Breast Implant Options

Silicone implants have been available continuously since they were invented in the 1960s; however, their use was limited in the early 1990s due to fears that they caused autoimmune diseases. At that time, there was minimal data to prove or disprove these claims. As a result, a vast number of scientific studies were performed to answer the question: “Do silicone implants increase the risk of autoimmune diseases or breast cancer?” The answer is no, silicone implants do not increase the risk of contracting these diseases.

Although it took the legal system and the FDA many years to catch up to science, silicone implants are now available to women having a first time breast augmentation.

Interestingly, silicone implants were never completely off the U.S. market. Across the U.S., including Phoenix and Scottsdale, silicone breast implants have always been available to women interested in breast augmentation if they needed an augmentation and breast lift at the same time, or if they needed breast reconstruction, or revision of a saline implant breast augmentation due to excess wrinkling of the skin or multiple deflations. You would think that if the implants were truly dangerous, nobody would have had access to them. Clearly, silicone implants do not, and never did, pose a risk of autoimmune disease or breast cancer.

The decision to use silicone or saline implants is a personal one, but the decision should not be based a fear of silicone. The newest generation silicone implants are made of “cohesive silicone gel,” which is not liquid silicone. Modern cohesive silicone gel implants are solid, like a soft gummy bear, and if they are cut in half the gel holds its shape and does not leak out.

Compared to saline implants, these cohesive silicone gel implants feel more like natural breast tissue, are less likely to produce visible rippling or wrinkling, and do not “deflate” like a saline implant if wear and tear produces a small hole in the outer covering of the implant over time.

In both Dr. Cohen and Dr. Sigalove’s opinion, cohesive silicone gel implants are a superior breast implant material. If asked by a friend or family member whether our surgeons would recommend saline or silicone, they would strongly recommend silicone for the best, most natural result

Before our surgeons enter the operating room, they always have a plan regarding which implants will likely be selected for each patient. These are chosen using a combination of preoperative chest measurements, photos from the website selected by the patient, and the use of preoperative sizers tried in a special bra. Sometimes, patients require a different size or profile implant on each side if they have pre-existing asymmetry. The implants our surgeons think they will use are the starting point, but because they have their own operating room with a full consignment of multiple implant brands, shapes and sizes, our surgeons can choose the final implants based on what looks best during surgery.

With most breast augmentations we perform at the Scottsdale Center for Plastic Surgery, we use implant “sizers” during surgery. These are different from the sizers we use in during the pre-operative exam.

The surgical “sizers” are temporary replica implants that let the plastic surgeon see exactly what the final implants will look like. The preoperative plan regarding a specific implant size and shape is usually correct. However, by using the sizers and checking our patients from multiple positions and angles, our surgeons maximize the ability to achieve the best size and symmetry possible.

Using intraoperative sizers adds a little extra operating time, and because of this, some surgeons skip this step. Our feeling is that patients will not remember if they were in the operating room for an extra few minutes, but they will be looking at the final results for the rest of their lives. We believe strongly that the extra time and effort spent to achieve the best shape and symmetry is well worth it.