MH Plastic Surgery Breast Enhancement Singapore

Breast Enhancement Singapore: Shapes & Surfaces of Breast Implants

If you are thinking of getting breast enhancement Singapore with breast implants, the shape and surface of the implant are important factors you need to consider. It is important to do some research and consult a plastic surgeon so that you can make an informed decision when choosing your implants. Different women have different aesthetic goals they want to achieve for their breasts in terms of size and shape. The implant they choose will be crucial in affecting the outcome of the surgery. In addition, your own biological factors such as your breast and chest dimensions and your soft tissue thickness and elasticity also need to be considered when choosing the most suitable implant for you. Hence it is important to consult with a certified plastic surgeon in Singapore so that he can guide you in choosing the type of breast implant that is most suited to you. This article discusses the different breast implant options available in the market today. It will help you to understand the differences between these implants and give you a clear picture of your available options.

Different Breast Implant Shapes for Breast Enhancement

Currently, three different breast implant shapes are available: round implant, anatomical ( also known as teardrop, Gummy Bear) implant and Motiva Ergonomix®.

The round implant is the original and oldest breast implant shape. It is shaped like a dome, and is equally full in its upper and lower parts. This implant produces more fullness in the upper part of the breast compared to the other two shapes. This fullness creates a slightly convex profile in the upper part of the breast when viewed from the side, which a natural breast does not have no matter how big it may be. Therefore, the round implant produces the least natural breast profile of the three implant shapes. It does however tend to produce a fuller cleavage, which some women find desirable. Being round in shape, this implant is also not vulnerable to undesired shape changes resulting from rotation of the implant during or after the surgery.

The anatomical implant was created to address the main shortcoming of the round implant, i.e. excessive fullness in the upper part of the breast. It is shaped such that it is less full in its upper part and more full in its lower part, thus resembling a teardrop when viewed from the side.  It is therefore known colloquially as the teardrop implant. This teardrop shape gives the upper part of the breast a straight profile when viewed from the side, which is similar to what a natural breast would have, even if it were large in size. The breast shape produced by an anatomical implant is therefore more natural and authentic looking than that produced by a round implant, and makes it hard to tell visually that the patient has breast implants. However, the anatomical implant does have a few disadvantages. First, the silicone gel in the implant needs to be stiff enough to create and maintain the teardrop shape. This means that the implant will feel less soft than say, a round implant that does not require its silicone gel to have this physical property. Second, the stiffness of the gel means that it is somewhat resistant to gravity. Therefore, when the patient lies down, the teardrop shape is maintained, whereas the shape of a real breast will change when the patient lies down because the breast tissues will moves upwards along the chest in that position in response to gravity. The third disadvantage of the anatomical implant is that since it has a specific shape and it is not round, it has to be positioned in the correct orientation, with the apex of less full part above (in the 12 o’clock position) and the base of fuller part below (in the 6 o’clock position). It cannot tolerate being tilted or rotated to one side or the other, because this would have an adverse effect on the shape of the breast, causing it to look unnatural.

The third implant shape, known as Motiva Ergonomix®, has been available in Singapore since 2016. It is the sixth and latest generation of breast implant. The silicone gel in this implant has the ideal balance of viscosity (how it flows with gravity), cohesivity (how well the gel stays intact without breaking up), elasticity (how well is returns to its original state after being stretched) and viscoelasticity (how flexible and adaptable it is). This combination of physical characteristics allows the Ergonomix implant to change and adapt its shape in response to the forces of gravity. It looks like a round implant when lying down, and it looks like an anatomical implant when standing up. It is also much softer than the other two implants. It is thus the softest and most natural looking implant with the most natural movements. In addition, there is no issue of implant rotation as the base of the Motiva Ergonomix® is round and will not cause breast shape distortion no matter what orientation it is in and how much it is rotated.

Different Breast Implant Projections for Breast Enhancement

The projection of the implant refers to how much it causes the profile of the breast to project forwards when placed in the patient. A lower projection creates a flatter looking breast that doesn’t stick out much in profile, while a higher projection creates a more prominent profile with the breasts projecting forwards to a greater degree. In the Motiva Ergonomix® range of implants for example, four levels of projection are available: low, moderate, full, and extra full. The ideal implant projection is determined by a combination of the patient’s preferences and the anatomical characteristics of her breasts and chest.

Different Breast Implant Surfaces for Breast Enhancement

Broadly, there are two types of breast implant surfaces: smooth and textured. Historically, attention to the issue of implant surface stemmed from concerns over complications associated with the type of implant surface. The main complication in question was capsular contracture.

What is Capsular Contracture?

When an implant is placed in the body, the body’s immune system reacts to the presence of the implant and initiates a chain of immunological events that results in inflammation and a layer of scar tissue being produced around the implant. This layer of scar tissue surrounding the implant is known as the capsule. If the capsule is thin and soft, it does not cause any problems. On the other hand, if the capsule thickens and contracts, it compresses the implant, causing it to feel too firm and distorting its shape to become too round. This is known as the complication of capsular contracture. While it is not a dangerous complication, it compromises the aesthetic result of the breast enhancement procedure, and usually requires a reoperation to address it.

Smooth Implants

The original and first generation of breast implant was made with a smooth surface. However, it was observed that this implant produced a relatively high rate of capsular contracture, and it was believed that the capsular contracture was caused by the smooth surface of the implant.

Macro Textured Implants

The concern over the high capsular contracture rates of smooth implants led to the development of the textured implant surface in the belief that the coarse texturing of the implant surface would result in a lower incidence of capsular contracture. Clinical studies seemed to suggest that textured implants did indeed produce lower rates of capsular contracture. However, textured implants then became associated with other complications such as seromas and Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL). A seroma is a fluid collection of serum (blood without the red blood cells) surrounding the implant, while  ALCL is a type of lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes). Smooth implants have not been associated with seromas and ALCL.

Motiva’s SilkSurface Implant

The Motiva Ergonomix® implant has an extremely finely textured surface known as the SilkSurface. This texturing is so fine that it is measured in nanometers and it feels almost smooth. In fact, it is officially classified as a smooth surface. It has been shown in scientific studies that the exceedingly fine texturing of the implant shell results in the body’s tissues reacting favourably to the presence of the implant. The body does not produce much inflammation in response to the implant and consequently, the capsule of scar tissue formed around the implant is thin and soft, resulting in a very low risk of capsular contracture. In addition, there have been no cases of seromas or ALCL associated with Motiva implants.

Which breast implant is best for you?

The choice of implant should be made after considering all the pros and cons of each type of implant shape and surface in consultation with a certified, accredited and experienced plastic surgeon, after which you will be able to make a properly informed decision for yourself.