Breast implants have undergone many technological and design changes since they were first introduced in 1961. Initially, they had Dacron patches on the back that were intended to anchor the breast implant to the chest wall by allowing the body’s tissue to grow into the Dacron. These first breast implants had high rates of complication, and the Dacron was quickly ditched. In 1970, though, another…

One concern women have is that their breast implants will rupture. This is an important concern and should be considered before deciding to have breast implant surgery. Saline breast implants are generally more prone to rupture than silicone breast implants. The rupture rate for saline breast implants in the first year ranges from 1-3%. The rupture rate flattens out slightly, and at five years the…

Every time you undergo a surgical procedure, you will likely experience some discomfort. However, it’s impossible to predict the amount of discomfort you will experience after breast implant surgery, because every person experiences pain differently. Most women report that discomfort from breast augmentation was less than they expected, but to make sure you are comfortable during your recovery period, you will receive prescriptions for pain medication that…

Both saline and silicone breast implants are safe and effective for breast augmentation. Saline breast implants are filled with a sterile salt water solution, the same kind used to supply fluid in surgical drips. Silicone breast implants are filled with coherent silicone gel that is medical grade and shown to be largely bio-inert (it doesn’t interact with body tissue). In the past, there were safety…

There are many different types of breast implants, with different fill materials, surface types, and shapes. Breast implantsmay be filled with either saline liquid (salt water) or silicone gel. Both have been approved for use in the US as being safe and effective, and the differences are largely a matter of patient preference. Saline breast implants are less expensive and more flexible surgically–being inserted via…

Breast implants can be placed either directly below the breast tissue (technically called subglandular placement) or they can be placed under some of the muscles in the chest (called submuscular placement). Submuscular breast implant placement has several advantages. Because there is more tissue to cover the breast implant, it is less likely to be visible, which is especially important for saline breast implants, which are…

Only you can determine your ideal breast size. Once you have decided on your desired breast size, we can easily determine the right breast implant size to achieve that result. A good place to start is with pictures of you at a time you were happy with the size of your breasts. Perhaps you were pregnant or had gained weight, causing your breasts to swell,…

Breast implants can be used to reliably achieve many cosmetic improvements of the breasts. However, breast sagging may or may not be correctable using breast implants. If your breasts are sagging as a result of lost volume that causes you to have slack, empty breasts, then breast implants can be used to restore that volume. Sometimes, too, breasts can look saggy because of their shape….

In recent months, plastic surgery has turned its attention to the effort to create more objective standards for breast augmentation results. One earlier effort established “standards” for the shape of the ideal breast. A more recent effort looks at the impact of the type of breast implant on breast shape after breast augmentation. The study looked at relatively small sample sizes of women receiving round breast implants and anatomic…

Last month we had the long-awaited approval of gummy bear breast implants. Believed imminent since at least 2007, the FDA surprised many people by taking so long to approve the implants, then surprised others by approving them so suddenly. “Gummy bear” breast implants, more properly known as form-stable silicone breast implants, received their nickname because of their firm but yielding texture. Think of fresh gummy…