Breast Implants, Breast Implant

Safe procedure to obtain a bigger breast

Understanding Breast Implants

What Is a Breast Implant?

A breast implant is a sac (implant shell) of silicone elastomer (rubber), which is surgically implanted under your chest tissues.

There are two basic types of breast implants:

Saline-Filled Breast Implants

The saline breast implant is inflated with a saline (salt-water) solution through a valve. Saline is much like the fluid that makes up most of the human body. There are two types/families of implants filled with saline — one referred to as Saline-Filled and the other referred to asSpectrum™ implants. The Saline-Filled family of implants has a self-sealing valve located on the front (anterior) of the implant that is used for filling the device. The Spectrum™ family has a valve on the back (posterior) of the implant that allows saline to be added after surgery (postoperative adjustability). Mentor’s Spectrum implant is a saline-filled breast implant that lets your physician adjust the size of your breasts after your surgery. In a simple office procedure, your physician can change your implant size by either adding or removing saline for up to six months after your surgery.

Silicone Gel-Filled Breast Implants

A silicone gel-filled breast implant is filled with silicone gel, a soft-solid substance. Learn more about MemoryGel™ breast implants here.

What is Silicone?

Silicone is derived from silicon, a semi-metallic or metal-like element that in nature combines with oxygen to form silicon dioxide, or silica. Beach sand, crystals, and quartz are silica. Silica is the most common substance on earth. Heating silica with carbon at a high temperature can produce silicon. Further processing can convert the silicon into a long chemical chain, or polymer, called silicone – which can be a liquid, a gel, or a rubbery substance. Various silicones are used in lubricants and oils, as well as in silicone rubber. Silicone can be found in many common household items, such as polishes, suntan and hand lotion, antiperspirants, soaps, processed foods, waterproof coatings, and chewing gum.

Are Silicone Implants safe?

Special studies have been done and have determined that much higher levels of silicone have been found in cows’ milk and commercially available infant formula than are found in the breast milk of women with implants. The Institute of Medicine concluded that ”There is no evidence that silicone implants are responsible for any major diseases of the whole body. Women are exposed to silicone constantly in their daily lives.”

Are Breast Implants Permanent?

Breast implants are not considered lifetime devices. You will likely undergo implant removal with or without replacement over the course of your life. Whether you are undergoing augmentation or reconstruction, be aware that breast implantation may not be a one-time surgery. You are likely to need additional surgery and doctor visits over the course of your life.

Many of the changes to your breast following implantation are irreversible (cannot be undone). Problems such as deflation, capsular contracture, infection, and shifting can require removal of the implants. Many women decide to have the implants replaced, but some women do not. If you later choose to have your implant(s) removed, you may experience unacceptable dimpling, puckering, wrinkling, or other cosmetic changes of the breast.

Deposits of calcium can be seen on mammograms and can be mistaken for possible cancer, resulting in additional surgery to biopsy and/or removal of the implant to distinguish them from cancer.

Are There Different Styles of Breast Implants?

Breast implants come in a variety of shapes, surface textures, and sizes. The implants are available with a textured or smooth surface shells. Mentor breast implants come in either round or contoured shapes. Mentor’s Spectrum implant is an adjustable saline-filled breast implant that lets your physician adjust the size of your breasts after your breast augmentation surgery. In a simple office procedure, your physician can change your implant size by either adding or removing saline for up to six months after your surgery.

Should I choose Silicone or Saline Breast Implants?

Saline implants have a different feel and safety profile than silicon implants.  Generally, silicon implants are more popular than saline due to a variety of reasons.  Over a million women around the world already trust MemoryGel™ breast implants. Now this choice is available in the United States. MemoryGel™ breast implants feel more like natural breast tissue and brings another option to breast augmentation.

Who Is Not Eligible for Breast Implants?

Contraindications (inadvisable treatment) for breast implants include women who are currently pregnant or nursing, have an existing malignant or pre-malignant cancer of their breast without adequate treatment, or have an active infection anywhere in their body.

What Are the Alternatives to Breast Implants?

• Accept your breasts as they are.
• Wear a padded bra or external prostheses.
• Use injectable filler materials like Hyaluronic acid or polyacrylamide gels.

You are advised to wait a week after reviewing and considering the information in this web site before deciding whether to have augmentation surgery.

What Are Other Sources of Additional Information?

Upon request, you will be provided with a copy of the Directions for Use (package insert). You can request a copy from your surgeon or from Mentor. For more detailed information on the preclinical and clinical studies conducted by Mentor, you are referred to the Summary of Safety and Effectiveness Data for this product at: http://www.fda.gov. You will be given a device identification card with the style and serial number of your breast implant(s).

LoveYourLook.com
www.loveyourlook.com

Mentor Corporation
www.mentorcorp.com

Institute of Medicine Report on the Safety of Silicone Implants
www.nap.edu/catalog/9618.html

Food and Drug Administration
1-888-INFO-FDA or 301-827-3990
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/breastimplants/

Do Breast Implants Influence the Occurence of Breast Cancer?

