There is a
lot of talk on the internet today about patients receiving OVERFILLED SALINE IMPLANTS. And by overfilled they mean approximately TWICE the recommended volume.
Saline (and silicone) implants come in a myriad of sizes and profiles in order
to give each patient an individualized result suited for her body and desired
outcome. Saline implants are received empty, and filled with injectable saline
to a recommended volume. Each saline implant has a fill range with a minimum
and maximum recommended volume.
Why is
overfilling a saline implant a bad idea?
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| Implant identifier and measured volume of saline |
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| Same implant in image above, filled to 2.5x the recommended projection |
Many
reasons, in no particular order:
1. It
VOIDS the warranty. Implant manufacturers stand behind their product, and
current warranties allow for full cost of a replacement implant should one fail
(procedural costs may not be included). However, this warranty is voided should
the surgeon fill the implant with more saline than recommended by the
manufacturer.
2. It
makes the implant hard. HARD. This has many implications. First, they don’t
feel right. Breasts shouldn’t be hard. Second, they can cause pressure on the
skin which could result in skin loss and infection in extreme circumstances.
Third, they can case skeletal deformities. Your ribcage is alive and constantly
remodeling. The pressure caused by a very firm, overfilled saline implant can,
over time, create a concave ribcage.
3. It
DISTORTS the shape of the implant. A saline implant when filled correctly has
an oval appearance. An overfilled saline implant takes on a round shape,
resulting in a very artificial look (and feel! See item #2)
4. It
can cause your Areolae to STRETCH to large proportions. The areolae (the dark
skin around the nipple) is less elastic than the breast skin, and resultantly
stretches more easily than the skin of the breast in an augmentation. When
strained by an overfilled saline implant, patients can be left with areolae
over 3 inches wide.
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| Overfilled saline implants & stretched areolae (left), exchanged for silicone with an areolar reduction & vertical lift (right) |
5. It
is NOT a substitute for a lift. Some surgeons will advocate putting in larger
and larger implants to avoid getting a breast lift, which can result in a
larger result than a patient desired or anticipated. There is no such thing as
an “INTERNAL LIFT”,
it just means "overfilled saline implants".
6. It
is MUCH harder (and much more expensive to the patient in the long run) to
correct in a revision than getting it right the first time. I have performed
many revisions of breast augmentations of patients with overfilled saline
implants. None of them was ever straight forward, several of them required some
additional procedures to achieve the desired result.
7. It
costs MORE. Some surgeons may charge thousands less than others in the same
community. While it seems a bargain, BEWARE. Believe the cliché: if something seems too good to
be true it probably is. Saving money in the short term to get an undesirable
result may ultimately cost thousands more in the long run to get restorative
plastic surgery
Always make
sure your surgeon lists the actual fill volume on the implant information card
provided to you. Make sure your surgery is performed at an accredited surgery
center. Make sure your surgeon is board certified by the American Board of
Plastic Surgery. Meet with several plastic surgeons before making your
decision, make sure you are comfortable with your surgeon, and get an idea of the
price involved with the surgery. If someone is charging thousands of dollars
less than the rest of the community, ask yourself why.
Believe the
cliché:
if something seems too good to be true it probably is. Saving money in the
short term to get an undesirable result may ultimately cost thousands more in
the long run to get restorative plastic surgery.
Dr. William
A. Wallace of Fleming Island Plastic Surgery is double board certified in
Plastic Surgery by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and in General Surgery
by the American Board of Surgeons. Dr. Wallace is a Fellow of the American
College of Surgeons, a Member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and
the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Wallace
is a respected expert in Revisional Breast Augmentation and Augmentation
Mastopexy, having given talks nationwide on the subjects to plastic surgeons,
community physicians, and patients.
Contact Fleming Island Plastic Surgery to schedule your FREE consultation today:
Call:
904-990-FIPS (3477)
Email:
info@904plasticsurgery.com
(Pictures are of actual patients and implants, and used with expressed written permission)
