Dr. Larry Nichter on the Benefits of the IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant
Dr. Larry Nichter is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Newport Beach, California. A formerly tenured professor at the University of Southern California, Dr. Nichter now runs a successful private practice, Pacific Center Plastic Surgery in Newport Beach, with fellow surgeon Dr. Jed Horowitz. Dr. Nichter is a lead FDA investigator for IDEAL IMPLANT and has presented reports on the success of this new technology to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and American Society of Plastic Surgery. After nine years and over 100 cases using the IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant, Dr. Nichter has a unique point of view. We asked Dr. Nichter about his thoughts and experience with breast implants. Read below for his expert opinions.
What are the benefits of using the IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implants?
“Well from a surgeon’s perspective, the best thing involved is you don’t really have to worry about silent ruptures. So silicone gel implants have a rupture rate that’s pretty high from 9% – 24% at 10 years. If silicone gel implants are ruptured, it’s not simply removing the silicone gel, you usually have to remove the capsule around the gel, the lining around the gel, called a capsulotomy. And that takes extra time, that can take half an hour to an hour per breast to do that.
“That’s in comparison to the IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant where if it leaks, you just simply remove it. Because of the high rupture rates, I tell my patients for silicone gel implants, just plan on removing them every 10-12 years, because after that the rupture rate is so high. You don’t have to do that with IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implants. You can just leave them in until there’s a leak because it’s just simple saline, the stuff that’s in an IV solution. It’s incredibly safe and so there’s far fewer lifetime surgeries with an IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant, compared to traditional silicone gel implants.
“There are also many uses for the IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant. For example, it’s not just for primary augmentations, you can also use it for revision work, especially if the patient has had problems in the past with capsular contracture. In fact, the IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant has this incredible guarantee that they will give you in terms of replacing implant and helping the patients should a complication occur. It can be used not just in revisional surgery but at the same time as we do a breast lift.
“And lastly, although it’s not FDA approved for reconstruction during mastectomy, I do think in the future, once it’s FDA approved, this will be a great addition to our arsenal for reconstruction after breast cancer.”
Have you had to deal with many ruptured silicone gel implants in your career? What other complications could lead to a revision surgery?
“Oh yes. Ruptured silicone gel implants are just part and parcel, what we call bread and butter surgery for a plastic surgeon because of the high rupture rate. The other reason we operate on patients with silicone gel implants, and saline implants for that matter, is capsular contracture, that is, the hardening of the implant. The implant actually is soft, but the membrane around it, called the capsule, gets very thick and can actually squeeze the implant, distorting the way the breasts look, so making it quite hard.
“We were very surprised, in the FDA study looking at more than 500 woman, how low the capsular contracture rate was for IDEAL IMPLANT. In fact, it was significantly lower than silicone gel implants, which in the past had some of the lowest rates. So, that’s a huge advantage, another advantage of the IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant.”
How is patient satisfaction with the IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant?
“Part of the FDA study is looking at satisfaction. The women’s satisfaction is somewhere between 92- 94%, almost identical to what the surgeon’s satisfaction rate is. So they’re extremely thrilled with the results.
“My patients in general are thrilled about IDEAL IMPLANT. In fact, they tell their friends and their friends come in for it and so on. It’s very interesting that two studies were done last year. One of which looked at a very large volume of woman, more than like 930 woman. And they did a study and wanted to know, ‘Would you be concerned if there was a silent rupture of an implant, say a silicone gel implant? Or any type of implant. But if so, would you want it removed?’ Overwhelmingly, more than 90% said absolutely we would want it removed.
“I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but the FDA has guidelines for silicone implants, their guidelines are very specific. They would like you to have an MRI scan at three years, and then every two years to see if you have a rupture because if you have a rupture of silicone gel implant, typically you don’t see any difference with your breasts so you would not know this. Women are very concerned about that fact. They don’t like having it and this survey, done by a third party, show that over 90% of the women, if it was a silent rupture, they wanted the implant removed.
“With an IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant, since it’s just saline that fills it, it’s wonderful. Instead of an MRI scan, you just simply use a mirror. But you can keep your implant not just 10-12 years, which is what I recommend for silicone gel implants, but for 20 years, 25 years. As long as it’s intact and okay. If there are no silent ruptures, that’s a huge advantage.”
Have you noticed any recent trends in plastic surgery?
“Well certainly the time is right to consider a more advanced breast implant. Women are health conscious, they’re looking for things that are natural and very healthy. There’s nothing more natural or healthy than saline. That’s what your body is filled of. So, that’s one of the reasons why I think the IDEAL IMPLANT appeals to many people.
