Breast Implant and Placement Options

    PHOENIX, AZ, December 07, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Once you have decided to go forward with a breast augmentation, you will be faced with a new set of decisions involving the types of breast implants available to you, and how they will be placed. Many patients are confused about the various benefits and drawbacks of each option. A board-certified plastic surgeon can help you decide on the combination of options that best meets your cosmetic goals.

In the meantime, a better understanding of each option can help arm you with questions and insight going into your consultation.

Types of Breast Implants

There are two main types of implants:

- Saline implants - These implants have been in use for decades, and are often chosen by patients because of their long history of success. Saline implants are filled with a salt-water solution to allow precise control over the new size and volume of your breasts.
- Silicone implants - Approved by the FDA in 2006, silicone implants are quickly rising in popularity. Made of a cohesive gel material, silicone implants look and feel more like real breast tissue once placed, reducing the risk of rippling and other aesthetic side effects.

One of the main advantages of saline implants is that if a rupture or leak occurs, the natural salt-water solution will be harmlessly absorbed by your body. Also, since the implants are deflated during the surgical placement process, they only require a small incision, reducing the amount of post-operative scarring.

However, in recent years, many patients and plastic surgeons alike are praising the benefits of silicone implants, citing their superior naturalistic appearance. Women who have small breasts or minimal breast tissue have experienced problems in the past with saline implants "rippling," and saline implants tend to be more noticeable when the breast is touched. Silicone implants are a valuable new option, but they will require a larger incision (and thus a larger scar) to place. Also, because they are newer, they tend to be more expensive.

Breast Implant Placement Options

There are three main options for the placement of your breast implants:

- Subpectoral - Implants are placed underneath the chest muscles, allowing for extra coverage of the breast implant and support. Unwanted aesthetic effects, such as rippling and sagging, are greatly reduced with this approach.
- Subglandular - Implants are placed above the chest muscles but beneath the breast tissue. Subglandular placement allows for larger implant sizes and more lift, as well as a shorter recovery time. However, women with thin breast tissue are more likely to experience rippling with this technique.
- Dual-plane approach - Implants are placed beneath the chest muscles in the upper pole of the breast, but above the muscles in the lower pole of the breasts, making the dual-plane approach a compromise between the above two placement methods.

Depending on the type of implant you choose, the condition of your breast tissue, and the results you are looking for, the ideal placement option for your situation will vary.

If you live in Phoenix or Glendale, Arizona and would like more information about breast augmentation options, please visit the website of board-certified Phoenix breast surgeon Dr. Paul Angelchik, MD at http://www.doctorangelchik.com/.

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