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breast implant texture -
Another feature that you and your surgeon will discuss
is whether the implant will have a smooth or a textured
surface, regardless of whether it contains saline or
silicone. Although the following are broad generalizations,
there tend to be advantages and disadvantages to each:
smooth surface breast
implant - It used to be that all implants had the
same covering: a smooth, slippery surface. These implants
tend to be less palpable (less likely to be felt) than
the textured implants because the shell is thinner.
On the other hand, there may be a higher incidence of
capsular contracture (shrinking of the scar tissue around
the implant that causes hardening). Smooth implants
are generally preferred when an endoscopic approach
is used, such as with an incision in the armpit or the
belly button, because the smooth imlant will slide easier
through the tissues into place. To prevent the capsule
from shrinking around the smooth implant, your breast
surgeon may instruct you to perform "implant massage"
which are exercises to keep the pocket stretched during
the healing period. (Implant massage is not recommended
for textured implants).
textured surface breast implant
- Textured surface implants developed as an attempt
to decrease the incidence of capsular contracture. The
shell on a textured implant is thicker and may be more
apparent to the patient. Because of the thicker shell,
implant rippling may also be more prominent, especially
in areas with inadequate coverage.
breast implant shape - Implant
shapes come in round, teardrop (also called anatomic
or contoured shape), high profile, and low profile.
The differences among the implants are very subtle.
Your surgeon will recommend one that's best for you
based on your current breast tissue distribution, your
proportions, and the final result that you desire.
round breast implant - The
vast majority of all implants that are placed for cosmetic
breast augmentation are round. A round implant will
produce more fullness in the upper part of the breast,
but this upper breast fullness can be reduced by placing
the implant beneath the chest muscle.
teardrop,anatomic, or contoured
breast implant - The teardrop or antatomic shape
is taller than it is wide, and has more fullness at
the bottom than the top. It was designed to mimic the
natural slope of the breast, although some argue that
a round implant when the patient is upright also will
fill out more at the base of the implant, especially
when it is placed behind the muscle.
high prolfile and low profile
breast implants - The use of these breast implants
are much less common for cosmetic breast augmentation,
since the round or anatomic are useful for most women.
High or low profile implants are also a teardrop shape,
but are not as tall as the standard anatomic shape,
so they may be used in patients with a short torso that
need more projection than another implant would offer.
breast implant size - Of
all the factors that go into your breast augmentation
surgery, the one that you will probably spend the most
time pondering is the size of your breast implants.
Some doctors will have you try on sample sizes inserted
into your bra so that you can visualize what you might
look like after surgery. Some may suggest that you fill
baggies with water or rice and try it on at home to
determine what size implant would correlate with what
you might need to reach your aesthetic ideal. In both
cases, your implant size will be less than what you
tried on since placing the implant inside of your body
does not allow for as much projection and fullness as
putting it inside of your bra. Some doctors will simply
tell you what size implant you will need to be as large
as you wanted.
Although it may be embarassing,
showing photographs of ideal breasts to your doctor
may be the best way to express your anticipated results.
A picture really is worth a thousand words. Simply stating
what bra size you want to be allows room for interpretation
since for example, a 34C to you may not be the same
as a 34C to your doctor, and a 34C in one bra manufacturer
may not fit like a 34C in another bra manufacturer.
Some people may tell you to opt
for a larger size or that not going big enough is the
biggest regret of breast implant surgery. This is not
always true. It is wise to consider primarily what you
want to look like, and try not to over-compensate for
any potential of wanting to have larger breasts than
you currently desire.
Ultimately, though, your breast
augmentation surgeon usually has a very good idea of
what implant size will be necessary to give you the
best result based on your discussions with him or her.
After all, he or she has done this probably hundreds
of times, and you may be deciding on implant sizes for
the very first time.
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