Breast Implant Options
When choosing breast implants, Phoenix-Scottsdale area plastic surgeon Dr. Robert Cohen advises women to carefully consider the wide range of options available today. In addition to the choice between silicone gel filled implants and saline filled implants, there are also different shell surfaces, shapes, widths and projections. Each of these factors will have an impact on breast augmentation outcome, so it is important to be well informed. As one of the nation's premier cosmetic breast surgeons, Dr. Cohen has the experience and training to guide his patients in making the best choices for beautiful, natural looking results.
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Dr. Robert Cohen: Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery
For your breast enhancement procedure, you deserve a specialist with years of experience and dedicated focus on his patients' results.
Breast Implant Selection with Dr. Cohen
My goal as a board-certified plastic surgeon and cosmetic breast specialist is to provide the professional guidance women need when planning their breast augmentation in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area. Breast implants come in many forms, and my extensive experience in this area helps me to determine which implant will best achieve a woman's desired outcome. Final decisions and adjustments are always made in the operating room for the highest level of accuracy.
Saline or Silicone?
FDA recommendations state that women age 18 and older can choose saline breast implants, and women age 22 and older also have the choice of implants filled with silicone gel. In certain circumstances, patients between the ages of 18 and 22 may use silicone implants as well. The new silicone implants feel more like natural breast tissue, yet are solid and hold their shape even in the case of rupture. Saline implants are more prone to rippling or wrinkling, and will deflate immediately if ruptured. Saline implants are less expensive than silicone, and may offer more flexible sizing during surgery. When my patients in Phoenix ask which breast implant I would choose, I recommend silicone gel for the most natural result. However, my experience and training allow me to achieve an excellent result with either type of implant.
Textured or Smooth Shell?
The shell is the outer surface of the implant that encases the filler material. Women can choose between a textured (rough) shell and a smooth one. I prefer to use smooth shell implants because they look and feel more natural, typically last longer, and have the fewest disadvantages. Initially it was believed that the textured shell might decrease the risk of capsular contracture – a condition in which scar tissue hardens and tightens around the implant. More recent studies have raised questions about the purported advantages of textured implants.
Implant Profile
This is an important choice that is determined by personal preference and individual anatomy. The profile – low, moderate, moderate-plus, and high profile – refers to the amount of projection the implant achieves. Lower profile implants are wider and flatter, while the higher profile implants are narrower and project more from the chest wall. An excellent cosmetic breast surgeon takes into consideration the patient's chest diameter, the width of the breasts, and the desired outcome when selecting the appropriate profile; the importance of a surgeon's experience, training, and aesthetic sensibility is highlighted here.
I believe that, generally, the best results are achieved with moderate-plus and high profile implants, as the low and moderate profile implants are often too wide and flat. However, each woman is unique, and I offer a wide range of shapes and sizes for this reason.
Round or Teardrop Shaped?
While I am happy to discuss teardrop or anatomically shaped implants, I do not use them at my practice. I have used both round and anatomical implants, and I found that the disadvantages of anatomically shaped implants outweigh any advantages they might offer. These implants can turn or shift, causing a distorted breast shape that requires surgical correction. The main reason I prefer round implants is that, in my experience, round implants create a more natural, aesthetically pleasing result, which is my ultimate goal.
Beautiful, Natural Looking Results
No matter what type of implant my patients choose, I always use implant "sizers" during surgery to assure the best size, shape, and symmetry. These are temporary implants that show what the final outcome will look like. Although my preoperative plan gives me an excellent idea of what size and contour will look best, the sizers allow me to view my patients from various angles and achieve the best possible result. This extra effort adds to the surgery time, but it is well worth the time for the increased quality, symmetry and beauty that proper sizing allows.
Request a consultation to learn more about breast implants from Dr. Cohen, a renowned plastic surgeon whose outstanding results and quality of care draw patients from throughout the country and the world.
