What are Ideal implants made of?

hello sarahhsue5The Ideal Implant™ was recently FDA approved and is now being offered at our facility, Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery Newport Beach. Some women are not comfortable having silicone implants in their body and that was one of the reasons why the Ideal Implant was created. This implant gives a more natural feeling than traditional saline implants on the market. The unique structure of the Ideal Implant allows for a similar look and feel as silicone with the safety of saline.

Find a board-certified plastic surgeon that has already performed procedure with this implant and discuss realistic goals and expectations. #candidate #options

The Ideal Implant is a multichambered baffold implant made of a silicone coat with 2 internal chambers filled with sterile saline.

Ideal implants are made of the same silicone rubber material that all implants are made of and then filled with saline solution. The inner construction of the shell is a bit different than typical saline, but the materials used are the same. Hope that helps! 

Ideal Implants are made of silastic (silicone) rubber, just like traditional saline or silicone implants.  They are very inert.  They have the internal baffles, which slow the internal flow of saline which improves the softer feel.  

The Ideal Implant is a new type of breast implant. It is very different than other traditional implants and has been described as a structual saline implant. The structural components utilize and inner and outer compartment made of silicone. These compartments are filled separately with sterile saline. in addition there are two additional silicone "sails" within the larger compartment which contol the movement of the saline. This new novel construction is what creates the feel of a gel implant without having any gel present. I have been using them for almost two year and my patients have all been extremely happy. 

Ideal implants are made of a thin silicone shell as an outer wall.  There are 2 chambers within the implant that hold saline.  The outer chamber has thin leaf like partitions that support the saline and provide to the implant the incredibly natural feel for which they are known.  An inner chamber also holds saline.The inner chamber has a specific fill volume.  The outer chamber has a variable fill volume, allowing the patient and surgeon more options for the final volume added to the implant.Women have been very happy with this implant as it is safer than its competitors and has such a natural feel!In good health,Ellen Mahony, MD

Thank you for your question.  Ideal structured implants have a smooth silicone outer shell, similar to conventional, smooth saline implants.  However, they incorporate a second internal shell that creates a structure within the implant that helps it maintain its shape, reduce wrinkling, and offers a natural look and feel. These implants are filled at the time of surgery with sterile IV saline. If the implants ever leak, the patient doesn't need to be concerned about what is in the implant as your body will absorb the saline naturally.  This makes it a safe choice for women who like a natural look and feel to their implants without the inherent risk of a silicone gel implant. 

Thank you for your question.  The Ideal implant is made of a silicone shell.  It is very similar to the shell used in smooth saline and smooth silicone implants.  It incorporates multiple shells which baffle the saline inside and this gives it more of a structure.  

All implants have the same silicone elastomer shells which are biologically inert.  Same type of product that is used to make a venous catheter.   Whatever the company; Ideal ,Mentor,Allergan, it's all the same shell.  What's inside is what changes. With Ideal they are filled with saline.

The Ideal structured saline implant is made of silicone on the outside like traditional saline implants but has additional shells of solid silicone on the inside, kind of like a Russian nesting doll.  These shells or baffles provide additional support to the outside of the implant so that the saline does not flow freely through the implant- it gives them a softer more natural feel, very similar ( but not exactly as soft) as a silicone gel filled implant.  They are not coated with additional chemicals.  So inside your breast the part  of the Ideal implant that is touching you ( the outer shell) is basically the same whether it is a smooth silicone gel or a smooth traditional saline implant.  To be more precise, a silicone filled implant has a slightly different "platinum cured" silicone on the outside and the saline implants and the Ideal implants have a room temperature vulcanized outer shell.  The company has changed the exact composition of the silicone manufacture since they were first released and they seem to feel even a little softer to the touch now than before when we compare more recent Ideal implant to the older samples in the office.  The key thought for you is what is going to be in contact with your body when an implant ruptures and how will you know when this happens.  A silicone implant rupture is "silent" and can often not be detected without an MRI.  So you need special studies down the road on a regular basis to assess the integrity of a silicone gel implant.  About 10% of silicone gel implants have leaked by 10 years with increasing numbers after that, so this is a valid concern for many women in their choice.  With a traditional saline implant it is easy to tell if it leaks without a special study, they go flat, so that is their big advantage.  But the saline feels more like a baggy filled with water.  That is where the Ideal implant fits in.  It feels much more like a silicone gel implant ( but not exactly)  but has the benefit of being filled with only saline. So if/when it leaks, the saline is absorbed by your body like the fluid in an IV.  We do not have studies going out to 10 years yet for the Ideal Structured saline implant but the numbers at 6 years so far are superior to the silicone gel and traditional saline implants at 6 years.  An interesting "vote of confidence" in the Ideal structured saline implant is an outside insurance company (Liberty Mutual) making available an added cost "premium" protection plan than can be essentially renewed each year for your lifetime.   It is $189 for the first year and you can renew it each year thereafter for $79.  This means that the company would give you new implants for your lifetime if there is a leak and the insurance policy would cover up to $5000 of costs.  This means to me that the Actuaries from the insurance company are confident enough in the early data on the Ideal Implant studies that they are willing to make this offer. 
Sorry for the long reply but I hope this gives you more information to help in your decision.