Cons to IDEAL implant? To good to be true..?

I have been very happy with this implant.  See no cons at this point.  I can not imagine why anyone would choose a traditional saline implant over Ideal.  These implants feel much more natural than saline and have virtually no rippling.  Hope this helps in your decision making.  Jane

Thank you for your question. I would definitely recommend the IDEAL implant. Both the original saline implants and the new IDEAL implants are made of the same materials. The IDEAL implant may feel more like a silicone implants, with less chance for wrinkling. However, wrinkling is really not a problem if a saline implants is done properly. All implants can wrinkle, but I think it is least likely with the new IDEAL implants. The new IDEAL implant has 2 chambers of saline and internal baffles that allow it to maintain its contour very well, with good projection, and has less chance off rippling. In the original clinical trail of over 500 patients, with a followup of over 5 years, the patient satisfaction rate is near 95% with deflation and capsular contracture rates lower than that of other implant makers. It was FDA approved in 2014 and became commercially available in September of 2015. I have an extensive clinical experience with saline implants and believe the new IDEAL Implant to be the first major advancement in implants during my career. The patients I have treated with the IDEAL implants have all been very satisfied. I think the IDEAL implant will be a huge success and is here to stay. I hope this was helpful, good luck.

IDEAL implants are the newest Health Canada and FDA approved breast implants, but their is good evidence to back them up. The longer term follow up of women enrolled in the original trial has recently past 8 years of follow. The verdict - lower revisional surgery rates, lower capsular contracture rates and lower implant deflation rates than other implants on the market. These implants need slightly different surgical planning and surgical techniques but they have become one of our most popular requests in a short time since their approval in 2016. The only limitation that I can see at this time is that there are fewer implant profile choices to address asymmetries and to satisfy women looking for a very modest change. Get accurate information about all of your options from a surgeon with experience using these devices.  

I believe there are very few cons to the Ideal implant. If the patient has very little tissue, I believe the appropriate silicone implant feels more natural, especially at the side of the implant which will preclude over your chest wall a bit. It does cost a little bit more than some other implants on the market, but the long-term benefits of this implant will probably make the extra cost less important.

At this point the IDEAL implant has been working great for patients that choose it. The longterm viability of the company is certainly less guaranteed than Allergan or Mentor, but at the rate these implants have been gaining market share that should not be an issue. The reason that your PS prefers traditional saline is because there is one port rather than 2, so they can be filled a bit faster and therefore the profit margin is a bit higher on regular saline. IDEAL implants also have a bit of a learning curve for sizing them as they are measured slightly different than other implants. On the patient side, the only downside is that they don't feel quite as soft as silicone, however they are MUCH softer and more breast-like than traditional saline. Hope that helps! 

Good day! The 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. #RealSelf100

Thanks for your question.  If you are not considering silicone as an option, there is now doubt that Ideal implants feel much more natural then saline.  They are definitely softer and ripple much less.  Hope that helps!

Natural feel is not the only thing women care about. The FDA approved intact silicone gel implants as safe. However, if a gel implant ruptures the implant and any gel should be removed including the surrounding capsule (capsulectomy). IDEAL® IMPLANT offers women natural feel without the risk of silent rupture. Women value the advantages of IDEAL® IMPLANT over silicone gel:Rupture AdvantagesNo silent rupturesSaline absorbed, free Silicone Gel remainsNo MRI needed to detect rupturesLook in the mirror to know implants are intactEasy to remove and replaced if rupturedFiller AdvantagesOnly saline inside for peace of mindSafety of salineNo silicone gel in the bodyClinical AdvantagesYouthful shape/contourLower capsule contracture rateHigher rupture strengthLow rupture rate

As with any implant, there are positives and negatives associated with this implant. What is clear is that the capsular contracture rate and rupture rate of the Ideal implant is much much lower than saline implants or silicone implants. There is no worry about silent rupture like you have with silicone implants. As far as the risk of the company going under? It is unlikely, as the growth and traction of these implants in the industry is tremendous. I have no personal financial interest in the company and am very comfortable offering these to my patients. The feel of the implant to the touch is not quite as good as silicone in my opinion, but it is not far off. Overall, it is a very good tradeoff - ideal? - I will let you be the judge :-)

You are wise to get all the information you can, before having breast augmentation.  This is an important and life-changing step for thousands of women. The benefits of saline filled implants are well established.  The Ideal Implant Company has improved on the standard saline implant to address some of the occasional concerns noted by particular patients:  feel and rippling.  First it should be said that all implant types can develop rippling.  Second patients usually enjoy the feel of implants regardless of the material inside.  Gel offered some degree of benefit on these issues, but with other disadvantages.  Ideal provides a constructive solution.  They are however more expensive than ordinary implants.