How Do Adjustable Silicone Breast Implants Compare?

asked 5 months ago by anon
Latest answer by Tom J. Pousti, MD
Question viewed 163 times
Tags: adjustable, comparison, costs

I heard recently there are adjustable silicone breast implants. Do many doctors offer them and are they much more then the average cost of silicone breast implants?

9 answers to How Do Adjustable Silicone Breast Implants Compare?

Adjustable implants are only in saline now

There used to be a combination implant with saline on the inside and gel on the outside that could be adjusted postoperatively. This has been gone in the USA for several years and only a completely saline one remians. This is very useful in certain circumstances though such as asymmetries, previous implant patients who want to control their size, perfectionistic patients etc.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Adjustable silicone implants

While the concept of an adjustable implant has a certain appeal, the reality of it often disappoints. Making a device more complicated (remote access port, double lumen) often leads to an increased device failure rate or higher complication rate. I know of no one in my area who uses them. When it comes to breast surgery, keep it simple and straightforward! Hope this helps!

Marcel Daniels, MD
Long Beach Plastic Surgeon

Adjustable Silicone Breast Implants

In the United States, the Becker implants had a silicone gel lumen and an inner adjustable saline lumen. They allowed for some adjustment after surgery. However, they are not currently available in the United States.

Karol A. Gutowski, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Adjustable Silicone Gel Implants?

Thank you for the question. Adjustable silicone gel breast implants are no longer available in the United States. However, currently silicone gel breast implants are manufactured with a large variety of different sizes and profiles available, making adjustments for breast asymmetry easier in years gone by. Of course, saline breast implants are “adjustable” and allow for improvement of breast asymmetry. I hope this helps. more

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

Adjustable silicone implants

Today, there are no adjustable silicone implants in the US. The only adjustable implants are saline filled.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

ADJUSTABLE IMPLANTS

There is no such thing as adjustable Silicone Gel breast implants. In the past there were adjustable saline implants.

Todd B. Koch, MD
Buffalo Plastic Surgeon

www.toddbkochmd.com

How Do Adjustable Silicone Breast Implants Compare?

In the 80's there were combination gel/saline implants and the saline portion could be adjusted at the time of surgery but they are not available now and I have not heard any plans for their re-introduction. There are implants used in breast reconstruction that have adjustability and I have heard of one surgeon using them in cosmetic cases but no one else.

John J. Corey, MD
Phoenix Plastic Surgeon

Adjustable silicone implants

At this time there are no adjustable silicone implants. As indicated by several of the other respondents, there used to be post-operatively adjustable implants that were partially filled with silicone and the adjustable portion was saline. There are no longer used to my knowledge. Saline implants do allow for some adjustability during surgery. The post-operatively adjustable saline implants have a much higher leakage rate and I would not recommend them. more

Jeffrey E. Kyllo, MD
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

No adjustable silicone implants but saline is an option

Silicone implants are prefilled when they are manufactured, but there is an adjustable saline implant called Spectrum (from Mentor.) The spectrum implants are useful in several situations, including major asymmetry and cases where the tissue is tight and needs to be expanded. The implants are placed with a fill port, which is under the skin below the implant. Every few weeks some saline is injected into the port, then later it is removed under local anesthesia.