Breast implants

Breast implants are done to augment the size of one’s breast. The most common kind involves surgically inserting a silicone bag under the breast and chest muscle and then filling it with salt water. When one goes in for breast implants the doctor will make an incision usually under the breast and at the fold. Other places that the incision can be made is at the edge of the areola, inside the areola area, in the armpit or near the umbilical area. If the incision is made in the umbilical area an endoscope is used for the placement of the breast implants.

Nowadays breast implants can be filled with various kinds of substances. However they all use a silicone bag that contains the fluid. The saline breast implants most commonly used today. If there is ever any leakage the salt solution is harmlessly absorbed into the body. Saline breast implants also have a very low infection rate after surgery. One major advantage of saline breast implants fact that they only require a small incision because they are filled after they are inserted. Saline solution breast implants are filled after they are inserted so the volume can be adjusted to obtain the best breast asymmetry possible. There are two disadvantages of saline breast implants. One is the fact that they tend to ripple or fold and this can be felt much easier inside the body compared to silicone implants. The second disadvantage is that they have of an unnatural feel to them.

Silicone breast implants are not as common today as they were about 15 years ago. This is because of the number of lawsuits that were filed against the implant manufacturers due to the dangerous leakage of silicone. Autoimmune diseases and hardening of the breast have been attributed to the leakage of silicone. These are implants that are filled with a silicone gel. More than 1.5 million American women currently have silicone breast implants. Some people feel that the silicone implant results in a more natural appearing breast. However, about 15 years ago, the safety of these implants was questioned in a number of media reports. There has been numerous lawsuits filed against the implant manufacturers. All kinds of problem, including autoimmune diseases and hardening of the breasts, were attributed to the leakage of silicone.

Nowadays, only women who are enrolled in certain clinical studies can still get some silicone gel filled breast implants. To be a candidate for this study the woman must have the need for breast reconstruction or those who have developed severe rippling with saline breast implants. Anyone who has lupus, autoimmune diseases or other diseases that will hinder wound healing are not allowed to be included in the study. The problem with silicone breast implants is that when they rupture it is not as easily detected as when saline breast implants rupture. When a saline breast implant breaks the saline is absorbed and the breast goes flat. A woman can easily tell when a saline breast implant ruptures and leaks. Silicone gel stays in the breast tissue if it ever ruptures and it is not quickly absorbed so there is no sudden noticeable reduction in breast size. A leakage is usually found through a mammogram or magnetic resonance imaging.

Cohesive gel breast implants are also done nowadays. The cohesive gel cannot escape from the implant shell and is much the same consistency as a gummy worm candy or vitamin. A cohesive gel breast implant requires a large incision. There are new expandable implants that a woman can self fill with saline solution until she is comfortable with the size. The major advantage with his type of breast implant is a second surgery is needed to remove the port from the chest wall that is used by the woman to fill with the solution herself. Breast implants come in all shapes as well.

Last updated on May 13th, 2011 and filed under Plastic Surgery. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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