Breast Implant Options
Breast augmentation surgery should never be approached as a "one size fits all" procedure. That's why Dr. Sorokin provides thoughtful guidance when suggesting breast implants for his Philadelphia and south New Jersey patients. With his expert advice, you can navigate smoothly through the maze of options and achieve the results you've been waiting for.
Why Us for Your Breast Enhancement
- Dr. Sorokin offers a "rapid recovery" technique so you can enjoy your results sooner.
- Our practice is known for its specialization in breast surgery – from breast augmentation to complex revision cases.
- Dr. Sorokin is a trusted, board-certified plastic surgeon who takes the time to understand your goals.
To find out how breast augmentation could enhance your look, request a consultation with Dr. Sorokin, a board-certified plastic surgeon and breast specialist, at our office in Cherry Hill or call 856-872-4158.
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Saline vs. Silicone
Silicone implants have been available continuously since the 1960's. In the early 1990's, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asked surgeons to voluntarily limit the use of this type of implant in the majority of breast operations, due to concern that internal leaking of silicone could cause autoimmune and connective tissue diseases. After a decade of silicone implant studies showing no serious adverse health impacts from this type of breast implant, our Philadelphia and New Jersey patients again have this option for all types of breast surgery, including augmentation, reconstruction, and revision.
Given the exhaustive studies completed to date, safety concerns should not play a role in your decision between saline and silicone breast implants. Instead, you should pay close attention to implant feel and appearance, cost differences, and personal preference when making your decision. Saline implants are less expensive, and offer slightly more options for the location of the incision site. But cohesive silicone gel implants feel more like natural breast tissue, and produce much less visible rippling or wrinkling.
Dr. Sorokin finds that his breast augmentation patients choosing silicone implants generally are much more pleased with their natural-feeling results than patients who select saline implants. However, the choice of implant material ultimately is a personal one, and Dr. Sorokin has the skills and knowledge necessary to give you unparalleled results regardless of whether you choose saline or silicone.
Textured vs. Smooth Breast Implant Capsule
Regardless of whether you choose silicone or saline as your implant filling, the outer covering of the implant, or capsule, will be made of a silicone polymer. The capsule is flexible and moves along with the substance contained within.
The capsule's exterior surface can be either smooth or textured. Because textured implants are thicker than smooth implants the capsule may be easier to see and feel through the skin in some women, particularly those with little existing breast tissue. For most of our patients, smooth implants offer significant advantages over textured ones. Smooth implants have a more natural look and feel, and are generally more durable. The risk of capsular contracture can be minimized by placing implants under the pectoral muscle, and by following a daily breast massage regimen that helps to minimize hardened tissue formation.
Breast Implant Size and Shape
Often, the most difficult decision for patients is which size of implant to select. Selecting the right breast implant for you involves both art and science. During your initial consultation, Dr. Sorokin takes a series of detailed measurements that, when combined with your height, weight, and chest diameter, are vital tools to help you make a satisfying choice. Many breast augmentation patients come into the consultation with an ideal implant size already in mind, but it is important to realize, for example, that a 400cc implant in one woman may look completely different than a 400cc implant in another patient.
Patients who prefer large implants should note that large implants will inevitably cause long term changes to breast tissue which may result in early sagging or drooping. Dr. Sorokin encourages patients not to dwell only on size, but also to consider how they want the implant to be shaped. Once an implant is placed, shape often can have just as much if not more of an impact on overall breast appearance as does implant size. Any plastic surgeon can deliver an average breast augmentation result, but Dr. Sorokin specializes in achieving unparalleled results by combining art and science.
At your consultation, you will be able to evaluate the width and depth (or projection) of various implants. Two implants may be the same size (i.e. have the same amount of internal volume), but the wider implant, once placed, will not stick out as far from your chest wall as a narrower implant would. Wider, flatter implants are known as "low profile," and narrower, more projected implants are "high profile." Also, there are moderate and moderate-plus profiles, which fall in between. Dr. Sorokin doesn't stock up on "standard" implant types-he orders implants from either of the two major implant manufacturers (Mentor and Inamed) only after understanding your individual goals and needs.
Dr. Sorokin strives to provide women considering breast enlargement with suggestions and guidance so that they can select the implant best for them. The implant size and profile decision should be based on your chest diameter, the width of your existing breasts, and your target breast size. In many patients, moderate or moderate-plus implants produce ideal results, since low profile implants may appear too flat while high profile implants tend to project out too far.
A Natural Result
Time and again, Dr. Sorokin hears the same concern from his patients: breast implants that look obvious and unnatural. If this is an important consideration for you, as it is for many, Dr. Sorokin offers the tools and training necessary to achieve an enhanced look that delivers exactly what you expect.
Some cosmetic surgeons decide which implant will deliver a good result while in the operating room, using "sizers," or temporary implants, during breast augmentation surgery. You should be wary of physicians using this method as it brings with it the potential for additional risks and complications. Experienced surgeons like Dr. Sorokin perform detailed examinations and thoroughly discuss implant options with their patients before surgery, making decisions based on accurate objective data, rather than choosing an implant during surgery based a subjective assessment of what looks best at the time.
While Dr. Sorokin always makes the final decision in the operating room, proper preoperative planning eliminates the need for extra "sizing" during the procedure. Besides adding unnecessary expense and surgical time, sizing is an outdated procedure that increases patient discomfort, recovery time, and risk of infection. Preoperative discussions and measurements can easily determine in almost every case which implant will be best for you, not just during the day of the surgery, but for many years to come.
