Sientra® Breast Implants Demystified

Although the Sientra form-stable breast implants are a new product for many board-certified plastic surgeons, I have been offering women in Los Angeles this breast implant option for years. I was one of a handful of surgeons chosen to participate in the clinical trials for these remarkable implants. Through my research, I have found that Sientra implants offer women many advantages – primarily, that they are made from a high-strength gel that is extremely durable and leak-resistant. These implants are the originals – the ones I nicknamed “gummy bears” because the semi-solid gel is similar that of a gummy bear candy: the implant can be cut in half and still retain its shape.

This video shows how remarkably cohesive the new Sientra implants are. Even when the gel is displaced under pressure, it retains its shape and does not leak.

Understanding the Original Gummy Bears

There are many misconceptions about gummy bear breast implants and about breast implants in general. If you are considering breast augmentation, it’s important that you speak with a knowledgeable surgeon so that you have all the information you need to make the best choice for you.

Gummy Bear Implants Do:

• Have a low complication rate comparable to other silicone gel implants
• Have a lower incidence of capsular contracture
• Have a decreased incidence of rippling/wrinkling
• Come in several shapes and styles, including round

Gummy Bear Implants Do Not:

• Require larger incisions
• Feel firmer than other implants
• Necessarily cost more
• Leak or ooze if ruptured

Tags: los angeles breast implant
Posted in Breast augmentation,Breast Implant

Breast Implant Basics

There are a number of options to consider when women decide to have breast augmentation. At my practice in Los Angeles, breast implant discussions, such as silicone versus saline, typically are the focus of breast augmentation consultations. Here are some of the basics to help you know more about this topic:

• Silicone implants are filled with a cohesive elastic gel that many say feels more like natural breast tissue.
• Women can typically choose from three incision locations for inserting the implants: under the breast along the natural crease (inframammary incision), under the armpit (transaxillary incision), and around the areola (periarolar incision).
• Breast implants can be placed under the pectoral muscle, or between the pectoral muscle and breast tissue. This decision is best made with a qualified surgeon, and is often based on a number of factors, including implant type and cosmetic goals.

By understanding the available options and talking with an experienced surgeon, you can achieve your goals more successfully.

Tags: los angeles breast implant
Posted in Breast augmentation,Breast Implant

Silicone Implants and Breast Reconstruction

A recent study published in the online edition of the journal Cancer reported that breast reconstruction patients who chose silicone implants following their mastectomy were more satisfied than those who chose saline implants. Although saline implants have been continuously available for decades, the look and feel of silicone implants is now leading many women to choose silicone implants, both for cosmetic and reconstructive procedures.

It comes as no surprise to me that more and more women are choosing silicone implants in general; at Marina Plastic Surgery Associates, we’re participating in a Los Angeles breast implant clinical trial for the fifth generation of silicone implants, also known as “gummy bear” implants, and we are finding very high satisfaction rates with this implant type. We are also seeing high satisfaction with the silicone gel implant type widely available to women today.

For breast cancer reconstruction, silicone implants also make sense. Since most or all of the breast tissue can be removed during a mastectomy, many women not only want their breast to look how it used to look, but want it to feel just like their old breast as well. Coupled with the fact that gummy bear implants retain their shape when torn or punctured, how they feel makes silicone breast implants a great option.

This is not to say that silicone implants are good for every woman. There are several situations where saline implants can give the desired effect or even be preferable to silicone implants. Of course, this should be decided on a case-by-case basis with your surgeon.

Tags: los angeles breast implant
Posted in Breast Implant,Breast Reconstruction

Los Angeles Breast Implant Study Released

Even after silicone gel breast implants were approved by the FDA in 2006, surgeons across the country have been participating in trials of a newer “fifth generation” silicone gel breast implant, also referred to as a “form stable” or “gummy bear” breast implant. This latter nickname is derived from their texture– they are both soft and solid, resembling the texture of a gummy bear candy. If cut in half, the implant would retain its same form.

My colleagues and I have been participating in studies of form-stable cohesive breast implants and recently completed a review of the efficacy of this implant type. For our study we examined 355 Los Angeles breast implant patients over a 60-month period, which included women who had primary augmentation, primary reconstruction and revision breast surgery.

The results of our study concluded that these implants had similar complication profiles to other types of silicone gel breast implants. Our study also found that the fifth generation silicone implants have a lower rate of capsular contracture and a decreased incidence of wrinkling compared to fourth generation silicone gel implants, as well as other published studies of fifth generation silicone implants.

As of right now, fifth generation silicone implants are not cleared to be marketed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, meaning that they are only available to the women who have chosen to participate in the clinical trials. Our study may provide more information that will help this implant type become widely available in the years to come.

Tags: los angeles breast implant
Posted in Breast Implant,Breast

MRI Scans for Silicone Breast Implants

The generation of silicone gel implants currently available in the U.S. is highly advanced and widely researched. This latest generation is also highly durable, and unlike saline implants, when a rupture or tear to a silicone implant occurs, it may not be immediately noticeable to the patient. These so-called “silent ruptures” can be detected through periodic MRIs, which I advise for all of my Los Angeles silicone gel breast implant patients.

Because a rupture in silicone gel breast implants is hard to detect, patients need to take an active role in monitoring their implants. When a rupture occurs, the silicone gel contained within the implant tends to stay in the pocket (the space that surrounds the breast implant) and the outward appearance of the breast often does not change at all. The FDA recommends that patients have an MRI performed 3 years after their breast augmentation, and then every 2 years after that continuously.

Symptoms

While some women do not notice any change after a silicone breast implant rupture, patients may experience symptoms such as knots or lumps surrounding the implant, change in shape or size of the implant, swelling, pain, numbness, or hardening of the breast. Although these symptoms of a rupture are possible, they are not always present, which is why it is critical to have an MRI performed as recommended by the FDA.

Tags: los angeles breast implant
Posted in Breast Implant,Breast