Profiles
Most of the implants available come in either 2 or 3 different profiles. The Mentor company offers the largest variety I have see thus far. I found the following link to be very helpful and descriptive.
http://www.loveyourlook.com/Breast-Implants/breast-implants-styles.aspx
Profile in the sense of breast implants refers to the amount of projection from the chest wall. The higher the profile the more your breasts will stick out. I had always thought that the amount of filling was the main factor to having breasts that projected out well. There are a few other factors that you need to take into account besides just how far they stick out from your chest. High profile breast implants are also narrower at the base than moderate. Because of this high profile implants are better suited to women that have narrow chests. The lesson here is that just because you want them to be large does not mean you necessarily need a high profile.
In the above picture we can see the different profiles side by side. From left to right we have the Memory Gel Moderate, Moderate Plus, and High Profile implants. The moderate profile has a wider base than the other two, and less overall projection from the chest. Each subsequent implant has a narrower base and a higher outward projection. All three profiles are offered in Memory Gel and Smooth Round implants from the Mentor Company. They also offer a textured round implant in the moderate profile.
Mentor also offers contoured implants. Contoured implants resemble a teardrop shape. This shape is considered to more closely resemble the mature breast. The best description I can offer is that some women's breast tissue can reach up close to our collar bones. We do not realize this because the higher tissue is much thinner. If you place two fingers about an inch below your collar bone and run them down towards your breast you can feel the texture of your underlying tissue change. As you get closer to your nipple the tissue becomes fuller and takes on the shape of a protruding breast. The contoured implants have more of this natural shape than the round implants. These shaped implants are only offered in saline with moderate and high profiles.
Pre-filled vs. Adjustable
The next thing to consider in my mind are the options available in pre-filled and adjustable implants. Pre-filled implants are filled with either saline or silicone at the manufacturer and come sealed to your surgeon. These cannot be adjusted at the time of surgery or anytime after. So what you choose is what you get. For some women this simplifies their decision. Silicone implants all come pre-filled from the manufacturer, so if your choose silicone this is your only option in this section.
There are many options for saline implants. You can always choose a pre-filled set volume saline implant, or you can go for an adjustable. Adjustable implants are empty at the time of surgery, therefore; they require a smaller incision to insert. This is important if you are just considering breast augmentation. In the case of breast reconstruction we already have an incision from our first surgery to remove our breast tissue. Incision size in this case is a mute point. Once the implant is placed it is filled with a pre-determined volume that you and your surgeon decided upon. After surgery the volume can be increased or decreased within reason. Once you are happy with your implants the tube attached to the port under your arm will be pulled out an the implant will seal itself. The adjustable implants are available in smooth round, textured round, and contoured.
The examples I gave today are all from the website listed above. There are slight variations offered by different manufactures that I listed on my first implants blog. I would encourage you to look at all of them.
In the next several days I will start revealing some of the questions I have been asking. I will also let you know that I am considering and why. My most controversial question to come is, How big is too big, or not big enough? This is a decision that I am going to have to live with for a very long time. My thoughts are I need to get it right the first time! Until next time, God Bless!
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