Saline
These implants are more common than any
other available type of implant. In the
US, the saline-filled implant is the
only implant made available to women
wanting cosmetic breast augmentation.
They are constructed of a tough,
semi-permeable silicone elastomer shell
with a single valve on the anterior
(front) surface of the implant. These
implants come in both smooth and
textured surfaces and round or contoured
(also known as anatomical or teardrop)
shapes.
The only manufacturers of Breast
Implants which are approved for use in
the United States of America are McGhan
Medical & Mentor Corporation. Both
companies have developed and/or
presently manufacture silicone-filled
and double lumen breast prostheses. Both
manufacturers offer implant warranties
which cover the product replacement in
the event of a deflation and also cover
some expenses for the revision surgery.
New McGhan Style 10 and McGhan Style20:
INAMED Aesthetics' McGhan Style 10 is a
smooth surface silicone-filled breast
implant designed to provide moderate
projection with 20 sizes to choose from.
The McGhan Style 20 is also a smooth
surface silicone filled breast implant
with full projection and 23 sizes to
choose from for surgical planning
convenience. Both implants utilize
INAMED's patented INTRASHIEL Barrier
Shell technology for reduced silicone
diffusion.
Available as part of INAMED's McGhan
Medical Adjunct Clinical Study, these 2
new devices represent INAMED Aesthetics'
continued commitment to the breast
reconstruction patient and the further
expansion of its silicone filled breast
implant product portfolio.
High Profile
These implants are the same as above yet
they seem to have less rippling, more
projection for the same size and less
lateral base. This is a wonderful
implant for women with small ribcages
(smaller chest diameter) but a desire
for more projection of the breasts.
These women usually sacrificed one or
the other -- more projection and a less
natural diameter or less projection but
still a breast diameter in proportion to
their body.
The Mentor 3000 Series ends all that.
Now these women are able to have their
cake and eat it too. The High Profile
implant is also smoother and as
mentioned above has less rippling, or
wrinkling most often seen at of the
outer edge of the saline-filled implant.
Women who do not have smaller ribcages,
but still want more projection will find
that if they choose to have High
Profiles, they are trading cleavage for
projection.
Round vs.
Tear Drop
Round implants consistently provide the
most natural look and feel with the
least potential complications. Some will
say round implants offer less control
over long-term superior pole (the upper
portion of the breast) fullness.
Tear-Drop shaped implants were developed
to provide a contour more like the
natural shape of the breast itself. In
long-chested women the implant may
provide greater control of superior pole
fullness. The implant must be textured
so it will adhere to the breast tissue,
and not rotate in the body. This concern
with "directional orientation" results
from the fact that if the implant does
rotate, the upper portion of it could
end up inappropriately positioned
outward or inward. With round implants,
all sides are the same by definition.
Therefore, if a round implant does
rotate, it won't matter.
Expandable
This implant was designed by Dr. Hilton
Becker under Mentor Corp. in 1984 for
use primarily in breast reconstructive
(mastectomy) patients, to gradually
expand the tissues with out severe
trauma to the tissues. By the late
1980's, the Becker expandable implant
gradually wound its way into the
cosmetic breast augmentation market. A
decade later the Becker expandable
implant was replaced by the Spectrum
breast implant (sometimes referred to as
the Spectrum-Becker). The Spectrum
implant is a permanent solution to
expansion breast augmentation with the
the Becker-designed valve, filling tube
and reservoir system.
The original Becker saline-expandable
implant (gel also available) is still
available although highly restricted by
the FDA. But it's not the restriction
that makes it inappropriate as an
expansion breast augmentation device --
it's the expensive price. Hence, the
reason why the Spectrum implant has
taken over the market of expansion
breast augmentation.
The Spectrum expandable implant comes in
ranges, or different sizes, like
standard implants. The implants cannot
be filled up indefinitely. You must have
a general idea of what size you would
like to be post-operatively, then build
on this size. They come in textured and
smooth models and can be placed either
sub-glandular or sub-pectoral.
When they are first implanted,
especially if you are small breasted in
comparison to your size goal, your
surgeon may not fill them to their
starting volume. The gradual filling
will give your tissues and muscles, if
applicable, time to adjust and not
traumatize or over exert the tissues to
the point of fissures, tears or
excessive stretch marks. Just remember
with augmentation, stretch marks are
always possible. There is a dime-sized
filler port in each implant, that is
left in near your incision for ease of injection
until after it is determined that you
are at your volume goal.
You will probably have another fill
(usually in 50cc increments) about 1
week post-operatively then on to 2
weeks, then perhaps a few weeks later.
Most patients report that the fill-ups
do cause them minor discomfort and that
after all the settling and dropping you
have accomplished over the weeks is for
naught. You see, you become rounder,
fuller, higher and tighter after each
fill up so your body has to get back to
work to accommodate the implant all over
again. You should expect to pay about
$400. more for a Spectrum and remember,
until the filler port is removed
(through your original incisions) you
will be able to feel them and the area
may become chafed if your bra or support
garment rubs up against this area during
natural body movement. It is reported
that the extrusion rate for the filler
ports is about .76% - very rare.
Smooth /
Textured
As a rule, regardless of any other
consideration, smooth implants wrinkle
less than textured implants. Thus, if
the implant is going to be placed above
the muscle, you will most likely want
smooth. The exception to this is if you
have a previous history of capsular
contracture (hardening of the breast
tissue around the implant) with saline
implants. When this is the case,
textured implants may be better
indicated for you. This is a
consideration you will obviously discuss
with your surgeon.
Smooth silicone implants have a higher
rate of capsular contracture than do
textured silicone implants.
(Approximately 34% vs. 15% respectively,
according to some studies). In terms of
saline implants, studies have shown the
rate of capsular contracture to be about
the same (approximately 8% to 14%,
according to some studies) regardless if
the saline implant is smooth or
textured. There has historically been a
lower rate of capsular contracture for
silicone, textured implants than for
silicone, smooth implants. Textured
implants generally wrinkle more than
smooth implants.
Standard vs. High Profile
Introduced to the market in Fall, 2001,
the High Profile (HP) implant claims to
give the highest projection per base
width, within the US market. It is
available in both Saline and
Silicone-filled and Textured and Smooth
versions.
The High Profile implant has the same
projection height as an implant that is
a fraction of the volume of a Round
implant. In a nutshell, if placed side
by side, an HP implant will extend off
of the breast plate further than a
similar volume and base diameter Round
one would. Also, a Smooth Saline HP
could ripple less than a similar Round
Smooth Saline one would.
Also, because these implants have an
anterior diaphragm valve, they can only
be filled once, at the initial time of
surgery.
