Newport Beach Breast Augmentation

There are many options and many factors to consider when deciding what type of implant to use for breast augmentation. Some decisions that need to be made include: saline or silicone; moderate, moderate-plus, or high profile; round or anatomical; smooth or textured.

The implant is only part of equation to achieve a nice breast augmentation result. Of course, it is very important to choose your surgeon carefully. A nice place to locate some board certified plastic surgeons who are committed to aesthetic surgery is www.surgery.org, the website for The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Orange County Plastic Surgeon Q & A

Patients may sometimes incorrectly feel that their implants have ‘fallen out’ of their pocket. The implants do not have anywhere else to go. When patients describe this, they are usually affected by an overly large pocket which may allow the implant to move outwards towards the underarm. This can often be corrected with internal sutures or a lateral capsulorraphy.

Orange County Cosmetic Surgeon Q & A

Many factors are involved in deciding the best size for a given patient. First of all there is no one size that only fits a patient. I prefer to use a number of factors in deciding which size is best. First of all, I like to know if my patient is trying to achieve a conservative B cup or a large DD size. Body proportions, chest dimensions, breast dimensions, amount of breast tissue present, ‘looseness’ of the skin etc are all important factors. Have faith in your Board-Certified plastic surgeon. Good luck.

Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon Q & A

This is a confusing topic for many. Gummy bear is a marketing term that has developed along the way. It refers to a ‘form-stable’ cohesive gel breast implant that is available in some places outside of the United States (in Canada and Europe).

Currently, in the United States, the FDA has approved a ‘cohesive gel’ silicone implant; however, this implant is not as ‘cohesive’ as the ‘Gummy Bear, form-stable’ implant. This implant will likely be available in the U.S. in the upcoming future. At the moment, there are a few sites in the U.S. that are offering these implants as part of a research study.

Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon Q & A

Replacing your implant with a smaller one in the same pocket should be fine if using a gel implant. If you are thin with little breast tissue, you will want to avoid a saline implant in the subglandular position to avoid rippling. With regards to capsular contracture, you should be fine keeping your implants in the same pocket if you currently have soft breasts.

Realize, however, that anyone with silicone implants can at some point develop a capsular contracture. There is evidence to show that the submuscular position has a decreased incidence of capsular contractures but this may not be your best option at this point and given that you are a personal trainer.

Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon Q & A

There are many factors in deciding which implant type or size is best for you and which technique or position. You should seek several opinions from Board-Certified plastic surgeons to help you determine what is best and why. An easy place to start is at www.surgery.org, the website for The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Members of this society focus on aesthetic plastic surgery. Good luck.

Orange County Plastic Surgeon Q & A

The current generation of silicone gel implants are a cohesive gel implant. They, however, are not THE cohesive gel implants or gummy bear implants that you discuss. These gummy bear implants are more cohesive, firmer, and less pliable. They are a form-stable type of implant, meaning the shape does not change. They are more anatomic, but they may not give you the “natural augmented look” that many women desire. They are not without problems or issues as well. These gummy bear implants can have issues with rippling as well. They are not currently available in the U.S. except for a few offices that are enrolled in current FDA studies. They are available outside of the U.S.

Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon Q & A

The feel of a breast implant varies from person to person. Many factors come into play. Some factors include the amount of breast tissue a person already has to cover the implants, whether or not the implants will be on top of the muscle, entirely under the muscle, or partially under the muscle; whether they are saline implants or silicone implants; the quality and thickness of the skin, etc…

In general, silicone implants will feel more “natural” than saline implants. Silicone implants can feel like a thick marshmallow, whereas saline implants can feel like a bag of water. Some patients will do very well with either type of implant if they have thick skin and a fair amount of breast tissue in either the subglandular or submuscular position. In general, woman who are quite thin, have little breast tissue with loose skin, and have nursed children will do better with a silicone implant, preferably a high profile silicone implant to achieve a more natural feel.

Implants can feel hard for several reasons. Some include a saline implant that is way too over-filled. Another reason can be a capsular contracture.

Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon Q & A

Breast implants are placed either on top of the muscle, entirely below the muscle, or partially under the muscle in a dual plane approach. I generally prefer the dual plane, partial retropectoral approach because, in my hands, I am able to achieve a more natural, tear drop shape with this technique because it prevents the implant from being too high in position on the chest wall in a unnatural position. Best advice is to seek a board certified plastic surgeon at surgery.org to set up a consultation to determine what is the best option for you. Good luck!

Orange County Cosmetic Surgeon Q & A

The maximum sized available silicone gel implant available is 800 cc. You can get slightly larger with a saline implant. However, you should not choose a certain size without being evaluated by a plastic surgeon to determine if it is the appropriate size for you based on your chest and breast dimensions as well as condition of your skin envelope. You say you feel that your 500 cc implants are smaller than your 375 cc saline implants. One possible reason may be that you have different profile implants. You may have had a lower profile implant before and now have a higher profile implant in which it has more projection but is narrower.

Newport Beach Breast Augmentation and Orange County Breast Implants