I find that most patients coming in to see me know that there are both saline and silicone breast implant options, but other than that they don’t really understand the nuances and differences offered. Many of these patients have gone on other consultations already and have even received quotes for silicone breast implants and tell me that the doc promised them “the new gummy bear implant.”
What exactly does that mean? Is there a difference between the implants currently available on the market?
Absolutely there are differences! Allergan offers their older Style 10, 15, and 20 implants. They say that they offer 3 different Gummy Bear Implants too! Mentor offers several different styles and Sientra has the style 105, 106, and 107. How can the patient be informed? What information is important? I think a good knowledge of the differences is not only important but should be part of an informed decision.
Thus, I have made a video:
The video several different implants from several different manufacturers. I think there is a pretty striking difference between the consistency of the implants shown. I have changed the implants I have offered over the years as new models have come out on the market. I used to almost exclusively use Mentor’s breast implants. During those years I felt all implants were pretty similar other than size and shape differences. In recent years I have moved to using newer implant designs as they have become available. Why? Because implants can and do leak over time, and which would you rather have in you if it was leaking? First I moved to Sientra, and now I mostly use Allergan’s implants for the reasons in this video. Even in Allergan’s implants there are differences and I only use the two top of the line implants, either SoftTouch or Cohesive currently.
So, when your surgeon tells you he or she is going to use a Gummy Implant I would specifically ask them which one. Don’t just go with “all cohesive is the same.” Certain models cost more, but that should be a decision that you are involved with. I do not believe all implants on the market in 2017 are “Gummy” and neither should you. They are all cohesive not liquid silicone but levels of cohesiveness vary greatly. Feel free to email if you have any questions!