Breast Implant Choices in Newport Beach, CA
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Breast Implant Choices
Breast augmentation is highly customizable and involves making many different decisions to produce the desired results. Dr. Grazer offers Allergan™, Mentor®, Sientra®, and IDEAL IMPLANT® to provide a wide array of options to tailor your procedure to your exact needs. Deciding on the fill material, shape, and the level of projection are essential factors to consider when choosing an implant because they all have significant impacts on the cosmetic outcome of breast augmentation surgery. Contact Dr. Grazer in Newport Beach to learn more about your breast implant choices.
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What Are My Implant Material Options?
The type of implant you choose will have dramatic effects on the result of your procedure. Dr. Grazer will help guide you on the implant material options to help you achieve your desired aesthetic look, depending on your body type.
What Are Silicone Implants?
Many patients who are concerned about achieving a natural result consider this option. The silicone within implants has a more viscous consistency, making it feel more natural and flesh-like than what you might experience with a saline implant. These implants have a tough silicone shell filled with a cohesive silicone-based gel. Only women aged 22 or older can receive silicone implants.
What Are Saline Implants?
Saline implants are usually chosen by women who are looking for dramatic augmentation following their procedure. During this surgery, a silicone shell is inserted into the breast pocket and then filled with sterile saltwater to achieve its desired size.
Since saline implants are firmer and water is not compressible, skin rippling is more likely with this option. Patients who already have significant breast tissue are more likely to have better results than thinner patients since the extra tissue helps to camouflage the rippling.
These implants also have the unique benefit of being adjustable in size during the surgery, as they are filled after they are placed in the breast. They are available to anyone over the age of 18.
What Are Gummy Bear Implants?
Form-stable implants (gummy bear implants) are firmer and maintain their shape better. This rigidness has both positive and negative aspects.
Unlike saline or silicone, if this implant is ruptured, the implant will maintain its shape. There should be little to no leakage and no deflation; in fact, it will be difficult to notice at all. While not entirely rupture-proof, gummy bear implants are ideal for women whose primary concern is implant ruptures and their aftereffects.
On the other hand, the gummy bear implant’s rigidness means it may require a longer incision, meaning that there is a more significant possibility of visible scarring.
What Is Breast Implant Shape?
What Are Round Implants?
Round implants are the most popular implant shape. Patients can choose from low profile to high profile round implants, depending on their aesthetic goals and preferred projection.
Are Round Implants Right for Me?
Ideal candidates for round implants may desire any of the following qualities:
- Fullness in the upper pole of the breasts
- High profile breasts
- A choice between silicone and saline implants
What Are Anatomical Implants?
Anatomical (teardrop-shaped) implants mimic the shape of natural breasts more accurately than round implants. Because these implants are tapered at the top and fuller at the bottom, they produce a smooth transition from the upper pole to the lower pole of the breasts.
Are Anatomical Implants Right for Me?
Ideal candidates for anatomical implants may desire any of the following qualities:
- Correction of mild breast tissue sagginess
- A more natural-looking breast enhancement, especially when existing breast tissue is thin
- More suited for smaller implant size
What Implant Surfaces Are There?
Smooth
Smooth implants do not have as thick an outer shell as textured implants. This makes them feel more like natural breast tissue. Smooth implants can shift and rotate within the pocket, which means there is a more significant risk of rippling and contour irregularities (if shaped implants are chosen). Some irregularities may be correctable without the need for surgical intervention with a smooth implant.
Textured
Textured breast implants have a thicker silicone shell with small bumps and grooves on it that allow the implant to grip and bind better to the surrounding tissues. This means that textured implants are less likely to move or rotate within the pocket, making them ideal for anatomically shaped (teardrop) implants. Unfortunately, should a shaped implant move (even with a textured surface), there is a greater risk of contour irregularities. The repositioning of a textured implant usually requires a surgical procedure to correct.
What Is the Implant Profile?
Breasts can appear differently depending on the projection you desire. During your consultation, Dr. Grazer will take exact measurements of your breasts’ width, the size of your torso, and the nipple-to-nipple distance to determine which implant profile will be the best for your body type.
The primary implant profiles are:
- Low profile: less projection meant for women with broader chest walls, or when a breast lift surgery is required
- Moderate profile: proportionate, natural-appearing breasts
- High profile: rounder, pointier breasts, or narrower base width of the breasts
Your implant profile is usually determined by your body shape and the size of your chest wall. Taller women who have broader shoulders or a larger chest wall will usually select lower profile implants. More petite women with narrower shoulders or a smaller chest wall will usually have higher profile implants. This way, the base of their implant is proportional to the side of their chest wall.
There is some room to negotiate, depending on your desired outcomes and the size of your implant. Some women choose to change their implant’s size to ensure they get the level of projection they want. The most important thing to consider with deciding on an implant profile is making sure that it matches your body type. Implants with mismatched profiles almost always look unnatural.
What Is the Difference Between Breast Implant Brands?
Allergan™
Allergan™ implants are the most popular and set the standard for the breast implant market. They offer silicone implants, both round and shaped. This brand recently recalled a line of textured implants (BIOCELL® implants) due to a link between the implants and BIA-ALCL.
Mentor®
Mentor® implants are available in both round and anatomical shapes. They offer both silicone and saline implants, giving maximum flexibility to the patient. Mentor® implants have a series of variations in size, shape, and consistency, allowing them to better simulate the patient’s breast tissues for a more natural feel.
