Florida Breast Implants

Many women in Florida consider getting breast implants as a way to help enhance their body image, making breast augmentation the third most common cosmetic procedure in the U.S., with nearly 300,000 surgeries performed in 2005 alone. Regardless of your reasons for considering breast implants, you should know about them, their history, their evolution, and be aware of how having implants may require prolonged care that goes beyond a basic outpatient procedure.

If you live in South Florida and are considering breast implants, you can benefit from having one of the nation's most capable plastic surgeons right in your area. With his extensive credentials and years of experience, Dr. Bernard A. Shuster emphasizes patient consultation and care as much as the actual surgical procedure.

If you would like to request a consultation with Dr. Shuster to discuss your options regarding breast implants, please contact our South Florida office (conveniently located between Miami and Fort Lauderdale) by email, or by phone at 954-961-5500. Traveling patients, or those on a tight schedule, can also request a Virtual Consultation.

The History of Breast Implants

While we may think of breast implants as a relatively new technology, early instances of using implants to augment a woman's breast size can be traced as far back as the late 1800s, when a woman's actual body fat (adipose tissue) was repositioned to the breast area.

In the years that followed, a vast (and relatively bizarre) array of different materials were considered for use as implant material. Some of these materials included: ivory, glass balls, ground rubber, ox cartilage, polyethylene tape (Polystan) or strips wound into a ball, polyethylene chips and teflon-silicone prostheses among others.

In the 1950s and 1960s, thousands of women received silicone injections to increase their breast size. Some of these recipients suffered extreme after-effects that led to silicone granulomas (i.e., a growth or tumor of composed of granulated tissue) and hardening of the breasts that, in some case, resulted in mastectomies. These instances, however, have had a direct impact on medical standards regarding breast implants, making them a safe option for cosmetic enhancement today.

Silicone Breast Implants

While saline breast implants may be the primary type of implant found in women today, it was really the development of technology relative to silicone breast implants that have led to the greatest advances in implants as we recognize them today.

The evolution of silicone breast implants is usually referred to in terms of generations. Characteristics of each generation are as follows.

• First Generation - These teardrop-shaped implants consisted of a basic silicone rubber sac inflated with a thick silicone gel.

• Second Generation - As the desire for softer, more realistic implants grew, breast implant designs incorporated thinner sacs and a more fluid silicone gel. This change, however, led to more ruptures and medical complications resulting from those ruptures or other leaks. Second-generation implants also saw the use of different double lumen designs, which were essentially a silicone implant inside a saline implant. The complex design of the double lumen implant, however, led to a failure rate higher than for single lumen models.

• Third and Fourth Generations - To reduce the potential for leakage and the risk of complications stemming from leakage, third and fourth generation implants were elastomer-coated and inflated with thicker gel.

• Fifth Generation - Taking third and fourth generation implants a step further, high-cohesive, form-stable implants, or gummy bear implants are currently in early stages of use. The high degree of gel cohesion in these implants is believed to significantly reduce, or even eliminate, silicone migration. Reports, so far, have supported this belief.

Saline Breast Implants

Because of recent concerns of breast implant leaks in the 1990s, the FDA steered the cosmetic surgery field toward using saline breast implants. Though some women and doctors believe saline may not offer the same texture or natural look of their silicone counterparts, the greater sense of safety has been a trade-off most women have willingly accepted.

First manufactured in 1964, saline breast implants have less to do with safety than the smaller incisions they require for placement. Unlike silicone implants, saline implants can be inserted first as empty silicone elastomer shells and then filled with a saline solution to the desired size. In Florida, as well as the rest of the U.S., saline breast implants are most commonly used because of FDA restrictions on silicone implants. Dr. Shuster, however, as a key member of an ongoing FDA study, may be able to offer you a choice between saline or silicone breast implants depending on the uniqueness of your particular needs.

Breast implants do not last forever. However, in the event that saline breast implants break, they will usually deflate quickly and the saline will be harmlessly absorbed by the body. The implants then can be easily removed and/or replaced.

Contact Dr. Shuster today to discover the right type of implants for you.

You can also follow this link to learn more about the types of breast implants available from Dr. Shuster, a board certified surgeon specializing in breast augmentation in Florida.

Florida Breast Implants Consultation

Getting breast implants can change not only your body image, but also your self-confidence. Numerous women seeking Miami / Fort Lauderdale breast implants have made the decision to choose the experience and proven results of Dr. Shuster, and have been extremely happy with their results.

As a preeminent plastic surgeon in Florida, breast implants and other forms of breast surgery are areas of specialization for Dr. Shuster. He can address your concerns in an honest and caring manner to help you decide if breast augmentation is right for you.

With our office in Hollywood, Florida, we are conveniently located close to Miami and Fort Lauderdale. If you would like to request a consultation with Dr. Shuster to discuss your interests and concerns regarding breast implants, please visit our online consultation page.

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