Breast implants vary in several different ways:
Filling
Shape
Texture

Once you have chosen to have a breast augmentation surgery, you must also decide what type of implant will suit your needs best. To help you with this decision, the plastic surgeon, like Dr. Hendricks in Newport Beach, CA, will work closely with you.

Although the decision to undergo breast enhancement surgery is very personal, your plastic surgeon can provide you with much needed help when making various breast augmentation choices.

I provide high-quality, compassionate care to all my patients, says Dr. Douglas Hendricks, using scientifically proven, modern breast enhancement techniques, I help my patients achieve their goals of achieving youthful, healthy, vibrant appearances.

All available breast implants have at least two things in common: a shell and a filling material. Breast implant shells are made of silicone elastomer, with the exception of polypropylene implants, which are silicone free.

Although you may have heard about saline and silicone breast implants, the difference between the two is the material used to fill the silicone elastomer shell.

Saline Breast Implants are filled with a sterile saltwater solution; much like what you would receive to treat dehydration in the hospital.
Silicone Breast Implants are pre-filled with a silicone gel.

Saline breast implants are not only completely safe, but they are also the most common form of breast implant. If they were to rupture, the body has no difficulty absorbing the solution because saline breast implants contain just a sterile saltwater solution.

Silicone breast implants contain a silicone gel, and they are pre-filled so that chances of allowing the silicone gel enter the body while performing the breast enhancement surgery is much lessened. Also, the incision made during breast enhancement surgery with silicone breast implants is larger; to accommodate the size of the pre filled implant.

Saline breast implants can also be selected either pre-filled or filled after being placed. The incision made for breast enlargement surgery with an empty breast implant is much smaller because the breast implant is filled after the surgery is complete.

Silicone breast implants are now being filled with a cohesive gel. This means that if the implant were to rupture, the gel sticks to itself, like bread dough.

At the moment, saline implants are widely available, while silicone implants can only be placed through plastic surgeons participating in cohesive gel silicone breast implant surveys. Saline breast implants, however, are available in different shapes and textures.

Anatomical, or contoured implants and traditional, or round, implants can both be used to give a breast augmentation surgery patient the results they are looking for.

Contoured Breast Implants are shaped like a teardrop, and were originally developed for women who needed breast reconstruction. Round Breast Implants are more common, and can move freely inside the pocket made by the plastic surgeon behind the breast.

Although round breast implants almost always take the shape of a teardrop after the healing process has completed, some women prefer contoured breast implants because they mimic the natural shape of the breast.

Round breast implants are shaped like a globe; after theyve been placed, they can rotate within the breast pocket created by the plastic surgeon, without distorting the shape of the breast.

There are also differences in the surgeries involving round or contoured breast implants. During a breast augmentation surgery with a contoured breast implant, the plastic surgeon must make a more precise pocket for the contoured breast implant so that it does not rotate, and distort the shape of the breast, after it has been placed.

Contoured breast implants are also textured so that there is less chance of rotation within the breast pocket. This means that the shell of the implant is thicker to compensate for the texture.

Breast implants can also be selected on the texture of the outer shell. Textured implants were developed to decrease the chance of capsular contracture.

Textured Breast Implants surface of the implants is marred to feel similar to sand paper; the shell is thicker to compensate for the marring.
Smooth Breast Implants surface is smooth so that the breast implant can move freely within the pocket formed behind the breast; smooth, round, saline breast implants are the most common form of breast implant.

It has still not been determined whether or not textured implants actually lessen the chance of capsular contracture or not.

When deciding on your breast augmentation surgery, it is important to consider all aspects of the procedure. The breast implant is one of the most important parts of this. The breast implant is what actually provides you with the enhancement and it is placed behind your breast. Not only can its size be selected to give you the appearance you want, but also the shape, texture, and what it is filled with.