Breast Implant Options

Women considering breast augmentation have numerous implant options to explore. Your plastic surgeon should help you investigate these options thoroughly and answer any questions you may have. To ensure the best breast augmentation results, it's a good idea to come into your consultation as informed as possible about your options, with some idea of the choices available and how each may affect your surgical results.

Breast implant options to consider include filler, size, shape, texture and profile.

Filler: breast implants consist of a silicone shell filled with either saline or silicone gel. Saline-filled implants offer the advantage of natural absorption into the body if the implant ruptures, a benefit many women want. In fact, from 1992-2006, saline implants were the only option available due to questions about the safety of silicone. In 2006, however, after rigorous clinical study, the FDA approved the use of silicone gel implants in breast augmentation. Though there are women who prefer the look of saline implants over silicone gel, saline implants often ripple causing an unnatural appearance, especially in women without enough natural breast tissue to cover the implant. Many also feel silicone gel mimics the consistency of natural breast tissue better than saline.

Size: breast implant size is measured in cc's rather than cup size. How many cc's it will take to offer your desired level of enhancement depends on numerous issues, such as implant placement, the amount of natural breast tissue you have, and your body frame. Tools such as implant sizing kits (temporary implants worn beneath your bra) and computer imaging can help you communicate the look you are seeking to your surgeon, as well as allow your surgeon to communicate issues of proportion and balance to you.

Shape: implants are available in either round or anatomical shapes. Though some prefer the appearance of anatomical implants, believing they look more natural than round, anatomical implants do run the risk, of shifting inside the chest, creating an unnatural appearance. To avoid this risk, anatomical implants must be textured to properly secure them into place. Round implants are just as they sound-- round. Anatomical implants are oval in shape, with more volume at the bottom creating a "tear-drop" shape. Though some fear round implants will create a less natural look, when held in a vertical position, they generally take on the same "bottom-heavy" shape as anatomical implants.

Texture: breast implants come in either smooth or textured. Implants with smooth surfaces move freely inside the chest and are only available in round. Textured implants, on the other hand, are designed to remain in place and are available in both round and anatomical. Textured implants have thicker shells and a higher rupture rate than smooth. It has been believed by some that textured implants reduce the risk of capsular contracture, though evidence of this is conflicting.

Profile: implant profile refers to how far an implant protrudes from the chest. Women with smaller frames may benefit from moderate to high profile implants for greater projection without the need for a wide implant base. Women with larger frames often choose low profile implants for greater width at the implant base without excessive projection.

The best way to ensure optimal breast augmentation results is through careful consultation with your surgeon. Newport Beach cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Ambe of Newport Beach Plastic Surgery offers this advice when choosing a breast enhancement surgeon on his website:

"My best advice to any prospective patient is to make sure that you feel comfortable with the Plastic Surgeon that will be treating you. They should fully explain to you, without rushing or compromise, every aspect of the procedure. Their attention to detail should be obvious. Do not ever feel that you are rushed into making a decision--if the surgeon makes sense to you and their work demonstrates skill, you will do wonderfully."