s personality?

Dr. Springer: Usually if they’ve had post-op depression before, they’ll tell me about it. You can be sure if they’ve had post-op depression after delivering a child, they’re going to have it after an augmentation, or some kind of cosmetic procedure. You just have to be alert for it.

Breast Implants USA: Many surgeons recommend to their patients to go a little larger than they originally planned, since they can become accustomed to the swollen size right after surgery. Do you do this as well, or do you stay more on the modest side?

Dr. Springer: I approach it in a slightly different manner. Many of them will say, "I don’t want to be Dolly Parton." If a patient says she wants to be a C cup, we’ll discuss the variations of a C and I’ll have her stuff her bra with tissue to demonstrate what size she would like to be. I tell her that her perspective will change afterwards and what looks large to her now won’t look quite as large post-operatively. I always tell my patients, "You don’t want to come back six months from now and say, ‘Hey, Doc! I wish you would have put in a little bit more!’ so I recommend that we fit you with exactly what you want and then, just for the sport of it, add a little extra tissue and see how you like that. You can always take it out. It’s a way for us to estimate what you want. I want to be sure it has the same volume and appearance that you had in mind." When I discuss this with them, they recognize it and they’ll usually put a little bit more in.

Breast Implants USA: Are there any particular techniques or procedures that you favor over others? Are there any that you avoid?

Dr. Springer: I like the inframammary and the axillary approaches. I don’t care for the periareolar approach quite as much., but I will do whatever the patient wants. I discuss all three approaches with the patient, along with the pros and cons to each and ask them to keep an open mind. I tell them, "I’ll do whatever you want as long as you know about everything, and you realize that you’re going to have to live with whatever you choose." I prefer to place the implant under the muscle. The appearance is much better in most cases, and you don’t see near the same instance of rippling or capsular contracture. I usually use pretty fair sizes, so that may be a determinant as well.

Breast Implants USA: Speaking of large sizes, for an exotic dancer, very large breasts can be considered almost a uniform. When one comes in and asks you for implants that may be too large for her frame and tells you this is how she pays her bills, do you grant her request or do you try to talk her down in size?

Dr. Springer: It’s really a two way street. What I’m there for is to give the patient what she wants, so long as it’s realistic. We discuss all the problems she can get into with very large breasts and many will want to go over the muscle. I see quite a few dancers because my patients are seen by others who are interested in augmentation and they are impressed by the results that I have been able to provide. I get compliments on them, so I must be doing it right!

Breast Implants USA: I would imagine with a career as time consuming as plastic surgery, it must be fairly daunting to balance out your personal and professional life. Do you have any hobbies or past-times to find that balance?

Dr. Springer: At times I can be a computer geek. In addition, I have spent summers doing open wheel racing with formula Fords. You can rent the cars, the mechanics and everything that goes with it. It’s one of the those things where you go into it to do the best that you can. If you go for speed, you’re not going to do as well as you can. It’s like anything else; if you do something well and you keep getting better and better at it, you’ll eventually get faster. It’s the same with augmentations; the more you do, the faster you are able to do them.

Breast Implants USA: With the wide use of the Internet as a way of researching health issues, are you finding the average patient to be more informed than in the past?

Dr. Springer: These days, people seem to be very well-versed. They go to the Internet, where they can also get some pretty big misconceptions, but for the most part people are pretty savvy these days. Women will come in, I’ll ask them why they want to be augmented and they’ll say, "Well, I’ve always wanted to fill my clothes out better and I think it would make me feel better about myself if my breasts were a little larger." With answers like that, it’s obvious that they have been researching the procedure on the web quite a bit. It’s fun to provide an additional perspective; they appreciate hearing about the other alternatives that are out there for them.

Breast Implants USA: What would you say a woman should look for in a plastic surgeon, along with ABPS board certification?

Dr. Springer: By visiting several surgeons you can pick out the ones who seem hopelessly outdated. One of the keys in picking a surgeon is in the relationship itself; the concern that the physician has for the patient and how they mesh together. Sometimes you just won’t mesh with a person. I can relate to people easily, but sometimes you’re just not on the same page. In that case, as a surgeon you’re probably better off not operating on that person. Half of what you do with a patient is technical, and the other half is emotional support, evaluation and assurance; you need that. You need that to have a happy patient afterwards.

Another thing of course, is if he’s a member of the ASPS or ASAPS, you know that the surgeon is up on his CME credits. He has to go to a certain number of national meetings and do a certain amount of reading in order to remain updated in the latest techniques and procedures in the field.

Breast Implants USA: What makes you practice unique? What makes you stand out from other surgeons in your area?

Dr. Springer: Good question…I’m not sure that I do! In all honesty, I feel that the level of service and in how we connect with our patients sets us apart from many other practices. The days of people who can act technically "superior" to everyone else, where they don’t have to be so nice to everyone, well, they’re long gone. One of the big requirements for someone working in my office is that they be "people-people". My staff members are the type of people who want to please; they have a smile in their voice. After all, they’re your first introduction to my practice, so it’s important that they are friendly and capable of taking good care of everyone with whom we come in contact.

When a woman first comes into his office, Dr. Springer may be just a surgeon. However, his staff quickly evolves into an extended family, and he becomes a friend, a father, and a teacher. Thousands of women will tell you about the difference Dr. Springer brings to their lives. You owe it to yourself to speak with him at (847) 853-9900.

Visit Dr. Harry A. Springer's BreastimplantsUSA website