Types of Breast Implant Options

There are literally hundreds of different combinations of breast implants that you can pick from. So, one of the common questions that people ask is, “What about textured versus smooth?” So what I’ve got here is a textured implant and a smooth implant. The gel inside these implants is exactly the same. There’s no difference at all, other than the surface of the shell around the implant.

Now, the way that that texturing is done surprisingly, is different between each of the three major implant manufacturing companies. But the whole purpose of the texturing is to help prevent capsular contracture, which is scar tissue forms around the implant, tightens down, makes it feel hard. There are a lot of studies that say texturing does decrease capsular contracture, but there’s also studies that say it doesn’t make a whole lot of difference. The biggest place that texturing helps is when you have what is called a form stable implant.

This implant, when it lays down, keeps its shape. It’s not round like this one. Now this one, when you stand up, it becomes this one. So, it is a shape that’s going to assume a breast shape when you stand up. The purpose of these form stable implants are for people that have very little breast tissue or somebody that’s had a masectomy and has nothing but skin. You need something that is going to give you a shape otherwise you end up looking just like a round ball.

So why texture this? Well, this one, if it rotates, nobody cares.  But, if this rotates, eveybody cares. So you need that texturing to keep the thing from moving around. That’s the principal purpose of texturing for me. But the idea of preventing capsular contractor is also part of the issue. Which one your surgeon uses, a lot of points going into that decision, but talk to him about it.