Which breast implant is the right one for you? That’s one of many questions you will probably struggle with after you’ve made the decision to have your breast augmentation surgery. A breast augmentation, however — regardless of the type of implant you choose — will give you many benefits. Your breasts’ look can have a significant impact on how you see yourself, how others see you and how you feel. Natural changes like childbirth, breastfeeding and aging can alter the look of your breasts significantly, and these effects on your breasts can have a substantial negative impact on your looks and your emotional wellbeing.
A breast augmentation can correct and improve many of the adverse changes women commonly experience, such as drooping or sagging breasts, loss of breast volume and changes in breast shape. After their procedure, most women enjoy very natural and youthful looking breasts that will closely resemble — or look better than — their breasts when they were younger. But what role does implant type play in all of this? Will one type look better and get me better results than another? Is one type safer than the rest? And how will my choice of implant affect my procedure? Let’s look now at the choices available and their potential impacts on your surgery.
What are my implant choices?
You’ve already made the most substantial decision by choosing to have a breast augmentation surgery. Now, it’s time for the second most important choice — the type of implant you will have. Here are the three main types of breast implants available to women today and why you should consider each.
Saline Implants
Saline implants — the original implant type — have been used by doctors for decades in breast augmentation procedures. These implants have a silicone outer shell which contains a saline (saltwater) solution to give women the improved volume they desire. Saline implants have a few advantages. One advantage is that saline is harmless to the body in the case of implant rupture, although ruptures happen very rarely. Another advantage is that the saline implant shell can be inserted into the body empty then volumized after insertion, which means you can have a smaller incision during your surgery. This feature also makes saline implants a highly-customizable option for women.
Silicone Implants
Silicone implants consist of a silicone shell which is also filled but with a liquid silicone gel, instead. These implants feel very soft and natural, especially in comparison to saline implants which will feel much more firm. (As we will talk about more later, the difference in feel does not make one implant superior to the other.) Women also have many sizes to choose from if they select silicone implants; however, all silicone implants come pre-filled, which necessitates a larger incision during surgery. One advantage of silicone implants is shape. Silicone implants come in either round or tear-drop shaped, giving women more customizability of their final look.
Cohesive-gel Implants
Cohesive-gel implants give women even more options. Like silicone implants, cohesive-gel implants have a very soft feel and also come pre-filled. These implants, unlike silicone implants, however, are semi-solid and retain their shape, even when cut in half, much as a gummy bear candy would. For this reason, this implant type is frequently referred to as a “gummy-bear implant.” This difference in consistency also means that cohesive-gel implants are more firm than their silicone counterparts but still softer than saline. Cohesive-gel implants, since they consist of a semi-solid material, cannot leak if ruptured, which is another advantage.
How does the shape of an implant impact my choice?
The shape of an implant can affect the final look of your breasts after surgery. But how much of an impact does shape have, and how big a part of my decision should shape be? If you are firmly decided on round implants for their look, you can have saline or silicone. Your choice will have a little more to do with feel in this case. You can only have a tear-drop shaped implant if you choose a cohesive-gel implant; however, the difference in your final look will be subtle if you choose a tear-drop shape. Still, however, some women strongly prefer this option. Also, if you prefer a softer feel, you still can choose between round and tear-drop shaped. Shape is largely a personal choice which has some impact on which implant to choose but still leaves you with many options.
How will my implant choice affect the placement of my implant?
By contrast, your choice of implant type will have more of an impact on the placement of your implants during surgery. For example, most women who choose a saline implant will be better served my submuscular placement since it will help your breasts feel softer after surgery. Conversely, if you choose a silicone or cohesive-gel implant, you may not need submuscular placement; subglandular placement is possible since the implant material is already very soft. Further, choosing a saline implant and submuscular placement will give you more upper pole fullness, so this option may be better if you strongly prefer that look. In short, the type of implant you choose will affect implant placement and your final look, but it does not necessarily eliminate options from consideration.
How will my implant choice affect the location of my incision?
The implant type you choose can also affect the location of your incision, and the location of your incision will have both practical and aesthetic implications. Women can choose between peri-areolar incisions, inframammary incisions and trans-axillary incisions. The peri-areolar incision is one made around the areola, while the inframammary incision follows the breast crease beneath the breast. A third option, the trans-axillary incision, places the incision in the armpit area.
For example, if you choose to have saline implants, a peri-areolar or trans-axillary incision is possible and may help you achieve the look you want, but choosing a silicone or cohesive-gel implant will most often preclude a trans-axillary incision. Similarly, peri-areolar and inframammary incisions tend to work best with silicone and cohesive-gel implants. So implant choice will affect which incisions make the most sense for you during surgery, but you will still have options and in most circumstances get the look you want.
Dr. Lickstein Can Guide You Through Your Breast Augmentation Choices and Help You Get the Look You Want
Dr. Lickstein epitomizes the consultative, patient-focused approach. He ensures he fully understands his patients’ needs and desired outcomes based on a thorough consultation so he can correctly counsel them through their breast augmentation decisions. Also, Dr. Lickstein most frequently performs the most challenging and demanding surgeries successfully, and this gives him a unique perspective on correctly advising his patients and getting them the results they want. Ultimately, Dr. Lickstein’s patients will come away from their procedures with a high level of satisfaction and a final look that will give them life-long confidence.
During your consultation, Dr. Lickstein can help you explore all your implant options and their effects on your surgery in detail, help you select the right option to get your look and perform your surgery safely, with minimum pain and maximum comfort.
Schedule your appointment with Lickstein Plastic Surgery today by calling 561-571-4000. Your consultation is the first step towards your fabulous, new look, and Dr. Lickstein looks forward to helping you achieve it.