No studies have ever shown this to be a concern for humans. There is no evidence that implants cause cancer.

Can I Have a Mammogram if I Have a Breast Implant?

Women with breast implants undergo mammography and other imaging techniques just as do women without implants. You may wish to undergo a preoperative mammogram and another one 6 months to 1 year after implantation to establish a baseline. With breast implants, routine screening mammography will be more difficult, and you will need to have additional views, which means more time and radiation. However, the benefit of the mammogram in finding cancer outweighs the risk of the additional x-rays. Breast implants may complicate the interpretation of mammographic images by obscuring underlying breast tissue and/or by compressing overlying tissue. Accredited mammography centers and use of displacement techniques are needed to adequately visualize breast tissue in the implanted breast. Women with breast implants must inform mammography technologists about the presence of their implants so that the technologist can use special techniques to minimize the possibility of rupture and to get the best possible views of the breast tissue. Because the breast is squeezed during mammography, it is possible for an implant to rupture during the procedure.

Deposits of calcium can be seen on mammograms and can be mistaken for possible cancer, resulting in additional surgery to biopsy and/or removal of the implant to distinguish them from cancer.

Do Breast Implants Interfere with Radiation Therapy?

Mentor has not tested the in vivo effects of radiation therapy in patients who have breast implants. The literature suggests that radiation therapy may increase the likelihood of capsular contracture, necrosis, and extrusion.

Is it Possible to get a Silicone Allergy?

It is possible for anyone to develop an allergy to almost any substance on earth, however silicone allergies are very rare. We are all exposed to silicone in our environment everyday. It is found in many household items, such as polishes, suntan and hand lotion, antiperspirants, soaps, processed foods, waterproof coatings, and chewing gum.

Am I too Old to Get Breast Implants?

General good health is important, not age.

Should I be at My Ideal Weight Before I Have Breast Implants?

You should be close to your ideal weight. A significant loss of weight after receiving breast implants could alter the results in a manner that is not satisfactory to you. There could be some ptosis (drooping) and a reduction in size. A significant gain in weight could cause an increase in breast size.

Will the Feeling in My Breast or My Nipple Change?

Feeling in the nipple and breast can increase or decrease after implant surgery. The range of changes varies from intense sensitivity to no feeling in the nipple or breast following surgery. Changes in feeling can be temporary or permanent and may affect sexual response or the ability to nurse a baby.

Will My Breasts Still Move Like Normal Breasts?

This depends upon multiple factors, such as the type of implant you receive, the pocket dissection, the way your body holds the implant and whether or not there is any degree of capsular contracture. It is possible for many women to have breast implants that are soft and move nicely, while other women have results that are firmer with an implant more fixed in position.

Will Getting Breast Implants Cause Stretch Marks on My Breasts?

Insertion of implants can cause stretch marks but rarely does. If you are concerned, go for a smaller size implant to minimize the stretching of the skin, or choose a Spectrum® adjustable implant to slowly stretch the skin over time.

What Effect Does Smoking Have on the Healing Process After Surgery?

Smoking causes the blood vessels to constrict, reducing the blood supply and the oxygen carried by the blood to the surgical area. The tissues need this blood supply and the oxygen that the blood carries in order to heal. When the blood supply is reduced the tissues heal more slowly. Different doctors have different time frames for patients to refrain from smoking before and after surgery. We hear anything from five weeks prior and after, to one to two weeks prior and after. Ask your doctor how long he/she would like you to stop smoking before and after your surgery.

How Long Should I Wait to Resume Exercise After Breast Implant Surgery?

Your doctor will be your best guide regarding how long you will need to remain off work and will advise you when and how to resume activities. Recovery periods vary from woman to woman. Generally the first few days are the most uncomfortable. The average time to return to full activities is four to six weeks.

It is important not to sweat into the incision while it is healing. Therefore curtail activity and sun tanning until after the incision is healed and sealed. Don’t over-do activity, especially of the upper body, too early. Let your body rest and heal. You want to minimize swelling around the implant.

Going into a Jacuzzi or bath after a month is usually ok. During the early time, one to two weeks following surgery, you don’t want to soak the incision.

Be sure you check with your doctor before returning to your workouts. Patients vary greatly in recovery times. Walking is generally recommended to encourage circulation. The larger the implant you receive the heavier the breasts will be. You should wear good support bras while running to minimize pull on the skin and ptosis (drooping) of the breast.

Can I Go to a Tanning Salon or Sunbathe if I Have Breast Implants?

Tanning at salons or sun bathing will not hurt the implant but may make the scars worse. You should avoid getting sun or tanning rays on the incisions for at least one year after surgery as tanning rays will turn the incisions dark permanently. The implant may feel warm and may take longer to cool down than your body.

When Can I Fly and/or SCUBA Dive?

Many women scuba dive and fly in airplanes with implants. There may be slight expansion and contraction of the shell with changes in pressure. This may result in a small amount of air bubbles in the implant. With gel implants as with saline filled implants you may feel or hear fluid sounds (gurgling). This should correct itself within 24-48 hours.

