Breast Implants
Austin Breast Implants
Types of Breast Implants Used for Breast Augmentation
Since 1962 about a million women have had breast augmentation, with 90% of them pleased with the results. There are several variations of implants that can be used, each with their own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages:
Silicone Gel
- Tumor like nodules can form if a get implant ruptures and cannot be easily removed from the body
- Gel can also shoot up the arm, cause lumps that can be misdiagnosed, causing unnecessary removal of tissue, and lumps that may interfere with x-rays
- Its only advantage over anything else is the fact that it feels natural. Silicone gel in a silicone bag feels squishy like a bag of fat or similar to a normal breast
Saline
- It x-rays nearly like normal breast tissue
- It's rather watery to the feel
- It's safer than silicone gel and is a reasonable substitute.
- Saline may support the growth of some bacteria and other organisms, although this is rarely significant
Soybean, Peanut and Other Vegetable Oils
- A variety of oils and fats have been tried as implants for breast augmentation
- These substances x-raying quite well
- This material is not water soluble
- If an implant should break, it may take several months before the body can break it up and digest it.
- The material is not toxic but may support the growth of some microorganisms
PVP
PVP is polyvinyl pyrrolidine that has been a material used in a variety of pharmaceuticals since 1934.
- Approved by the FDA for breast augmentation on October 19, 1990
- Currently not available in the United States.
- PVP has a viscosity much greater than water or saline but not quite as jellylike as silicone gel
- It x-rays just like normal tissue
- PVP is chemically inert with the body. Should an implant break, this material is scavenged by the lymphatic system and excreted in the urine, unchanged, within a week
- It does not harbor any bacteria
