Types of Implants

When it comes to breast augmentation, there are several types of implants that you can get. The implants consist of silicone shell that is filled with saltwater. Prior to 1992, the shell was filled with silicone gel, but this material has since been banned because of safety issues that have developed. If you choose to have saline implants, you can also choose several shapes the implant can be round or shaped like a teardrop and the surface can be either textured or smooth. While the round implants give a rounder shape to the breast, the teardrop implants seem to have more of the normal breast shape. The shape will depend on the doctor’s recommendation, but some doctors prefer one over the other.

The most common type of breast implant is the saline filled. It is also known as a silicone elastomer shell. Such an implant is constructed of strong, semi-permeable silicone elastomer with one valve on the front surface of the shell. The Mentor 3000 implants are also saline filled, but these implants seem to have less rippling and more projection for the same size. They also have a smaller lateral base.

The saline filled expandable implants were first designed in 1984 for use in reconstructive surgery for women who had mastectomies (breast removal) due to cancer. They were designed to gradually expand the tissues outward causing severe trauma to the tissues, but resulting in having breasts again. This system was later replaced by the Spectrum implant, which is a permanent solution to expansion breast augmentation because it uses a valve, a filling tube and a reservoir system.

The Spectrum implant has taken over the market because it is not as expensive as the original method of breast enlargement. The implants come in different sizes, but they cannot be filled indefinitely. Before surgery, you must have a definite idea of how large you want your breasts to be and then you build on this size. The implants are either textured or smooth and can be placed either under the glands or under the pectoris.

When the implants are first inserted, the surgeon may not fill them to their full volume. By filling the implants gradually, your tissues and muscles have time to get used to the expansion and will not experience trauma in the form of tears and stretch marks. You will have a further fill about a week after the surgery and another about 2 weeks later. This will continue until the implants are full.

In addition to the saline filled implants, the cohesive silicone filled implants are approved for use in Australia. These implants, with a thicker silicone gel, will not leak silicone into the body, as was the case with the earlier silicone implants. Hydrogen filled implants are another choice that some women may want to consider. The shell is filled with either a biologically inert hyaluronic acid fluid, polysacharide gel or a hydrophilic polycrylamide gel. This hydraulic filler is the same one that is currently used for lips and to help remove wrinkles. This type of implant is not widely available as it has not been tested enough to determine its safety.

Round breast implants give a more fake look to the breasts, but when it is placed in a vertical position it looks just like a normal breast. The result you achieve with this shape of implant depends on the anatomy of your body and the amount of tissue that you have. It also depends to a large degree on how the surgeon places the implant. Anatomically shaped implants, such as the teardrop design, have a textured surface. This is because they can move around and the textured surface helps to keep it in one place. Surgeons who use this type of implant are generally well skilled in the placement to assure you that a flip or movement does not occur.