Breast Implants

Breast Implants are any type of prosthesis placed within the mammary glands to increase the size of a person’s breast. The main reason for undergoing the process of  breast augmentation or breast enlargement is for cosmetic purposes.  Millions of  women have breast augmentations every year. In fact, it is the second most popular type of cosmetic surgery after liposuction.

Unfortunately, a fair percentage of these women will suffer from an unnatural tightening where the breast becomes overly firm. These cases of breast job hardening and deformity may become very painful for the patients. The complications that may arise after surgery is called capsular contracture. This is when the breast tissue surrounding the implant reacts by contracting and squashing the implant, making it hard and scrunching up the breast. Some patients will just get moderate firming while in worst case scenarios, the gel pouch becomes rock hard and very painful to the patient thus requiring corrective surgery.

Cosmetic surgeons have recently recruited 3000 women to test out an improved European-made titanium implant that they believe will lower the rate of this so-called capsular contracture. These implants are laced with this metal in order to reduce cases of hardening and distorting of the breast. The French implant company believes the problem can be negated  by modifying the coating of their standard silicone gel implants. They are coated with an invisible, microscopic layer of titanium, a naturally-occurring metal also used in hip replacements and bone screws. The idea is that when a titanium implant is placed inside a patient, the body’s cells  will come into contact with the titanium layer and not the problematic silicone. It is then believed that the body is less likely to react in an adverse manner. There is concern though that these new types of titanium metal breast implants may interfere with mammograms or even airport scanners.

In a recent trial, half the women offered the titanium implant had taken up the option, with the rest preferring the standard filler. Test results have looked positive so far  but continued testing of this product should provide more reliable results. Breast surgery is still a relatively problematic discipline and cosmetic surgeons are always on the lookout for the latest surgical trends in breast augmentations. Improved procedures to operate on difficult breasts and the best ways to avoid gel leaks and displacement are always a priority. Patients keen on undergoing such cosmetic surgery should be wary of the complications involved with capsular contracture . They should consult a qualified medical specialist to  find out ways to lower these risks.

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