Which type of implant is right for you?
A quick review of the implant decisions you’ll need to make.
Not all implants are created alike. Obviously, they come in lots of different sizes. But size is only one of many considerations. Not only are women built differently with different anatomical features (such as small chest wall versus large chest wall), but also, we each have our own ideas about what makes for the perfect breasts. If you’re making the decision to get breast implants, you have a reason why — and an ideal in mind of how you want your breasts to look and feel. For example, you may love the look of full, round breasts, whereas the very next patient your surgeon sees may prefer smaller breasts that emphasize cleavage.
Your breast implant choices aren’t just limited to aesthetic considerations; it’s also about risk. We’re each at a different place on the risk versus benefit continuum. Though routine, breast-implant surgery is not risk-free. Some types of implants are associated with less risk, while others seem to be associated with more risks or side effects.
Let’s quickly review the different categories of implants. The next four articles will go into more detail about each category (the pros and cons), and offer specific tips to help you decide on the various types of implants.
Smooth Implants Versus Textured Implants
Implants are encased in a shell, and that shell can be smooth or it can have a sandpaper-like texture. Both saline and silicone implants can be either smooth or textured, and there are pros and cons to both smooth and textured implants.
Saline Implants Versus Silicone Implants
Saline implants are filled with saline — a salt-water solution that is non-toxic to your body (so there are no adverse health effects from saline leaking out). Today’s silicone implants are filled with a cohesive gel, meaning that it holds together in a semisolid mass; it’s safer than the liquid gel that used to be used to fill silicone implants. Saline and silicone implants look and feel different from each other. Surgeons may have preferences, though neither is better than the other.
Round Implants Versus Shaped (Teardrop) Implants
Implants can either be perfectly round, or have a teardrop shape to them Round implants are the same no matter which way you look at them — orientation doesn’t matter. However, teardrop implants can only be oriented one way.
Standard Profile Implants Versus Low- or High-Profile Implants
The implant’s profile refers to how far it sticks out from your chest wall — in other words, how full your breasts look relative to the size of your chest base. The standard profile implant is the baseline, and meets the needs for many women. A low-profile implant is flatter and wider, whereas a high-profile implant has a narrow base and is more cone-shaped. The different profiles help match the size of the implant to the base diameter of the breast, which means you have various choices about volume and cleavage.
Frequently Asked Questions Reviewed by Dr. Richard Baxter in Seattle, WA. To learn more about Dr. Baxter, please go to www.aboutplasticsurgery.com/doctor-profile/richard-a-baxter-md-facs-227.
