Plastic Surgery Implants for Face and Body
Breast implants
- The American Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery and Reconstructive Surgery.
- American Board of Plastic Surgery
- The American Medical Association
Dr. Body (Dr. Linder): The range of breast implants is huge. There are many different sizes, depending on how large a woman wants to be. Available are tear-drop shaped and round breast implants; choices of smooth or textured shells and choices of implants that will determine how far in front a breast will extend. We surgeons know that measurement as projection.
Dr. Face (Dr. Kotler): That really shows the need for seeing a board-certified plastic surgeon with many years of experience. He or she will also know how various implants have fared with the patient years after the procedure. Is any one breast implant the most common?
Dr. Body: The most popular singular choice right now is an implant filled with silicone. That requires a slightly larger incision – about two inches long — because silicone implants must be inserted into the breast pocket fully filled. However, a saline filled implant can be inserted flat, with no filling and the saline added after the implant is in place. So the incision for a saline implant can be shorter.
Dr. Face: Common implants for the face include nose, jaw, chin and cheek implants. Fortunately, no filling is required. Facial implants are made from solid medical grade silicone. Incidentally, the solid silicone is perfectly safe and is routinely used to make artificial joints and heart valves.
In about 20 percent of rhinoplasties, a chin implant is used because the patient also has a receding chin. An unattractive nose can be surgically enhanced but if the patient also has a receding chin, the overall outcome is not as attractive because the patient’s profile is out of balance. Bringing the chin forward to a more normal position enhances the profile and provides balance to the rest of the face, especially in side views.
Chin, cheek and jaw implants may be inserted through the mouth or cheek implants behind your lower eyelid so there is no visible scar. Nasal implants are inserted through hidden internal nasal incisions.
Dr. Body: Body specialists often get requests for other implants used to enhance various aspects of the body. Like the facial implants you mention, those silicone implants are solid with no filling and are sometimes are very thin.
So patients who feel deficient in some area can get implants for:
- Chest
- Bicep
- Calves
- Buttocks
Dr. Face: What has been your experience with those enhancing implants which sound like something that would be attractive to body builders?
Dr. Body: I think there can be too many complications, especially for buttock implants which are basically inserted into the area of the body that supports the most weight. In my opinion, nothing good can happen from placing the entire weight of the body for most of the day on solid implants. The pressure can cause the fat and tissue around the implant to die and fluids to build up in the area.
Dr. Face: Fortunately, we don’t have the pressure problem with facial implants. But a properly sized pocket must first be made for insertion of the implant; one that is not too small nor too large. Great talent and experience on the part of the surgeon are needed because improperly placed implants can slip out of place. I like to stitch the implants – for extra stability — to the fascia, the tough lining that covers the bone of the face. In some cases, surgical screws are used to attach implants to facial bones.
Dr. Body: That touches on one of my objections to the implants that enhance the biceps, chest and calves – the implants can move, slide around and cause the muscles to atrophy, or shrink, which defeats the whole purpose of having the implants put into those locations. For bulging biceps, it’s better to spend extra time pumping iron!
Dr. Face: I see what you mean.
Dr. Body: Are there any other implants used in the face?
Dr. Face: Goretex, a clothlike manmade material – one version is used in skiwear – is an alternative to raising the bridge of the nose. When used in surgery, Gortex is known by its chemical initials, PTFE. Sometimes, the patient’s cartilage from an ear or from a rib is used to raise the bridge. PTFE has also been used in lip augmentation but tends not to do well over time.
Dr. Body: Well, that about covers the list of implants used in the human body for the sake of appearance.
Dr. Face: I can think of one other — implants that are rarely mentioned which can help restore appearance, if not function.
Dr. Body: And that would be..?
Dr. Face: For use after testicular cancer or trauma, the FDA has approved silicone testicular implants.
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Tags: Body, Plastic Surgery