ideal implants | Ideal Implant

Bodies and lifestyles come in every shape and size. You may work an office job, lift weights, be a mom of seven, or a combination of all three! You may weigh 98lbs or 250lbs, be 4ft 10in or 6ft 10in. Women at every stage, lifestyle, and body type can be good candidates for breast implants. Given your unique body and your unique lifestyle, how do you find the ideal implants for you? Three surgeons give us their review of the IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implants. They tell us why they love it for their patients and recommend it time and again. Read what these experienced surgeons have to say before making an appointment with your local board-certified plastic surgeon for a breast augmentation.

Dr. Robert Hamas: Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Dallas, Texas

Dr. Robert Hamas created the IDEAL IMPLANT Structured Breast Implant. He developed this technology based on his years of experience performing breast augmentations. After listening to his patients concerns about silent ruptures and the compromises they had to make for natural looking results, he wanted to create a new type of implant to address their concerns. Dr. Hamas created the IDEAL IMPLANT so women could have beautiful, natural looking breast implants with less worry about not knowing if their implants are intact or ruptured.

Knowing the Status of Your Implant

Dr. Hamas’s patients were not alone in feeling that they wanted to know the status of their implants, intact or ruptured. In a 2017 independent survey of 933 women, 89% of women reported that if the overall performance of the implant is similar, they would prefer an implant where rupture could be detected by looking at the breast. Women with silicone gel breast implants are often unaware that their implant has ruptured. The best ways to detect ruptured silicone gel breast implants are with an MRI or in surgery. Dr. Hamas tells us, “The IDEAL IMPLANT Structured Breast Implant gives women the advantage of knowing the status of their implant. They don’t have to wonder whether its ruptured or not. And yet, they still have the advantages of the silicone gel implant in that they have a natural look and feel.”

Dr. Jane Rowley: Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Lubbock, Texas

Dr. Jane Rowley has extensive training, experience, and skill in plastic surgery. At her practice in Lubbock, Texas Dr. Rowley sees all kinds of cosmetic and reconstructive surgery patients, including those seeking the best breast implants for their body and lifestyle. We asked Dr. Rowley what she loves about the IDEAL IMPLANT Structured Breast Implant, and why she recommends it to her patients. Dr. Rowley tells us, “I feel confident with the IDEAL IMPLANT that I’m giving my patients that peace of mind, they know when their implant is leaking, they can plan their lives around that, and they know that it will be a relatively simple procedure to remove and replace it.”

Implant Rupture, Removal, and Replacement

All breast implants come with a risk of rupture, but, as an educated consumer, you can do your part to research and find one with the lowest rupture rate to reduce your risk of needing additional surgery. The ideal implants for you should have a low rate of complications but still give you a natural looking result. Visit our implant comparison page to see a comparison of implant rupture risks.

If your implant ruptures, no matter the implant type, the FDA recommends removal surgery. One reason Dr. Rowley loves the IDEAL IMPLANT Structured Breast Implant is that patients are able to plan around a removal, rather than needing to rush into surgery. Because of the internal structure of the IDEAL IMPLANT a rupture is immediately evident, but the implant only undergoes a partial deflation giving you time to schedule a removal surgery. Additionally, the saline inside is naturally absorbed by the body so you can be confident that surgery to remove the shell will be relatively simple. Dr. Eric Desman, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Alexandria Virginia, explains what happens to patients after a silicone gel breast implant is discovered to have ruptured, “A patient will then need a challenging, complicated surgery to get that old implant out and then put a new implant in. If the patient puts new silicone gel implants back in, then they’re just restarting the clock on the next problem or process with a leaked silicone gel implant.” Dr. Rowley has found that the ease of removal and peace of mind of knowing if your implant has ruptured or not makes the IDEAL IMPLANT truly ideal for most of her patients.

Dr. Russell Babbitt: Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Fall River, Massachusetts

Dr. Russell Babbitt specializes in all forms of reconstructive and cosmetic surgery in his Fall River, Massachusetts practice. Dr. Babbitt knows that the look and feel of breast implants are some of the most important factors when his patients are looking for breast implants. At the same time, a patient’s peace of mind should not be discounted. The IDEAL IMPLANT Structured Breast Implant gives women both a beautiful result and less worry because there is no risk of silent rupture. Dr. Babbitt states it this way, “It is in my mind the best of both worlds, because it has the shape and the feel and the projection that you associate with a silicone gel implant, and the peace of mind that you associate with a saline implant.”

