Kole Plastic Surgery, a board-certified Plastic and reconstructive surgeon will discuss the factors you need to know before determining what kind of implants you should get.
Silicone vs. Saline
This classic debate has been around since breast implants introduction. In 2002, the choice was simple because the old silicone implants were taken off the market. There was concern about the old Dow Corning implants causing leakage and other problems including arthritis, lupus and immune system concerns. All of the major medical studies concluded that this was not true and silicone implants were re-introducted back for use in late 2007.
Incision size;
Saline implants come empty from the factory and are filled by the surgeon, therefore, the incision to have these implants placed in your body is much smaller because the saline implants are filled from outside your body after the implants are inserted into the breast. Since silicone implants come pre-filled by the manufacturer, and must be inserted already filled, the incision size is significantly larger that those of saline.
Feel
Its simple, silicone implants feel better that saline implants. The higher the percentage of implant to native tissue, the “faker” these implants will feel. It is always better to have more than less of your own tissue covering the implant so it feels better to the touch. Large breast implants in thin women with little tissue coverage feel faker than medium sized implants in average sized women.
Textured vs. non textured
Textured implants have the feel or sandpaper on the surface of the implants. Smooth implants are smooth and have no texture. It is thought that the texture of the implants causes the scar that forms to pull in different direction and cancel each other out so that there is less chance of hard scar tissue. This still remains to be conclusively proven. All teardrop profile implants are textured so they don’t change position and can not rotate in the surgical pocket. Round implants can rotate in the pocket, but this is not visible or palpable.
Anatomical “Teardrop” vs. Round shape
Most of the time choosing a teardrop vs. a round implant doesn’t make much of a difference the final post-operative shape of the breast. There are certain circumstances where a teardrop shape is preferred:
- Using a round implant in a tall this women will ultimately leave a “shelf” and a visible edge of the implant superiorly. The teardrop shape will provide a less abrupt transition between the upper chest and the breast.
- Short women. In shorter women, the round implant will give an unnatural upper fullness as the edge of the round implant becomes close to the collarbone. In these cases, the teardrop implant will give less upper fullness and less of the “push up” look.
The new style 410 “gummy bear” textured , anatomical “teardrop” shaped silicone breast implants
Profile
There are low, moderate, and high profile implants. This refers to the height of the implant with its flat side down. The profile measurement is useful for “filling” up extra skin without increasing the width of the implants. Increasing the volume without increasing the implant width is beneficial when women have small frames or loose skin. In small framed women, the wider the implant, the more implant will be lateral on the chest and can lead to displacement laterally when laying down.
In women who are borderline for mastopexy (breast lift),a higher profile implant will often lead to more skin volume filled up, leading to less skin removal and less scarring when undergoing a breast lift.
Low and High profile breast implants. Notice that for the same implant width, there is significantly more volume in the high profile implant on the right.
All of these choices may seem confusing. That’s why a consultation with Kole Plastic Surgery will help you achieve the look you want with the final breast size you desire. At your complimentary consultation with Dr. Kole, you will have all your questions answered and figure out which option is the best for your particular frame, breast size and final size desired. To schedule a complimentary consultation, please call 215-315-7655 .
