Tag: breast surgery

IDEAL Structured Breast IMPLANT® feels more natural, new study finds

Women wanting breast augmentation have until now faced a dilemma: a choice between safer but less natural-feeling saline implants, and more natural-feeling silicone implants which are perceived to come with health risks.

The Ideal Implant®, a new breast implant soon to be made available to the public, promises to change all of this. The Ideal Breast Implant is a saline implant with the natural feel of a silicone implant made possible by its innovative double-lumen design. This design consists of a series of nested shells which control the flow of liquid inside the implants, giving them a more realistic feel than standard saline implants.

The Ideal Implant has completed its two-year trials with stunning results. Of the 472 women who came in for two-year follow-up examinations, patient satisfaction for those who received the Ideal Implant as their first implants was 94.3%. Satisfaction among women who received Ideal Implants as replacements for their previous ones was 92.3%. Surgeon satisfaction with the results was also high (96.5% for primary implants and 93.4% for replacements).

Dr. Larry Nichter, one of the surgeons assessing the new implants for the FDA, comments very favorably on the new breast implants in a press release by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery:

“The two-year clinical data from this study show that the Ideal Implant may provide a good alternative to current saline- or even silicone gel-filled implants. One of our most significant and unexpected findings was the low rate of capsular contracture for the investigational, double-lumen implant compared to current single-lumen saline implants.”

The Ideal Implant’s two-year statistics for capsular contracture were better than those for regular saline implants at one year, and none of the small number of deflations were caused by shell fold flaws.

As a further guarantee of quality and safety, the Ideal Implant will only be available through plastic surgeons who are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, which is the only plastic surgery board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. This means that women who choose the Ideal Implant will automatically be choosing from among the best plastic surgeons in the United States.

To receive updates about the ideal implant or to be placed on Dr. Nichter’s waiting list for the procedure, please contact our office using the form below.

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The Most Popular Plastic Surgery Procedures 2011

Dr. Larry Nichter would like to make blog readers aware of new statistical information about plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures in the United States.

The number of cosmetic surgical procedures in America increased by 1% in 2011, the statistical survey by the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery has shown. Over 1.6 million such procedures were done in the United States last year.

In the fifteen years since the survey began (1997), the overall number of cosmetic procedures done in the United States has increased 197%.

Liposuction was shown to be the most popular procedure. Two breast surgeries—augmentation and lift—were among the top five most popular cosmetic surgeries:

  • Liposuction — 325,332 procedures
  • Breast augmentation — 316,848 procedures
  • Abdominoplasty — 149,410 procedures
  • Eyelid surgery — 147,540 procedures
  • Breast Lift — 127,054 procedures

The survey also showed a 2% decrease in the number of nonsurgical procedures, although 7.5 million such procedures were performed (constituting 82% of all cosmetic procedures).

  • Botulinum Toxin Type A — 2,619,739 procedures
  • Hyaluronic acid — 1,206,186 procedures
  • Laser Hair Removal — 919,802 procedures
  • Microdermabrasion — 499,427 procedures
  • IPL Laser Treatment — 439,161 procedures

An analysis on the society’s website attributed this growth to the aging of the Baby Boomer generation as well as their children.

Some other interesting findings from the survey include:

  • 91% of all cosmetic procedures were done on women (8.4 million procedures). This is a 208% increase over the last 15 years.
  • Of the 800,000 men who had cosmetic surgery in 2011, the most popular procedures were liposuction, rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, breast reduction (for gynecomastia), and facelift.
  • About $10 billion was spent on cosmetic procedures in the United States, and of that $6.2 billion was spent on surgical procedures, the rest was spent on nonsurgical procedures such as injectables, skin rejuvenation, and laser hair removal.

Source: Babbitt, Adeena. “Celebrating 15 Years of Trustworthy Plastic Surgery Statistics.” ASAPS.

New Breast Implant on U.S. Market

Dr. Larry Nichter of the Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery would like to make prospective breast augmentation patients aware that the FDA has approved a new silicone gel-filled breast implant made by Sientra, Inc. for use in the United States.

The implants will be available for women at least 22 years old seeking augmentation surgery, and women of any age seeking breast reconstruction surgery.

Silicone gel-filled breast implants are medical devices implanted under the breast tissue or under the chest muscle for breast augmentation or reconstruction. These implants have a silicone outer shell that is filled with silicone gel. They come in different sizes and have either smooth or textured shells.

This approval introduces a third company into the U.S. breast implant market, which previously consisted only of Allergan and Mentor.

The deputy director for for science at the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Dr. William Maisel, commented that although silicone gel-filled breast implants have demonstrated consistent safety, “It’s important to remember that breast implants are not lifetime devices. Women should fully understand risks associated with breast implants before considering augmentation or reconstruction surgery, and recognize that long-term monitoring is essential.”

The approval of these new implants follows a 3-year study involving clinical trials of the implants on 1,788 women.

As a condition of the approval, Sientra will carry out five- and ten-year studies into the long-term health effects of their implants.

Source: FDA – FDA approves new silicone gel-filled breast implant