Over Or Under, Silicon Or Saline? Your Burning Questions About Breast Implants Answered
First of all, let's define this particular breast implant discussion.
Breast implants are used to add volume to the breasts during a breast augmentation procedure.
For a woman that chooses to have this plastic surgery procedure performed for breast enhancement or breast enlargement, there are many decisions to make concerning the results she wants to achieve and the risks associated with her choices.
Let me give you an idea of what would happen if you came to me for a breast augmentation consultation.
First, I would discuss the actual procedure with you and advise you of all surgery risks and recovery times, and cover my role with you as your Doctor.
This is when I would answer any questions you might have and we get to know each other in order to form that all important relationship that must exist between a surgeon and the patient.
I would also be asking you questions in order to establish your goals and learn what you wish to achieve with your surgery.
Next, I would take actual measurements of your shoulders, chest and breasts.
Then I would weigh you and measure your height.
These measurements are important in order for me to give you advice on proportion and are also used to calculate your Body Mass Index.
All of this data is used to help us make the correct decision for you concerning your breast implant choice.
Finally, I would take skin and breast tissue samples.
This not only tells me how much actual breast tissue you have to work with but also gives me the characteristics of your skin.
Is it tight, elastic, soft, thin, thick? All of this information is used to help determine the type and size of breast implants that would be best for you.
Now, before we go any further, I am sure there may be some reading this that are appalled I mention silicon gel implants - after all, they were banned, they leaked and caused cancer or connective tissue disorders such as lupus or arthritis.
This is only partially correct in spite of the horror stories I'm sure you have heard.
Silicon gel implants were basically banned except for reconstructive surgery in 1992.
Over an approximate 15 year time period, many studies were conducted by the scientific community and the FDA and it was found that silicon did not cause cancer or connective tissue disorders.
As of 2006, silicon gel implants were recognized as safe by the FDA and are now approved for all patients over 22 for both cosmetic breast augmentation or reconstructive surgery.
So both saline and silicon breast implants are available to you, which will you choose and why? Here are some tips, the same I would give you if you were sitting in my office with me.
1.
If you have sufficient breast tissue, and this is why tissue samples are so important, I would recommend you place the implant over (or on top of) the underlying muscle and my preference is to use silicon breast implants for this situation.
Why? Simply because they feel so much more natural than saline.
When a women has enough natural breast tissue this is the best of both worlds.
You will heal faster since underlying muscle tissue does not have to be invaded by the surgery, and you will have very natural feeling breasts.
If you don't have enough sufficient breast tissue of your own, then my preference as a surgeon is saline implants under the muscle structure.
2.
How big should you go? Again, much depends on the answers we get from the above tests.
Most women can comfortably go up 2 cups sizes.
It all depends on what you are comfortable with in addition to what your body is capable of handling.
Depending on your tissue tests and skin tests, your BMI, etc.
, you may wish to go bigger, but it may have to be done in two different procedures depending again, on the tests.
Much of this is a personal decision.
It's you that has to decide what you are comfortable with.
In all the "surveys" I have seen, many women wished they would have gone bigger.
So you may wish to keep this in mind.
3.
Now the risks; with all surgeries there are risks but I will concentrate on the implant risks.
The primary risk of implants is that they rupture or leak, and each type of implant acts differently when this happens.
With saline, you will notice an immediate asymmetry, or loss of proportion, as the saline solution from a saline implant will immediately empty and "poof" - there goes all the volume on that side of your body.
When saline ruptures, it is easy to detect.
Silicon is a different matter, and the degradation of the implant is based on a graduated scale based primarily on the hardening of the breast itself, and to make a long story short, when you hit gradient #4 it is time for replacement.
Silicon leakage causes hardening of the breast, whereas saline leakage or rupture causes rapid asymmetry (believe me, you will know should this happen).
So there you have it, the "inside" scoop on breast implants.
I would be remiss without mentioning that breast implants do not last for life.
You will need to have them replaced, typically somewhere between 10-15 years from your initial surgery unless an actual rupture of the implant occurs.
Now the time is here, you must choose what type of breast implant you want.
We have talked, measured, questioned and tested, now the choice is yours.