Natural Look, Peace of Mind

Before the IDEAL IMPLANT Structured Breast Implants were introduced women had to choose between saline breast implants and silicone gel breast implants. Saline breast implants are known to ripple and wrinkle because saline movement is uncontrolled inside the silicone shell. Silicone gel breast implants give women another option, one that keeps its shape and feels very natural. However, the risk of silent rupture, and the fact that removal may be messy and complicated, means women now have to deal with the anxiety that brings. Now with the IDEAL IMPLANT women can have, as Dr. Babbitt puts it, “the best of both worlds.” Beautiful, natural looking breast implants without compromising peace of mind.

Finding the Ideal Implants: Starts With an Ideal Surgeon

No matter what type of body or lifestyle you have you can find an ideal breast implant to fit your needs. Your journey starts with finding an ideal surgeon who will give you options and walk with you the whole way. Dr. Paul Zwiebel, a board-certified plastic surgeon who offers the IDEAL IMPLANT Structured Breast Implant, explains finding a surgeon like this, “You really need to have that expert who’s going to help you sort through the many, many different options that are out there. Your surgeon should talk to you about the selection of the ideal implants for you, what’s going to fit your body well, the right size, the right shape, the right type of implant, all the factors that will ultimately go into your decision.” The IDEAL IMPLANT Structured Breast Implant is only available from exclusive board-certified plastic surgeons, who can be located with the IDEAL IMPLANT surgeon finder. Find a board-certified plastic surgeon near you who offers IDEAL IMPLANT today.

Picking the Ideal Implants For You

Before making an appointment with your plastic surgeon to discuss a breast augmentation, educate yourself on the three different types of implants, risks, complications, and what to expect during surgery. Picking breast implants is a decision that will have a lasting impact on your lifestyle and your confidence. Thoroughly researching breast implants before you see a surgeon will allow you to ask the right questions and make informed decisions which will lead to a better outcome physically, mentally, and emotionally. Visiting our Breast Implant Education Center is a great step to getting your breast implant surgery questions answered.

A Brief History of Breast Implants

Like many devices in the history of medicine, the road to developing the ideal implants for women has been rocky. Before modern-day implants, doctors were injecting women with a variety of materials including goat’s milk, ground rubber, and silk fabric. According to researchers Walter Peters and Victor Fornasier, paraffin injections and liquid silicone injections have been among the most popular choices from the 1890s up until modern implants began to be used in the 1960s. However, they caused many issues in unsuspecting patients ranging from painful lumps to death. Injections often traveled to other parts of the body such as the abdomen or armpits. One of the important facts to note in this history is the lack of regulation before the 1970s. In the US, Congress passed the Medical Device Amendment in 1976 which opened the door for regulators to ensure devices such as breast implants were tested and approved for safety before being placed on the market. To learn more about this history of breast implants read our post on the subject.

The Three Types of Modern Breast Implants

The breast implants you will encounter at your board-certified surgeon’s office are no longer injectables or hazardous substances but properly tested medical grade devices. Here is a brief overview of the three types of breast implants you should consider before your breast implant surgery.

Silicone Gel: the FDA approved silicone gel implants in 2006 after a lengthy testing and approval process. Silicone gel filled implants are comprised of a silicone shell filled with silicone gel. The gel inside is thick, sometimes giving these implants the nickname “gummy-bear” implants. Many women love the look and feel of these implants, and they have enjoyed popularity. However, a recent survey found that women do have concerns about the possibility of the implant rupturing without their knowledge, known as a “silent rupture.” While the silicone gel implant is safe when intact, the FDA does recommend removing a ruptured silicone gel implant including the shell and any leaked silicone, so it does not become misshapen, cause discomfort, or migrate. However, the only way to detect a silent rupture is with an MRI, which is why the FDA also recommends women with silicone gel implants get an MRI at three years post-op, then every two years for the life of the implant.
Saline: saline breast implants have a silicone shell filled with sterilized salt water (saline). These implants were the only implants approved by the FDA between 1992 and 2006. Women enjoy the peace of mind that comes with saline breast implants because the body naturally absorbs saline in the case of a rupture. There is no need for repeated MRIs as a rupture will be immediately evident, and nothing will migrate and need to be removed like silicone gel. However, because saline is less dense than breast tissue, these implants tend to look and feel unnatural and can cause ripples under the skin.
The IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant: the FDA approved the new technology found in the IDEAL IMPLANT after years of research, testing, and clinical trials. It was developed by a plastic surgeon to address the compromises women feel they have to make when choosing between saline implants and silicone gel implants for their breast implant surgery. The IDEAL IMPLANT is a saline filled implant with an outer silicone shell and a baffle structure inside that controls the flow of saline. The result is an implant that has structure and stability, fewer ripples, a natural look, a natural feel and peace of mind.

