A Minnesotan’s Guide to Breast Implants
April 2, 2012
Ok, so you’ve done it. You called and made the appointment for breast augmentation with a Minnesota plastic surgeon. Congrats! Now, this is assuming you checked out that your plastic surgeon is board certified in plastic surgery and licensed to practice medicine in Minnesota.
Saline Implant or Silicone Implant
At Omni Cosmetic, during your consultation you will have the option of choosing silicone or saline filled implants. It’s a personal choice. Since 2006 when the FDA approved silicone implants again for use by women over 22 years of age, about 98% of women choose silicone.
Breast Implant Size
Now that you have decided on silicone implants or saline implant you need to choose the size of your implants? Dr. Ness prefers dimensional sizing, meaning: Based on your individual breast and chest measurements, he will recommend an implant size range and style to you. He will also take into consideration your goals and expectations for how you want your final result to be. He is a very good listener. Tell him your breast enlargement goals. He will guide you in the sizing process and listen for you to say key words. Together, you will come up with a great breast implant size for your frame.
Profile Style of Breast Implants
Whether you chose at saline implant or silicone implant. There are different profiles of implants: high, mid, and low. Profile refers to the projection of the implant. Projection simply means the amount the implant projects forward from the body. When the diameter of the breast implants decreases, the patient will have more forward projection.
Low profile breast implants have the least amount of projection. Generally, this is the ideal choice for women with wider frames. Moderate profile breast implants are the standard implant that fit most women with average frames. High profile implants project the furthest and are generally recommended for women with a narrow chest circumference. Again, based on your measurements, goals and expectations, Dr. Ness will recommend a specific profile for you.
Breast Implant Placement
Will your breast implant be placed under or over the muscle? Dr. Ness recommends going under the muscle in most cases. Breast implant placement below the muscle reduces risk of capsular contracture (thick scar tissue surrounding the breast implant). It also reduces the amount of rippling or wrinkling that can sometimes be seen or felt around the breast implant. This is especially important when considering saline implants
As with any plastic surgery procedure you consider, it is important to do your homework when considering breast augmentation, but when it comes to breast implant profile, don’t over think that, you can really drive yourself crazy!
Knowledgeable plastic surgeons and their staff will take the time to go over all of your questions and answer them honestly and with respect. If you feel like you aren’t getting the attention you need from your plastic surgery team, keep looking. There are many Minnesota plastic surgeons that are board-certified and have good experience in promoting patient safety and comfort. Remember to look at their before and after pictures.
