Breast surgery

Breast Implants

The procedure of breast implants is about more than enlarging your size, because it’s not always about that. Breast implants can help give you more control over your breast size, your breast shape, and your overall profile. Breast implant surgery can help improve your appearance after aging and childbearing, and it can also help to restore a more youthful appearance.

In breast augmentation with implants, also known as augmentation mammoplasty, the implants are inserted behind the breast tissue or just above the breast muscle. There are a wide variety of sizes and types of implants and they usually range in volume from 120 ml to 850 ml. The volume of the implant determines the size of the the breast after surgery.

In addition to the volume range, implants can vary in shape, profile, outer thickness, and outer surface layers. Some women feel that silicone implants are smoother and softer than saline-filled implants because these implants feel like a semisolid gel. Women undergoing breast reconstruction rather than just having an augmentation tend to prefer the silicone implants because they have a very smooth surface.

There have been some serious health concerns raised in the past about the silicone implants. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) removed silicone implants from the general consumer market in 1992 as a precautionary measure due to conflicting reports of possible complications. They have recently been re-approved by the FDA and were reintroduced to the consumer market in 2005.

Since the field of breast implants is becoming more and more popular, there are other options under development to provide even more options. One includes a cohesive silicone gel implant. These are also called “gummy bear” implants due to their texture. Another option being developed is the saline implant that allows implant volume to be adjusted based on volume or size after the surgery has been completed. The Cohesive Implant is currently under FDA review. It is claimed that the Cohesive Implant will hold it’s shape better than saline or the other older silicone gel implants. It is also said that they will look and feel more natural. The gummy consistency decreases the likelihood of rippling and should provide greater safety because since it is a more solid compound, the silicone will tend not to escape from the shell if it were to rupture.