There are a lot of questions that women like to ask when they go through the consultation stage for having breast implants, or breast augmentation surgery. It’s essential to discuss what you’d like the outcome to be in terms of size and shape, and of course the surgeon needs to advise you of whether your dream size is achievable and realistic for the existing breast tissue, and proportional your stature and frame. The surgeon will also tell you about the procedure, how it will be performed, and he or she will recommend implants based on your preferences.
The types of implant available vary by size and shape, firmness, form, and materials used, and are always chosen to complement and suit the body shape of the woman. The priority when choosing is always on achieving a natural look. Three types of implant can be used for breast enlargement.
Shapes
The surgeon has a wide array of shapes to choose from, so there will always be that perfect shape available to give a woman the breasts she’s dreamed of. Implants can be round or they may be more of a tear drop shape. The surface or shell of the implant may be smooth or rough.
Silicone Implants
A soft silicone shell is filled with a gel made from silicone. The gel can be quite fluid and soft, or cohesive and solid, according to the end result desired. The silicone implant feels soft and flexible and very much like natural breast tissue. Cohesive silicone breast implants are the type most commonly used by a surgeon. Their thick consistency adds an element of safety to their use. If the outer silicone shell ruptures for some unfortunate reason, the thick gel is much more likely to stay within the implant shell and not leak out into the surrounding tissues. However, the rupture of a silicone implant will still require surgery to remove and replace it, particularly as the shape of the implant will alter. Rupture is very rare and it takes a lot of force for it to happen.
There have been health concerns related to the use of silicone implants. Earlier styles of silicone implant were more likely to leak into the body, and even modern implants will allow a very small amount of silicone to be absorbed into the surrounding tissues. The good news is that a large number of studies have shown that silicone implants do not increase the chances of cancer. The Department of Health in the UK commissioned an Independent Review Group, who found no good evidence of an abnormal immune response to silicone. Additionally, they had no evidence for a link with connective tissue disease. The silicone implant itself has been found to be pretty safe, although the UK banned the use of silicone injections (an entirely different procedure), which were found to be causing problems.
A silicone implant should last for between 10 and 15 years, but there may be instances where the implant may need earlier attention, such as if a women gains or loses a lot of weight, if a capsule (a hard fibrous scar tissue) develops and contracts around the implant, or if an infection occurs.
Saline Implants
This is a silicone outer shell which is filled with a saline solution. If a saline implant leaks, it is entirely harmless to the body. Whilst there were scares over the safety of silicone for breast implants, saline became very popular. The problem with a saline implant is that it will not look or feel as natural as silicone, and it is much more likely to leak. A saline implant will change in volume over time and become wrinkled. In a cold climate, saline implants cool down below body temperature. Overall, with modern silicone breast implants able to mimic real tissue and tick the boxes for safety, saline implants are the less popular choice for most women and surgeons.
Fat Transfer Implants
This option is becoming increasingly popular for women who maybe only want to increase their breasts by a cup size or so. It’s not really suitable for large changes in size. The fat cells are harvested from a fat pad, perhaps the tummy or hips, using liposuction. After the cells have been treated, the surgeon simply injects them back into the breasts through tiny incisions. There is a lot of skill required to make the breast shape aesthetically pleasing, but the result is the most natural breasts you could have, and as there is no major surgery, the usual scars are avoided. The added bonus is having liposuction!
Mammograms
The one factor that should be born in mind for saline and silicone is that the implants are ‘radio opaque’. In other words, they appear cloudy on x-rays and make it more difficult to see the breast tissue. Mammograms will be less effective. This is not the case with a fat transfer technique.