The purpose of these publications is to clarify concepts and give advice from the strictest medical point of view; the least I can do is to give you my personal recommendations for when I decide to talk directly to a surgeon.
Which of the following breasts have implants?
If you said that all breasts have implants, then you were correct; only incorrectly chosen or misplaced implants look unnatural. If the implants are perfectly placed and the size and type are well chosen, you will hardly be able to tell the difference.
Technique to achieve a good result
First of all, find a surgeon who uses the technique of placing the implant behind the pectoralis major muscle as the first option. This will achieve a more natural look and avoid the “two-ball” appearance under the skin.
An increasingly popular technique is to place the implants half behind the muscle and half in front. It is called “dual-plane” and offers very good results in indicated cases.
There are other specific cases where the subglandular option is indicated, for example in patients previously operated on for breast reduction.
Size:
Always try to aim for a size that is not too large, that maintains the proportion of your silhouette and that fits your way of being and dressing. Think that the implants are going to be with you throughout your life.
What are implants made of?
Currently, all first choice implants are made of cohesive silicone gel, with different degrees of cohesiveness. This makes them very safe even in the rare case of rupture.
There are polyurethane implants, indicated for those patients who have encapsulated the usual silicone implants.
Types of implants
In terms of shape, there are 2 types of breast implants: round implants, which are ideal when the retromuscular technique is used, and anatomical or drop-shaped implants, which are mostly used in dual-plane and subglandular techniques.
In terms of coverage, there are smooth prostheses, rough prostheses, and an intermediate between the two, the microtextured prostheses. Microtextured prostheses have overtaken smooth and rough prostheses in recent years, but nowadays smooth prostheses are gaining strength again, since their supposed small disadvantages do not seem to be true.
Do all implants weigh the same?
In the last few years, silicone implants have emerged that weigh a little less than traditional implants. These implants are also more expensive.
What is the projection or profile of the implant?
There are low, medium-high and extra-high projection implants. It means that at equal volume, some have less base and are higher in profile. While others are wider in base and lower in profile.
Do the implants have to be changed?
If the implant is of the latest generation (i.e. cohesive silicone gel) and in the annual controls by your gynecologist no alteration is detected, the answer is NO.
Can you breastfeed if you have implants?
Yes, you can. What makes it difficult to breastfeed later is if in addition to the implants a breast lift or reconstruction has been performed.