| Breast Implant operations continue to be among the | | | | being looked at for wider use, but as with any other |
| top five most popular and requested plastic surgeries | | | | medical device approval process, this can take years |
| performed here in the United States. Not only has | | | | for them to go through for more popular use, |
| breast augmentation made leaps and bounds in the | | | | especially when there are other viable alternatives |
| technological and technique aspect, but the cost has | | | | available to those desiring breast augmentation. |
| also come considerably down from when they first | | | | So, what is the difference behind the cohesive gel |
| started to become popular and well known. | | | | aka gummy bear, and a regular silicone device? Well, |
| This procedure dates back to the 1950's believe it or | | | | the term "cohesive" actually by virtue means that the |
| not, when the first pioneers went under the knife | | | | described product maintains it's integrity and it's |
| and got the only type of implant available back then, | | | | shape, even when compromised. A good visual, and |
| which was the silicone variety. If you recall, much | | | | one that you can find on the cohesive gel website, is |
| later in the nineties, the safety of silicone breast | | | | the comparison to the gummy bear. |
| implants came under fire with numerous women | | | | When the cohesive, or gummy bear implant, is cut in |
| saying they felt their health had been compromised | | | | half, it maintains it's shape, just like a piece of gummy |
| after leakage into their body produced strange | | | | candy does. It's soft and pliable, and yet it has that |
| symptoms that resembled auto immune or nervous | | | | cohesive nature that allows it to keep it's shape |
| system related side effects. | | | | when the outer shell is broken. |
| Because of the crusade of many consumer rights | | | | The key word here being "soft". That is why so |
| groups, silicone breast implants were banned from | | | | many patients are curious about this type of |
| use in the United States for several years, only | | | | technologically advanced material, because it is soft |
| recently making a comeback due to a re-approval | | | | like silicone, and yet it maintains it's shape and |
| process and companies that manufacture the silicone | | | | integrity much better, and who knows, it may even |
| type of device improving their leakage likelihood by | | | | prove safer since it may be less likely to be leeched |
| reinforcing the shell encasing the silicone in a better | | | | into the blood stream if the implant is ever |
| way. | | | | compromised or a revision surgery is needed. |
| Up until they were approved again in the United | | | | Now, how do they look? I took a look at many |
| States, women would have to travel over to Europe | | | | pictures online that show before and afters of |
| or other far off places where they were still legal. | | | | patients who received the gummy implant, that I |
| Even now, silicone is not used by every surgeon, but | | | | must say they look pretty good, but I couldn't tell a |
| it is increasingly easier to find one that will use this | | | | huge difference between them and saline implants |
| type of device. While we may never know how truly | | | | visually. |
| safe this type of device is, it remains a popular | | | | Of course, I have never actually touched a breast |
| choice for women who want a more natural feel and | | | | that is altered with the cohesive implant, so I don't |
| look, and some say it simply doesn't compare to the | | | | know how they compare in softness and natural feel, |
| saline type when it comes to copying nature. | | | | bounce and movement, so I'd have to safely assume |
| Whatever you may believe, it's important to note | | | | that this is where the bang for your buck comes in. |
| that you should always discuss the options with your | | | | Feel and movement are really important when it |
| surgeon before you make any choices. Educate | | | | comes to your breasts, so this does count for a lot |
| yourself on what you believe is the safest, most | | | | for most patients who are concerned with having |
| logical choice for yourself, and don't strictly let the | | | | stiff, unnatural feeling and motionless breasts. |
| vanity aspect guide you, but rather try to keep an | | | | Now on to the cost factor. Gummy bear implants |
| objective, open mind and don't let the manufacturer's | | | | cost significantly more than saline implants, and a fair |
| obvious skewed view get in the way. Instead try to | | | | amount more than saline implants, so that is definitely |
| read unbiased, objective reviews and descriptions by | | | | going to cause them not to be as widely used |
| women who've actually had them. | | | | whenever they do become popularized over here in |
| That said, let's talk about the newer options that | | | | the US, as they are in Europe currently. |
| patients have today when getting their breasts | | | | Another few factors to consider about these nifty |
| enlarged via augmentation surgery. There is another | | | | implant options is that they are not fillable, so they |
| option that is garnering a lot of interest on the web | | | | can't be inserted as easily through small incisions like |
| as a possibility for wide future use here in the US, | | | | silicone and saline, since an empty shell is inserted and |
| but still for whatever reason is only mainly available | | | | then they are filled inside the chest. What this boils |
| through surgeons who are running clinical trials on the | | | | down to is a larger incision to get the implant in. |
| implant. The implants I'm talking about are called | | | | Also, because they come pre-sized, you'd better |
| cohesive gel, or more widely known as "gummy | | | | make sure that is the size and shape you want your |
| bear" implants. | | | | breast to look like, otherwise, they are not really |
| Cohesive gel, or gummy bear, implants are | | | | changeable after inserted into the chest unless the |
| manufactured by Mentor corporation, and they are | | | | patient opts for another surgery to get new ones |
| named under the model Natrelle 410. They are still | | | | implanted. |