Kim-Chi Vu, MD, PC
Breast implants are used to add volume to the breasts during a breast augmentation procedure.
For a woman that chooses to have this plastic surgery procedure performed for breast enhancement or breast enlargement, there are many decisions to make concerning the results she wants to achieve and the risks associated with her choices.
Let me give you an idea of what would happen if you came to me for a breast augmentation consultation.
First, I would discuss the actual procedure with you and advise you of all surgery risks and recovery times, and cover my role with you as your Doctor.
This is when I would answer any questions you might have and we get to know each other in order to form that all important relationship that must exist between a surgeon and the patient.
I would also be asking you questions in order to establish your goals and learn what you wish to achieve with your surgery.
Next, I would take actual measurements of your shoulders, chest and breasts.
Then I would weigh you and measure your height.
These measurements are important in order for me to give you advice on proportion and are also used to calculate your Body Mass Index.
All of this data is used to help us make the correct decision for you concerning your breast implant choice.
Finally, I would take skin and breast tissue samples.
This not only tells me how much actual breast tissue you have to work with but also gives me the characteristics of your skin.
Is it tight, elastic, soft, thin, thick? All of this information is used to help determine the type and size of breast implants that would be best for you.
Now, before we go any further, I am sure there may be some reading this that are appalled I mention silicon gel implants - after all, they were banned, they leaked and caused cancer or connective tissue disorders such as lupus or arthritis.
This is only partially correct in spite of the horror stories I'm sure you have heard.
Silicon gel implants were basically banned except for reconstructive surgery in 1992.
Over an approximate 15 year time period, many studies were conducted by the scientific community and the FDA and it was found that silicon did not cause cancer or connective tissue disorders.
As of 2006, silicon gel implants were recognized as safe by the FDA and are now approved for all patients over 22 for both cosmetic breast augmentation or reconstructive surgery.
So both saline and silicon breast implants are available to you, which will you choose and why? Here are some tips, the same I would give you if you were sitting in my office with me.
1.
If you have sufficient breast tissue, and this is why tissue samples are so important, I would recommend you place the implant over (or on top of) the underlying muscle and my preference is to use silicon breast implants for this situation.
Why? Simply because they feel so much more natural than saline.
When a women has enough natural breast tissue this is the best of both worlds.
You will heal faster since underlying muscle tissue does not have to be invaded by the surgery, and you will have very natural feeling breasts.
If you don't have enough sufficient breast tissue of your own, then my preference as a surgeon is saline implants under the muscle structure.
2.
How big should you go? Again, much depends on the answers we get from the above tests.
Most women can comfortably go up 2 cups sizes.
It all depends on what you are comfortable with in addition to what your body is capable of handling.
Depending on your tissue tests and skin tests, your BMI, etc.
, you may wish to go bigger, but it may have to be done in two different procedures depending again, on the tests.
Much of this is a personal decision.
It's you that has to decide what you are comfortable with.
In all the "surveys" I have seen, many women wished they would have gone bigger.
So you may wish to keep this in mind.
3.
Now the risks; with all surgeries there are risks but I will concentrate on the implant risks.
The primary risk of implants is that they rupture or leak, and each type of implant acts differently when this happens.
With saline, you will notice an immediate asymmetry, or loss of proportion, as the saline solution from a saline implant will immediately empty and "poof" - there goes all the volume on that side of your body.
When saline ruptures, it is easy to detect.
Silicon is a different matter, and the degradation of the implant is based on a graduated scale based primarily on the hardening of the breast itself, and to make a long story short, when you hit gradient #4 it is time for replacement.
Silicon leakage causes hardening of the breast, whereas saline leakage or rupture causes rapid asymmetry (believe me, you will know should this happen).
So there you have it, the "inside" scoop on breast implants.
I would be remiss without mentioning that breast implants do not last for life.
You will need to have them replaced, typically somewhere between 10-15 years from your initial surgery unless an actual rupture of the implant occurs.
Now the time is here, you must choose what type of breast implant you want.
We have talked, measured, questioned and tested, now the choice is yours.
Kim-Chi Vu, MD, PC
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