Do you have any doubts about mammary implants for reconstruction or aesthetic surgery?
This text will provide you with information about mammary implants and clear up your doubts.
1- A mammary implant for me?
Mammary implants have been used since the early 60'. Since that time, over 2 million women decided to have silicone implants.
The
implants are constantly being improved upon. Cooperation between
patients, doctors and manufacturers has allowed us to make constant
adaptations until we reached the current scientific and technological
knowledge.
Breast augmentation is among the most common plastic-surgery operations performed.
2- What is silicone?
In
the field of medicine, silicone is used in a variety of products:
probes, catheters, tips for perforating needles and pace-makers. In the
thi-tissue surgery field, implants are used to correct the body contour.
The first productive process of silicone polymers was patented in 1958.
Silicone, or dimethylpolysolixane in the language of chemists, is produced as silicone elastomer, silicone gel or silicone oil. In silicones, oxygen and ailicon are linked in the same way as stones and glass. In addition, the methylic
groups are linked to the silicon atoms. Except for amorphous silica as
a stabilizing and filling material, silicone contains no other
additive and especially no softening agent.
3- Is there more then one type of mammary implant?
Yes, Implants vary in surface, profile and shape, and all are filled with high cohesivity gel.
As for the surface, they are provided with smooth envelope, textured envelope or polyurethane foam coated.
The profile may be high, moderate, natural low or extra-projection natural; the shape may be round or anatomic.
The wide range of options aims to meet the needs and desires of each patient.
4- Why the different surfaces?
Due to a natural reaction of the human body, a capsule is formed around foreign bodies, including implants.
This capsule may become hard and contract the implant. The contracture may deform the implant and alter the shape of the breast. We call this complication capsular contracture.
The incidence of capsular contracture is related, among other reasons, to the implant surface.
The
first implants to be produced were smooth-surfaced.
Polyurethane-foam-coated implants appeared in the middle of the
seventies.
And finally in the 80's, textured implants appeared in an attempt to imitate the rugous affect of polyurethane foam.
Regardless of the modern techniques used, polyurethane implants resulted in remarkably low rates of capsular contracture, varying from 0 to 4%. Textured implants present a lower incidence of contracture than smooth implants.
5- Are implants assured to be safe?
Yes.
For more than 30 years, the safety of and confidence in silicone
implants have been continually assured in studies and experiments.
National and international inspection organizations stipulate clear
requirements for the, manufacturing process, sterilization and
packaging are all subjected to strict rules.
6- Can a mammary implant change my appearance?
Yes.
Mammary implants can give a feeling and quite natural appearance to the
reconstructed breast. Some studies even show longer survival in
patients who have their breast reconstructed.
As far as aesthetic surgery is concerned, breast augmentation improves the appearance according to each patient's desires.
7-Is the plastic-surgery procedure of augmentation mastoplasty performed only for cosmetic reasons?
No. Breast augmentation surgery can be performed for aesthetic, reparatory or reconstructive reasons.
In reparatory surgery, women with small mammary volume, a genetic condition known as hypomastia, or total absence of the breasts,a genetic condition known as amastia, can resort to augmentation mastoplasty due to their discontent in respect to their breast and the desire to feel more feminine.
Surgery for mammary augmentation may also be performed for reconstructive reasons, when women with sequelae
of breast cancer have part or all of their breasts reconstructed with
the help of silicone-gel breast implants, or when they have undergone
some other physical trauma.
8- In the case of hypomastia and amastia, what benefits does plastic surgery brings to patients who undergo augmentation mastoplasty?
Studies prove that for cases of hypomastia and amastia,
increasing the volume of the breast brings positive changes to the
quality of life and self-esteem of patients submitted to this type of
surgery. These changes include how the patient's life is affected physical, psychologically and socially, since the breast have been acknowledged across the ages and in different cultures as the symbol of feminity, sensuality and maternity.
9-What types of incision are used to augment the breast?
Besides the axillary, transareolar and periareolar incisions, the most used option is incision in the inframammary fold.
10- Are there different surgical procedures?
Yes. Your doctor will be able to provide you with valuable information in this respect.
11-What about the positioning of the implant?
In operations to augmentations the breast, the implant can be positioned either below the glandular tissue (retroglandular) or below the muscle (retomuscular).
In breast reconstruction, the positioning of the implant will depend on the patient's oncological condition. Your doctor will tell you the best position in your case.
12- Is it possible to detect a tumor in breast with implants?
Both the mammography and other specific examinations detect tumors even in the initial stages.
However,
there are studies showing that, in some cases, tumors are not possible
to be detected by mammography. Thus, it is advisable that persons
bearing implants talk to the radiologist, so that the most suitable type of exam is chosen.
13-What influence does a breast implant have on cancer treatment?
Major
studies, even published by international organizations, have proved
that women with mammary implants are not more susceptible to breast
cancer than women without implants.
It is also proved that there is no relation whatsoever between the silicon of any of the three existing surfaces and the development of cancer.
Another
quite interesting study has shown that, among women who had breast
cancer and underwent mastectomy, survival is longer in those who had
their breast reconstructed.
14-Can the silicone gel leak?
In
comparison with first-generation implants, only insignificant traces of
gel can be found in the capsular tissue, This is due to the proven quality both of the implant envelopes and the filling gel, which is highly cohesive and of low transudation.
15-How long does an implant last?
The
patient must have periodical follow-up to assess the need to change the
implant. Although the limits of the useful life of implants are not
acknowledged by the scientific community, Silimed
defines an average period of ten years as the expected useful life, but
this parameter may be changed if some reason arises to justify it.
Today we know of several patients in Brazil and abroad who have had the
same implant for more than twenty years without any problem.
16-How often after surgery should I visit the doctor for a check-up?
It is best that a semi-annual or annual basis control is made with your doctor.
17-Patient's Card
In order to offer even more security, Silimed
provides a "patient's record" on each implant box for the surgeon or
his/her team to place the labels with the serial and ref numbers and
the volume of the implants used on each breast.
Always carry this card with you to show for any reason such as a mammography examination.
18- How should I prepare for a visit to my surgeon?
Ask your doctor anything you want to know, prepare yourself for this conversation making a list of the doubts which occured to you.
It is very important that you make sure of your choice, before the surgery.