What Complications and Risks Should You Know About?

According to the FDA, the most common complications with breast augmentations are implant rupture, capsular contracture, reoperation, and removal. Reoperation and removal can occur due to a variety of reasons such as rupture or dissatisfaction with results. Removal may or may not be followed by replacement. It is important to note that breast augmentation is surgery and comes with the same risks and complications that occur with any other surgery. Your doctor can further explain risks and complications you should be aware of, including infection and problems with anesthesia. Different implant types and brands have their own statistics on the rate and risk of reoperation, removal, rupture, and capsular contracture. Choosing an implant with statistically lower risks means a decreased chance of complications that can lead to discomfort and removal. Read below for more information about implant rupture and capsular contracture, including important statistics.

Implant Rupture

An implant rupture is when the outer shell of an implant tears. With saline implants, this causes deflation as the saline flows out and is naturally absorbed by surrounding tissue. A rupture in a saline implant is immediately detectable because of total deflation. With the IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant, a rupture is still easily detectable, but the structured layers and two lumens inside mean the deflation will not be total. In silicone gel filled implants, the silicone gel may stay close to the tear or stick to the surrounding tissues. To remove ruptured implants the surgeon must remove the shell, and in the case of silicone gel implants, the surgeon must also remove any silicone gel stuck to the tissues. Removal surgery for silicone gel implants that have ruptured or had capsular contracture may include a capsulectomy, where the surgeon removes the thickened scar tissue surrounding the breast implant. To confirm a tear or hole in a silicone gel filled implant, your doctor will order an MRI. Some women with silicone gel implants may have had a tear or hole for several years without knowing it, which is why the FDA recommends regular MRIs for these women. The FDA recommends removal of all types of implants that have torn, even if the implant is not causing symptoms. See the table below for the rupture risk of some of the top silicone gel brands and the IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant.

Brand Name

Rupture Risk for Primary Augmentation*

Allergan gel

Mentor gel

Sientra gel

IDEAL IMPLANT

7.4%

3.4%

5.4%

1.8%

*FDA Core clinical trial results for primary augmentation; 7-year for IDEAL IMPLANT and Allergan; 6-year for Mentor and Sientra since 7-year results not published.

Capsular Contracture

According to the FDA, capsular contracture is “the hardening of the breast area around the implant. It can occur in the tissue surrounding one or both implants. This hardening causes the tissue to tighten, which can be painful.” Capsular contracture can happen any time after your breast implant surgery. In many cases, your doctor will recommend removal and replacement. See the table below for the capsular contracture risk of some of the top silicone gel brands and the IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant.

Brand Name

Capsular Contracture Risk for Primary Augmentation*

Allergan gel

Mentor gel

Sientra gel

IDEAL IMPLANT

16.2%

9.8%

10.0%

6.3%

*FDA Core clinical trial results for primary augmentation; 7-year for IDEAL IMPLANT and Allergan; 6-year for Mentor and Sientra since 7-year results not published.

To read more about implant types and common complications visit this post.

What Will Breast Implant Surgery Entail?

Before your surgery, gather information on what to expect before, during, and after the procedure. Knowing what will happen to your body will allow you to prepare mentally, physically, and emotionally, leading to a better outcome.

