Breast Implants: What’s Best?
June 18th, 2014
Many patients come into our office for breast augmentation consultations requesting silicone gel breast implants, not knowing they have other choices. We feel that it is important to give information on both silicone and saline (salt water) implants. There is also another choice to consider now, natural breast enlargement using your own fat cells. This new technique is called fat grafting. When patients are well-informed, they are in a better position to decide on what is best for them.
Discussions with patients mainly focus on the differences between each type of implant and issues of safety should a rupture occur. Silicone implants and natural fat grafting offer the most natural feel. This particular aspect is most important for some women. However, in terms of appearance, when properly placed, saline and silicone implants, as well as fat grafting results, all yield a natural appearance. For more information on fat grafting for breast enlargement, click here.
The downside of implants is that they will eventually break. When your natural fat is used to increase breast size, this is not a problem. When a saline implant breaks, the result is that one of a woman’s breasts will “deflate” to a smaller size. The saline or salt water is naturally absorbed and passes out of her body. Silicone implants do not have this advantage and the silicone gel does not pass out of the body, as it cannot be metabolized. This makes diagnosis of a ruptured silicone implant more difficult. Ruptures are most always “silent.” For this reason, the FDA currently recommends regular MRI examinations to determine the presence of implant rupture.
As mentioned in an earlier blog, It is amazing how quickly women “forget” they have had breast enlargement surgery. They incorporate their new figure into their new body image in short order. With silicone gel implants, women are often reminded of their surgery by needing the MRI studies and the safety consideration of a possible implant rupture.
When patients receive complete information, most patients choose saline implants for their surgery. More patients are also considering the most natural option of all, a new technique called fat grating. Although fat grafting is the newest choice to be available, my patients seem pleased with this having this implant-free alternative. The main reason cited for this choice is that they will have peace of mind with their decision, and it is almost entirely based on safety. For more information on fat grafting for breast enlargement, please click here.
Silicone Breast Implants Ok’d Again
September 6th, 2011
Last month a federal advisory panel has recommended the creation of a nationwide database to follow women who have had silicone-gel breast implants for at least 10 years after they had the surgery. Currently the two companies that manufacture silicone implants in the US, Allergan and Mentor, are already required to follow women who’ve had their implants for FDA-mandated studies. While the FDA would like to track more outcomes in women who have received silicone breast implants, it doesn’t expect more extensive longer-term data to reveal that the devices are unsafe.
According to William Maisel, MD, chief scientist and deputy director for the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, “Based on the totality of information on silicone gel breast implants, the FDA continues to believe that the currently approved devices are safe and effective for their intended use.†Data from the FDA report that most of the millions of women worldwide who have breast implants are satisfied with them. I find that patients are generally pleased with breast implant surgery. I always give my patients a choice between saline and silicone gel filled implants.
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