Implants - Part 2

What have I learned so far? Lets start from the outside and work our way in.

The outer shell
I would be willing to bet that the majority of you out there did not know this next piece of information. The outer shell of a breast implant is made of silicone. So whether you choose saline filled or silicone filled you are still getting a container made from silicone. Thats not all though, you can also choose a smooth shell or a textured shell. The smooth is to be as expected a completely flawless rubbery casing that will contain your flavor of choice. I would love to be able to give you a personal description of the textured, but I have yet to touch or feel one myself. From what I have read these implants have a rougher feel to them. The purpose of the textured implant is to help with capsular contractions. Each of our bodies have reactions to foreign material when it is place inside of us. Capsular contraction is when the scar tissue that forms around the implant tightens and squeezes it. In some studies it has been found that textured implants reduce the possibility of this happening.  If a capsular contraction occurs the breast implant is typically removed and replaced.  Not too many options to choose from here.

The Filling
Silicone vs. Saline?  Lets start with saline implants.  Salt water is already a large component of the human body so it is a very logical choice to fill a container that will be placed inside of us.  Breast implants do not last forever, so it is easy to assume that a rupture may occur at some point in time.  When the implant ruptures it will be much like a water balloon deflating.  When the fluid leaves the silicone shell it is easily absorbed by our bodies without any problems.  If rupture does occur surgery will be necessary to remove the silicone shell and insert a new implant.  Overall, having saline implants poses very little risk.  So why would someone choose silicone over saline. 

The breasts we are born with are very soft and ply able.  I like to use the idea of a hug to give you a picture.  When someone approaches a woman and gives her a hug her breasts typically compress and give way to the body to body pressure.  The sense of feeling overall is very soft.  When a woman post mastectomy with saline implants gives a hug there is very little compression and softness due to a lack of natural breast tissue and fat.  Therefore, it can feel a bit like you are hugging a couple of grapefruits attached to a chest.  This hard and unnatural feeling is commonly associated with saline implants in women post mastectomy.  The post mastectomy is very important here.  Women who are choosing saline implants for breast augmentation will most likely not experience this exact same outcome because they still have natural breast tissue on top of the implant.  Over the years this unnatural feeling has been reduced by placing the implants under the pectoral muscles and the use of overfilling techniques.

Silicone implants have come a long way in the last several years.  In the beginning, many women believed that their ruptured silicone implants had caused health issues for them.  The FDA  decided to take silicone implants off the market until studies had been completed regarding these issues.  During that time many improvements were made and we now have a newer and improved silicone breast implant available.  When a silicone implant ruptured liquid silicone would ooze out and enter our bodies, and it was thought that this foreign silicone was the cause of many health problems in the women with implants.  Many implant manufacturers have moved away from the liquid silicone to a more cohesive gel.  The new implants can literally be cut in half and held upside down without any leakage of material.  The new cohesive silicone gel holds together very well.  If the outer shell is ruptured the implant can become deformed, and left unattended long enough can even break apart.  The days of silicone liquid migrating to other areas of the body are behind us though. 

The major benefit of the cohesive silicone gel is that it much more closely mimics the natural feel of breast tissue.  Think about a gel stress ball.  When you squeeze it the ball gives and flexes in other directions.  So when you are given a hug your breasts have a little more give and are not as noticeable.

Ultimately, the choice is yours.  My recommendation is ask to touch and feel the types of implants yourself.  You know who you are and what you will be comfortable with.  My second suggestion would be to include your spouse in the decision making process.  You make not be completely sure as to what your favorite choice is, but he may have some very good input for you.