Before Surgery

Before your surgery, you will meet with a surgeon and choose the ideal implants for your body, desired results, and lifestyle. If you desire a natural look and natural feel, your doctor will most likely recommend the IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant, or a silicone gel filled implant. If you are concerned about the cost or hassle of repeated MRIs, or you feel uncomfortable with silicone gel, make sure your doctor offers the IDEAL IMPLANT so you can choose a saline-filled implant with a natural look and natural feel. Your surgeon should talk you through the procedure and answer any questions you have. If your surgeon ever makes you feel uncomfortable or refuses to answer important questions, consider looking for a new surgeon. For more information on finding the right surgeon read our post here.

During Surgery

Breast implant surgery typically takes a few hours and, as long as there are no complications, you should be able to go home the same day. During the operation, you will be put under general anesthesia or IV sedation. Your surgeon will make one of the following incisions to place the breast implant:

Inframammary – under the breast fold
Transaxillary – under the arm
Periareolar – around the nipple

Silicone gel filled implants are pre-filled to a predetermined size. Saline implants are placed and then filled by the surgeon with the desired amount of saline. Because they are not pre-filled, the IDEAL IMPLANT, can fit through a smaller incision site. Your surgeon will place the implants either below the chest wall muscles (submuscular) or above them (subglandular). Your surgeon will then close the incision with tape, stitches, or glue.

Post-Op

Breast implant surgery typically does not require an overnight stay at the surgery center or hospital. Be sure you have a friend or family member available to bring you home, which should be an hour or so after surgery. Your breasts will be wrapped with gauze and a bandage or support bra. It is important to follow all your surgeon’s post-op instructions for the best possible outcome. Wear your support bra and rest for as long as your surgeon recommends, take any medication prescribed, and be aware of the signs of infection. Call your doctor immediately if you have any concerns, or visit the ER if you believe it is an emergency. After the first week, the worst of the pain should be gone, but swelling and soreness will remain for a few weeks. Following your surgeon’s instructions for limiting activities, exercising, and follow-up visits will ensure you end up with the ideal implants for years to come.

To learn more about what to expect from a breast augmentation visit this page.

How to Choose a Doctor

How do you know you’re choosing an experienced, compassionate surgeon who will help you through this process? Asking the right questions during your initial consultation will help you determine if a plastic surgeon is the right one for you. Your breast augmentation is a decision that will affect you physically, emotionally, and mentally for many years to come. Make sure you have a surgeon who listens to and responds to your questions and concerns. Keep in mind the following when interviewing a plastic surgeon.

Is your surgeon board-certified? Being certified by the American Board Of Plastic Surgery means your surgeon is kept to a higher standard of care and stays up to date with safe and effective methods of surgery. To learn more about the American Board Plastic Surgery visit their website.
Does your surgeon understand women’s concerns? A recent survey found that 98% of women reported they would be somewhat concerned to constantly concerned about a silent rupture with silicone gel implants. If your breast implants cause you to be constantly concerned about a silent rupture, you will not be able to fully enjoy your new body. Your doctor should understand that and strive to offer more ideal implants for his or her patients.

For a checklist of questions, you should ask your surgeon, print this FDA Checklist.

To find a board-certified surgeon in your area, visit the IDEAL IMPLANT plastic surgeon finder.

How Much Does Breast Implant Surgery Cost?

Breast implants vary based on the office you choose, the implant you choose, and your location. Because it is a cosmetic procedure insurance companies typically do not cover the surgery or any complications that may arise as a result of the operation. Despite this, many women feel like it is the best money they have spent because of the increased self-esteem they have. When calculating your costs don’t forget to add the following:

MRIs: if you choose a silicone gel implant the FDA recommends an MRI every two years to check for a “silent rupture”. Most insurance companies do not cover this procedure.
Rupture Risk, Capsular Contracture Risk: all breast implants are at risk of a rupture or causing capsular contracture, but some have a higher risk than others. Look at the statistics when choosing breast implants to make an educated decision. Don’t let your surgeon push you toward a specific implant if the risk factors make you concerned. Make sure you have money put aside in case you need a reoperation.

Your Life Beyond Breast Implant Surgery

Breast implants can give you more confidence and self-esteem, but getting them shouldn’t be a spur of the moment decision. When you educate yourself about the options, the risks, and what to expect you will be able to enjoy your new body for years to come. It all starts with picking the ideal implants for you. For more information about breast implants visit IDEAL IMPLANT today.

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Finding the Ideal Implants for You: Surgeons Review the IDEAL IMPLANT®