Breast Augmentation and Breast Lift

The decision to undergo natural or artificial breast augmentation depends on the patient’s breast make-up. Those who opt for implants may choose between saline or silicone, as each has its own advantages. Most patients choose silicone gel filled implants because they look and feel more like a natural breast.  At Transformations, our surgeons believe they give patients an overall better result.  Generally, patients who have a small amount of breast tissue or are thin will especially benefit from silicone implants.  Fat transfer for breast enlargement is gradually becoming more accepted.  But the amount of volume increase is limited, compared to implants, and there can be some resorption of the fat (decrease in volume over time).  More commonly, fat-transfer is used to enhance the results from breast augmentation or reconstruction with implants.

Negative notions about silicone started back in the early 90s when there were cases of leakage and complications. With today’s advancements in engineering, the silicone-based shells are made durable and safe, and have been proven so by the FDA. Today, in fact, silicone is sometimes preferable to saline since they last longer and feel more natural. The rates of reported complications have significantly decreased in the last decade.

Breast augmentation is a cosmetic procedure designed to enlarge breasts, while a breast lift is designed to tighten the loose skin of a droopy breast.  Quite often these procedures are performed simultaneously, when it is agreed that a breast lift with augmentation is necessary.

Today’s silicone implants are strong, durable and safe. Technical advancements have come so far, that even if a silicone implant does rupture, the shell of the implant will keep the silicone gel encased and protected from entering the body. In the rare case that a silicone implant does rupture, an MRI may be needed to detect the rupture. Because a rupture may be silent (causes no changes in how the breasts looks or feels) the FDA recommends that patients have an MRI scan 3 years after surgery and every 2 years succeeding the first MRI.  This is less concerning with todays cohesive gel implants, since the silicone gel stays within the breast pocket and doesn’t harm the patient in any way.

Implants may last up to 15 years or longer. As long as the implant shows no signs of damage or visible defects, such as breast rippling or a deformity, replacing them is not necessary. What is necessary, however, is a periodic check of the implants to make sure that they are still intact.