When Can I Wear an Underwire Bra Again?

Most doctors ask that women wait 3 months before wearing under wire bras after implant surgery. Your body will be forming scar tissue around the implant for 3 months. During this time the pressure of the wires could cause the scar tissue to form in such a way that an indentation from the wires could become permanent. After this initial healing time under wire bras should be worn intermittently to avoid permanent indentation.

What Will Happen During Pregnancy?

Every woman is an individual and therefore has different results whether before a pregnancy or after. Your breasts will enlarge and will go through all the usual changes associated with pregnancy. The amount of enlargement will vary from woman to woman and the size of the implants will factor into this as well.

Can I Breast-Feed with Breast Implants?

Breast implants may interfere with your ability to successfully breast-feed. With respect to the ability to successfully breast-feed after breast implantation, one study reported up to 64% of women with implants who were unable to breast feed compared to 7% without implants. The periareolar incision site may significantly reduce the ability to successfully breast-feed.

At this time it is not known if a small amount of silicone may diffuse (pass through) from the saline-filled breast implant silicone shell and may find its way into breast milk. If this occurs, it is not known what effect it may have on the nursing infant. Although there are no current methods for detecting silicone levels in breast milk, a study measuring silicon (one component in silicone) levels did not indicate higher levels in breast milk from women with silicone-filled gel implants when compared to women without implants.

Do Silicone Implants Harm the Developing Fetus?

There have been concerns raised regarding potential damaging effects on children born of mothers with breast implants. A review of the published literature suggests that the information is insufficient to show definitive conclusions.

What is Capsular Contracture?

The scar tissue or capsule that normally forms around the implant may tighten and squeeze the implant and is called capsular contracture. Capsular contracture is more common following infection, hematoma, and seroma. It is also more common with subglandular placement. Symptoms range from firmness and mild discomfort, to pain, distortion, palpability of the implant, and/or displacement of the implant. Additional surgery is needed in cases where pain and/or firmness is severe. This surgery ranges from removal of the implant capsule tissue to removal and possibly replacement of the implant itself. Capsular contracture may happen again after these additional surgeries. You should be aware that closed capsulotomy, the practice of forcible squeezing or pressing on the fibrous capsule around the implant to break the scar capsule, is not recommended, as this may result in breakage of the implant.

Why Does the Body Form a Capsule Around the Implant?

As a natural reaction to any device placed in the body, scar tissue will form around the breast implant surface creating a capsule.

What Causes a Breast Implant to Deflate or Rupture?

Breast implants deflate when the saline solution leaks either through an unsealed or damaged valve, or through a break in the implant shell. Implant deflation can occur immediately or progressively over a period of days and is noticed by loss of size or shape of the implant. Some implants deflate (or rupture) in the first few months after being implanted and some deflate after several years. Causes of deflation include damage by surgical instruments during surgery, overfilling or underfilling of the implant with saline solution, capsular contracture, closed capsulotomy, s tresses such as trauma or intense physical manipulation, excessive compression during mammographic imaging, umbilical incision placement, and unknown/unexplained reasons. You should also be aware that the breast implant may wear out over time and deflate/rupture. Deflated implants necessitate additional surgery to remove and to possibly replace the implant.

What Are the Major Problems with Breast Implants?

The long-term safety and effectiveness of breast implants have not been studied; however, Mentor is monitoring the long-term (i.e., 10-year) chance of implant rupture, reoperation, implant removal, and capsular contracture. Mentor is also conducting mechanical testing to assess the long-term likelihood of implant rupture.

For important information on the benefits and risks associated with saline-filled breast implant surgery, read our document called “Saline-Filled Breast Implant Surgery: Making an Informed Decision.” To read a copy of the product package insert, “Mentor Saline-Filled and Spectrum™ Mammary Prostheses, click here.

What Are the Contraindications, Warnings, and Precautions I Should Consider?

The surgical practices that are contraindicated in breast implantation are:

• Placement of drugs/substances inside the implant other than sterile saline.
• Any contact of the implant with Betadine®.*
• Injection through implant shell.
• Alteration of the implant, implant shell or valve.
• Stacking of implants: placing more than one implant per breast per breast pocket.

Safety and effectiveness have not been established in patients with the following conditions:

• Autoimmune diseases such as lupus and scleroderma.
• Conditions that interfere with wound healing (such as poorly controlled diabetes) and blood clotting (such as concurrent coumadin therapy).
• A compromised immune system (e.g., currently receiving immunosuppressive therapy).
• Reduced blood supply to breast tissue.

* Betadine® is a registered trademark of the Purdue Frederick Company.

Do Silicone Implants Cause Major Disease?

Concern over the association of breast implants to the development of autoimmune or connective tissue diseases, such as lupus, scleroderma, or rheumatoid arthritis, was raised because of cases reported in the literature with small numbers of women with implants. A review of several large epidemiological studies of women with and without implants indicates that these diseases are no more common in women with implants than those women without implants.

Published studies indicated that breast cancer is no more common in women with implants that those without implants.

Edited from Source: www.mentorcorp.com