“Many people are looking for organic foods and things, again, that have very low health risks. They don’t want to have to have lots of studies, like the MRI scan. For example, you have to make an appointment. It’s expensive. It’s not covered by insurance. You have to take time out of your life. And there’s worry. What are the results? What happens if it’s ruptured? The peace of mind factor is huge for patients, for women in particular. And here you have a natural product that’s just saline. If it ruptures, it’s just like getting an IV, you’re hydrated.
“But the bottom line is, it fits all the criteria of a more natural, healthy alternative to a silicone gel implant. And I see that as a huge trend.”
Have you noticed a change in the size breast implant women are requesting?
“Yes. So I’ve been doing breast augmentation surgery, using breast implants for reconstruction, lifts with reconstruction, mommy makeovers, for 30 years. During my first 10 years, every year implant size seemed to get larger and larger and larger in terms of requests by my patients. The middle 10 years, it seems like they mostly, slowly got a little larger. But the last 10 years, clearly women are moving towards smaller implants.
“They want something that’s proportionate. They either want to dress up and look very sexy or they would like to get in business clothes and be taken very seriously. They’re more athletic, again, health conscious and they want something that will fit many different aspects of their life. Again, the IDEAL IMPLANT is great because one advantage of the IDEAL IMPLANT, for example, is you can adjust the volume. So if you have breast asymmetry, you can get more symmetrical breasts. You can affect the profile.
“So you could have a more aggressive, more sexy looking sort of profile if you wanted to. Or you can have a very natural appearance. You have all the advantages of this, unlike silicone gel implants where you have to be very specific on which implant you pick. So you have the options on the operating table of changing the characteristic slightly to both match in size and shape, and also patient’s desires.”
Do your patients have any concerns about scarring after surgery?
“One advantage of the IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant is the implant is placed into the body deflated and then once it’s in the pocket, it’s inflated and filled. Because it’s deflated, you can use a much smaller incision, so therefore, there’s less scarring involved with the IDEAL IMPLANT. A silicone gel implant, in comparison, is factory-filled without seams and so in order to have an implant that’s sizeable, unfortunately, we need to make an incision that will accommodate it. So that’s a big advantage, there’s far less scarring with the IDEAL IMPLANT.”
What are your views on implant placement (above or below the muscle)?
“We take every patient on an individual basis. We ask them a lot of detailed questions. We have them bring in pictures of what they would like to look like. So a lot of women that have very little breast tissue, for example, and would like to be subtly improved, or to increase the fullness on the upper part of their breasts, which in general is the place where you lose volume with aging and, especially after pregnancy, we oftentimes will put it beneath the muscle.
“But there are other reasons. If someone has a little bit of sag and does not want a lift, putting the implant above the muscle or splitting the difference in what’s called a dual plane, where it’s partially under the muscle and partially over, can help augment and lift the breast a little bit. So there are many nuances and that’s why it’s really critical that you got a board-certified plastic surgeon such as myself, that has this experience and all the nuances in order to do the best job.
“The IDEAL IMPLANT company, I have to give them tremendous credit. The IDEAL IMPLANT company is [one of] the only implant companies that will sell to only board-certified plastic surgeons. So you know if you’re choosing IDEAL IMPLANT, just by choosing it, you know you’re at least going to someone with significant training and experience to get the results you want. And they will spend a lot of time with you and, hopefully, as we do, to make sure that you know all the choices, nuances of where to place the implant. Above or below the muscle and so on. Where scars will be. Whether you need a lift at the same time. And so forth.”
What complications do women need to be aware of before getting breast implants?
“So, when we’re looking at implants and you’re comparing different types of implants, in particular, let’s compare IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implants to silicone gel implants. First of all, if you’re under the age of 22, only saline implants are FDA approved, so that would limit it to IDEAL IMPLANT. Virtually no one uses the traditional, old fashioned saline implants because the waviness or rippling and so on.
“But in terms of risks we already went through, there’s two to four times less risk of rupture and again, at least a two-fold decreased risk of capsular contracture with the IDEAL IMPLANT. Those are the two main complications.
“There are some rare, or I should say uncommon complications that are making the news. One of which is ALCL: Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma. It’s a cancer that’s not very aggressive, but the point is, although it’s been linked to several types of implants, it’s my understanding that approximately 80% or more are only found in textured implants. There’s a rough surface around the implant and that’s of interest. It’s the most common implant used outside the United States, especially in Europe, South America, and Central America. This form of cancer, especially with certain brands of implants can be significantly high. As much as 1 in 5,000, or less as time goes on, because it takes many years, at least eight to ten years or so, for most of these to develop.
