These Gummy Bears Aren’t in the Candy Aisle
- Posted on: Aug 15 2018
If you’re considering having breast augmentation surgery with Dr. Amirlak, you’ll have many decisions to make beyond simply choosing to have the procedure. One of your decisions will be the type of implant. In the past you’ve had two choices, saline or silicone. But in 2012 a new type of implant entered your realm of options — the gummy bear implant. Dr. Amirlak likes his patients to be as knowledgeable as possible about procedure options, so here’s some information on these newer implants.
What is a gummy bear implant?
Although these implants are relatively new to the scene, they are already referred to with a variety of terms. You may have heard cohesive, gummy bear, form-stable, or highly cohesive. These implants retain their shape, unlike other implant choices, because the gel is thicker than traditional silicone implants. These terms denote the attributes of these implants made by three companies: Sientra, Allergan, and Mentor.
Cohesive silicone gel
There is some misunderstanding about what “cohesive gel” breast implants really are. In reality, all silicone implants sold today use a more “cohesive” silicone gel than implants from the 80s and early 90s. Only the most cohesive, i.e. thicker, are deemed to be “gummy bear implants.” To get an idea of the density, if a cohesive implant is cut in half, there is no gross movement of gel, and the implant maintains its shape.
Teardrop shape
Cohesive breast implants are anatomically shaped to match the natural breast, which projects more at the bottom than at the top. The teardrop shape is thinner at the top, filling out more at the bottom. This shape maintains itself due to the thicker nature of the cohesive gel.
All gummy bear implants are textured. This texturing increases friction and helps keep the implants from rotating. This is very important because these implants are different at the bottom and the top, so maintaining their position is a necessity.
Their safety statistics
Sientra cites five years of study with gummy bear implants. Here are some statistics.
- Over 98% rupture-free through five years
- Zero reported incidences of implant rotation
- Low rate (3.9%) of capsular contracture
If you’re considering breast augmentation with Dr. Amirlak, gummy bear implants need to be a part of your research. If you have questions, or to make a consultation appointment, call us at (214) 974-4948.
Posted in: Breast Augmentation
