Breast Implants

Breast Implants Information

Saline breast implants are filled after placement using sterile salt water through a small valve located on the surface of the implant.

Silicone breast implants are pre-filled with a gel that ranges in consistency from honey to gummy-bear candy.  The U.S. FDA lifted a 14-year ban on silicone implants in November 2006.

All breast implants share the common characteristic of an outer silicone rubber shell, which can be either smooth or textured. The implants then vary depending on the characteristic of the filling material inside the shell.

Round vs Shaped Breast Implants

Implant shells can be created in either a round, disk-like form or in a shaped form (crescent, tear-drop, etc.) in both saline and silicone formats.  “Anatomic” or “cohesive” implants are filled with a higher-viscosity silicone gel that is intended to hold their form at all times, whereas round implants are intended to flow with the breast as the position of the patient changes, since the saline or silicone gel flows according to the laws of gravity in a round implant.

Generally speaking, saline implants can be placed through smaller incisions, and “form-stable” or large gel implants require larger incisions.

Incision Locations for Breast Implants

• Trans-Axillary - placing an incision near the apex of the armpit in the natural skin crease
• Peri-Areolar - placing the incision around the border of the areola where it meets the lighter skin of the breast, usually around the lower semi-circle of the areola.
• Inframammary - placement of the incision in the natural fold below the breast, or in the position where the fold is desired after placement of the implants
• Trans-Umbilical (TUBA) - placement of the implant through a remote incision at the upper border of the belly button.

Breast Implant Pocket Locations

• Sub-Glandular
• Sub-muscular (sub-pectoral)

Through any of the potential incisions, a space for the implants, or pocket, can be created immediately behind the breast tissue and above the muscle (sub-glandular) or behind both the breast tissue and the pectoralis major muscle (sub-muscular). 

In general terms, women with more breast tissue, or women who have some degree of sagginess of their existing breasts, are better candidates for sub-glandular implant placement. Women with smaller breasts, without droopiness, are generally better candidates for sub-muscular implant placement.

Your surgeon should carefully examine your breasts for masses, make note of your breast dimensions relative to the chest wall and your body build, and analyze the individual characteristics of your breasts.

After listening to your desires and goals for the surgery, your surgeon should be able to articulate to you a specific treatment plan that will meet your goals, including the best type of implant, incision, and pocket location for your specific case.

289,328 Americans had breast implants last year, up 36% from 2000. See breast implant statistics