Sientra®
Sientra® brand implants are offered both round and shaped. They only offer silicone implants. The shaped implants may have an oval or round-shaped base, which can change the overall shape of the patient’s breast. These implants are only available through a board-certified plastic surgeon.
IDEAL IMPLANT®
The IDEAL IMPLANT® has an outer silicone shell with an inner matrix of flexible yet solid silicone. This matrix is filled with saline rather than a silicone-based gel. This gives the IDEAL IMPLANT® all of the benefits of both saline and silicone implants with none of the disadvantages.
Frequently Asked Questions About Breast Implants
Will breast implants increase my cancer risk?
Breast implants are not associated with an increased risk in breast cancer, nor do they interfere with the taking or reading of mammograms (although additional steps may be required). Recently, BIOCELL® textured breast implants (from Allergan™) have been linked to an increased risk of breast implant-associated anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). This is a form of lymphoma that can develop in the scar tissue surrounding an implant. While this can be severe, this rare condition is very treatable when found early and may only require the removal of the implant.
Are saline implants safer than silicone implants?
There is a misconception that says saline implants are safer than silicone implants. While saline is naturally absorbed by the body in the case of a rupture (whereas silicone is not absorbed), saline implants are not necessarily safer than silicone implants because silicone implants are not unsafe. Silicone implants have a long history of safe usage, and their presence does not increase any health risks.
In the case of a rupture, loose silicone may travel from the implant into the breast pocket (and potentially the body). This is why we recommend that women with silicone implants undergo routine MRIs or ultrasounds yearly to verify the integrity of the implant.
Loose silicone is not inherently dangerous; however, ruptured silicone implants should be removed as soon as possible to ensure that any free silicone is removed.
How do I know which implant profile is right for me?
Implant profile is one of the most important choices you can make to affect your breast augmentation as the implant profile determines your augmented breasts’ projection. Implant profile is determined by two factors: aesthetic goals and body type. Implant profiles range from low to ultra-high, and the higher you go up on that scale, the more your implants will project from the chest.
Essentially, the implant profile is the ratio of the base of the implant versus the height (projection) of the implant.
Women who desire a more augmented or projected look are more likely to choose a high or ultra-high profile implant. Women looking for more subtle enhancement may be better off selecting a low or moderate profile implant.
If I have sagging breasts, should I go for high profile or moderate profile implants?
Plastic surgeons do not recommend using either high profile implants or moderate profile implants to solve sagging breasts. This is because breast implants will not address moderate to significant breast sagging. If your breasts are sagging, you are better suited choosing a surgical option like a breast lift. Breast lift surgery can be performed alone or in combination with breast augmentation.
What type of implant will give me the perfect cleavage?
Cleavage is the space between the two breasts. While some women want a gap, others do not, so there is no set “ideal” for cleavage.
Additionally, the amount of cleavage you have after your breast augmentation will depend on the shape, size, and cleavage you had before your breast augmentation. Since breast implants are so customizable, particular implants can be chosen to help you achieve the level of cleavage you want. This may involve choosing round implants that provide equal fullness to all areas of the breast; however, depending on your breast shape and personal desire, you may be wanting something else.
Is the IDEAL IMPLANT® ideal for me?
The IDEAL IMPLANT® combines the convenience of saline implants with the look and feel of silicone implants. IDEAL IMPLANTS® are filled with sterile saline; however, these implants are made up of various capsules that prevent the saline from moving around the implant in the way that they would in a traditional saline implant. Because the saline is not as moveable, this implant maintains its shape the way a silicone implant would even though there is no silicone gel present.
In the case of an IDEAL IMPLANT® rupture, the saline in the implant would be absorbed by the body.
Is there any permanent breast implant?
Breast implants are designed to be long lasting; however, they are not intended to be permanent. Breast implants can become damaged regardless of their filling material, shape, or profile. Implants are traditionally expected to last between 10 and 15 years; however, some women have been able to keep their implants for decades.
Can all breast implants be placed below the muscle?
Breast implants are either placed below the tissue (above the muscle) or below the pectoralis muscle. While not always the case, many women choose placement below the muscle, as it is thought to provide more natural-looking results, and the muscle can be used to help keep the implant in place. Fortunately, any implant (saline or silicone) can be placed below the muscle. If this is the placement option you wish to have, be sure to discuss this with Dr. Grazer during your consultation.
Why do some breast implants feel different than others?
The texture and feel of breast implants will depend on their filling material and the viscosity of that material. Because saline implants are filled with a saline solution, they will feel much harder than silicone implants, which have a gummy, pliable texture. On the other hand, some silicone implants are made of a thicker, more form stable gel, giving them a different feel. Fortunately, with so many breast implant options to choose from, you are sure to find the right one for you.
Are saline or silicone implants more prone to capsular contracture?
Capsular contracture is a condition where the surrounding scar tissue hardens and tightens around the breast implant. While this complication can occur with any breast implant at any time, research has shown that textured silicone implants tend to have a lesser chance than others. Additionally, some statistics have shown a reduced rate when the implants are placed below the muscle.
Unfortunately, there is no way to ensure that capsular contracture doesn’t happen. If it does, you will need to undergo a breast revision with a capsulectomy. This is a simple procedure that removes the implant and scar tissue before a new implant is inserted.