“But the IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant is a smooth implant, so that would put you at the least possible risk. To my knowledge, there’s never been a report of ALCL with any implant by the IDEAL IMPLANT Company. We’re now up to year nine in our study, which will end at 10 years. So it’d be the lowest of all the rates in developing this unusual type of problem.”
How do you help women choose the right breast implant?
“Choosing implants is a difficult choice and we understand that. We’ve made a pretty simple chart comparing, on one side, silicone gel implants, and saline implants, particularly the IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant, on another. So, for example, incisions are smaller with the IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant. There is less risk of capsular contracture (that’s the hardening of the implant). And less risk of rupture, significantly between the two. There’s no silent rupture. You don’t have to worry about, ‘Is it ruptured or not?’ You know immediately. Therefore, we don’t recommend that the IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant is replaced 10-12 years, unlike a silicone gel implant. You can keep them in as long as you want. So therefore, there’s less lifetime surgeries.
“Then lastly, again, we just let them know that the contents are just saline. It just leaks out. If there was a rupture with a silicone gel implant, chances are you would need to remove the outer lining around it, which is a much larger procedure and may require drains and so on. That’s just not required with the IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant.
“But it used to be that about 90% of my patients, up to 95%, would pick silicone gel implants, and maybe only 5% saline. Now, it’s easily the majority of my patients pick IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implants after I present that information and allow them to read about it. And I’m thrilled.
“Here you have something with all the advantages of a silicone gel implant, without the disadvantages. So, it’s a win-win situation. My patients usually are very well educated. Many of them find me because I have some of the largest experience in the country placing these. And they come to me with that specific reason. If they haven’t heard about them I just mention, ‘why don’t you do some research? Here’s some scientific articles reviewing it.’ They make the decision really quickly and they’re in a very informed way. Invariably, the majority now pick IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implants.”
Do you have any advice for women who are considering breast enhancement surgery?
“Well first of all, the most important decision you can make is to pick your surgeon. The second most important choice you can make is to pick the safest product to use, or one that matches your wishes, goals, and ideals.
“So one, you have to pick a board-certified plastic surgeon. But I have to tell you, I work in Newport Beach, Orange County, Southern California. And I would think that at least half of the implants placed in my area are placed by non-board-certified plastic surgeons. What do I mean by that? Ear, nose, and throat doctors are doing it in this area. OBGYNs are doing it. General surgeons are doing it.
“And doctors don’t know. They say very truthfully, ‘I am a board-certified surgeon, doing plastic surgery.’ Dermatologists are even starting to do these. A plastic surgeon trains longer than just about every speciality out there with the exception of a few, like neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery. They train about the same length of time.
“So you really want someone who is skilled with both the anatomy and function, and all the potential problems that could go wrong, which fortunately are very few. But in terms of getting a result that’s excellent, you just need to pick that right person.
“The second thing is that many surgeons feel comfortable with what they trained with. The IDEAL IMPLANT has only been around for just under five years. So although there is a very large experience which is growing significantly and dramatically, sometimes surgeons are set in their ways. So it behooves patients to sometimes even educate their doctors. Say, ‘I’ve been reading about this implant. I think I would like to use it.’ And to encourage their doctors if they don’t know about it, to find out about it. It’s very simple to use. But I think that I can just see the rate of which the growth is happening with the IDEAL IMPLANT, and my personal prediction is within the next 5-10 years, it’ll be one of the more popular implants in the U.S. and Canada.”
What can you tell us about your plastic surgery practice?
“I’m part of a two plastic surgeon practice in Newport Beach, California, called Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery. In this office, we place more IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implants than, I believe, just about any practice in the United States. As one of the lead FDA investigators, I’ve read through most of all the peer reviewed journal articles on the IDEAL IMPLANT, and that takes everyone’s experience, all the 45 investigators of all the women patients across the country, and I have access to the data that’s been published. I’m just thrilled with the results.
“I think that going to someone who has lots of experience is always one of the best choices you can make. Fortunately there are plastic surgeons across the entire United States that have that experience. We of course would welcome anyone to our practice, to educate them about their choices, and in particular about the IDEAL IMPLANT.”
Considering breast implants in Newport Beach? Contact Dr. Larry Nichter today to discuss your options. Simply call 949-720-3888 or visit www.PacificCenterPlasticSurgery.com. Dr. Nichter’s office is located at 3991 MacArthur Boulevard, Suite 320/340, Newport Beach, CA 92660. Call today for more information on IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implants.
