BREAST IMPLANTS: TYPE, SHAPE & TEXTURE
Plastic Surgery Dubai | 1 March 2024
You’re interested in breast augmentation with implants but don’t know the difference between round or teardrop, smooth or textured, or silicone or saline implants. Dr. Vigo can assist you.
It takes a lot of study and understanding to begin your artistic journey. You must consider which process will yield the desired result in addition to reducing the number of potential providers. Consider breast augmentation, or augmentation mammaplasty. Breast implants, fat transfer, and a mix of the two are the three main forms of breast augmentation.
Selecting the ideal implant type for you will be a part of your consultation and pre-operative procedure whether you are considering breast implants or hybrid breast augmentation, which combines implants with fat transfer. You and Dr. Vigo will talk about material, form, and texture in addition to size.
Although there is a lot of jargon, you don’t need a medical degree to understand it all. Here’s a quick tutorial to help you understand the terminology and what to consider while making decisions:
Types of Breast Implants
Once you’ve established that you are a candidate for breast implants, the next step is choose the material from which the implant is made. The two main types of breast implants currently available are those filled with saline and those filled with silicone gel. Here’s how they differ:
SILICONE GEL BREAST IMPLANTS
What: A silicone outer shell that is filled with silicone gel.
Pros: Used in both primary and secondary breast augmentation and reconstructive surgeries. Silicone breast implants are the most popular. They not only look and feel more natural, but they also move more naturally, giving a far more optimal appearance.
Cons: In the event of a rupture, the danger of silicone implants is that they do not reabsorb into the body. The so-called ‘silent rupture’ requires an MRI scan to diagnose. Additionally, inserting this type of implant requires a larger incision, which may factor into the decision-making process for some.
SALINE BREAST IMPLANTS
What: A silicone outer shell that is filled with saline (i.e. saltwater).
Pros: They can be preferentially filled with a range of fluid (saltwater), which allows better customization of size. Because they aren’t pre-filled, a smaller incision is needed. This allows them to be rolled (like a cigar) into a much smaller profile and inserted through a much smaller incision. If saline implants rupture, the saltwater is harmless and reabsorbed by the body.
Cons: Rupturing is a big concern for many breast implant patients, and, if a saline implant ruptures, it will leave you “with what Dr. Vigo lovingly refers to as the ‘flat tire’ look.” The breast will have a visible deflated appearance that requires surgery to correct. Additionally, saline implants can have a wrinkled or rippled appearance under thinner skin.
Breast Implant Shape
Now that you know the difference between silicone and saline-filled implants, it’s time to talk about shape. There are really only two different shapes of implants: round and anatomic (a.k.a. teardrop). This impacts the profile of the breast once the implant is inserted.
ROUND BREAST IMPLANTS
What: Round implants are circular and have a uniform circumference.
Pros: In the event of a rotation, the round shape does not appear to have moved the same way a teardrop might. Round implants can be filled with silicone or saline and housed in a textured or smooth casing.
Cons: There are few notable cons to round-shaped breast implants. Depending on their aesthetic goals, some patients may express dissatisfaction based on individual preference.
TEARDROP BREAST IMPLANTS
What: Anatomic or teardrop breast implants have more volume at the bottom.
Pros: Because teardrop breast implants are tapered, they theoretically better mimic the shape of a natural breast. To minimize the risk of rotation and asymmetry, they have a textured exterior .
Cons: The early buzz of anatomic implants was that they would give a more natural result. The theory, however, did not bear out. Instead, the big disadvantage of the teardrop-shaped implants is their ability to rotate. In order to maintain the shape, teardrop implants can only be saline-filled.
Breast Implant Texture
As we started to discuss above, the texture of the implant also matters. Implant texture refers to how the outer shell feels (think: smooth or textured). There are pros and cons to both:
SMOOTH BREAST IMPLANTS
What: The exterior of the implant has no texture.
Pros: Without any texture to the shell, the implant may have a softer look. Without the texture to lock it in, smooth implants can move around more freely, which allows it to feel more natural.
Cons: This style can be more prone to inflammation around the implant and may not be the right fit depending on your medical history. Additionally, there is more of a chance of rotation, though it’s not usually very noticeable in round-shaped implants.
TEXTURED BREAST IMPLANTS
What: The shell has a rough exterior that is comparable to sandpaper.
Pros: Texturing is thought to potentially reduce the risk for capsular contracture, but it is also used when the implant is shaped — instead of round — to avoid rotation.
Cons: For the implant to have a textured exterior, it requires a thicker shell that may lead to a less natural-looking appearance. Additionally, you may remember the recall involving textured implants from a couple years ago. These implants have been tied to the risk for a very rare cancer called anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) — a form of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Profile
Not to be confused with size, the profile or dimension of the implant will dictate the protrusion of the breast. Given the same amount of volume, we have implants that are wider and flatter and we have implants that are narrower and more projectes. This allows for even further customization of a specific look for your patients. A lower profile implant, for example, will only protrude a little, whereas the high profile option will appear fuller. While that’s the general rule, the exact outcome depends on the individual’s anatomy – meaning the size and shape of the chest wall and breast envelope.
Summary
Breast augmentation using implants is a personal procedure, just like any other plastic surgery. Your “before” will have a greater influence on your “after” than the implant itself, as Dr. Vigo says. “The type of implant used is not nearly as important as the quality of your tissue, degree of symmetry (or lack thereof), and overall appearance of your breasts,” he says.