Breast Augmentation?

[lovelyweapon]

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Originally Posted by greentwig I was wondering, for those who have had it done, what kind did you get and what was your recovery time? I have wanted to do this for a very long time but I have always been scared about the pain & recovery time associated w/ it.

I, personally, chose saline for a variety of reasons. My sister had cohesive gels and we both decided that for my surgery the better choice would be saline. In any case, I took a little longer to recover because I'm a baby. Usually, if you get the implant behind the muscle there is more pain and a little bit longer of a recovery, which is the route that I took. Healing time can be anywhere from 3 days to two weeks, but usually never that long. I took about a week off of work and even then you can't lift your arms above your shoulders for about two weeks. I didn't feel 100% for about three weeks after my surgery, but the pain stopped after 3 days.

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Originally Posted by fingie Im actually planning getting cohesive gels probably in late may...I actually wanted them next month but the FDA requires you be 22 for the gels. I personally don't want the fake look of saline and don't like the way they feel and that you can have rippling and whatnot. The gels are going to cost me around $8000 but if I was to go saline it would be $1200 less (roughly). I had my first consult yesterday and am going back next week to talk to the surgeon more in depth about the procedure. I'd love to keep going but I'll write more when I'm on an actual comp vs my iPod.

Though the gels have a lot of advantages, less rippling is not one of them. The chances of a saline and cohesive gel rippling is about equal. Rippling usually occurs when you choose a textured implant rather than a smooth one with your doctor and most especially if it's placed over the muscle. Most surgeons won't do that combination, but those are the two most common reasons for rippling.

Also, the projection & profile of the implant is what truly determines the "fake" look. You usually choose between moderate or high profile depending on the look you want. Cohesive gels do, however, feel more natural.

 

[eye_pr0mise]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fingie Im actually planning getting cohesive gels probably in late may...I actually wanted them next month but the FDA requires you be 22 for the gels. I personally don't want the fake look of saline and don't like the way they feel and that you can have rippling and whatnot. The gels are going to cost me around $8000 but if I was to go saline it would be $1200 less (roughly). I had my first consult yesterday and am going back next week to talk to the surgeon more in depth about the procedure. I'd love to keep going but I'll write more when I'm on an actual comp vs my iPod.

what are the difference w the cohesive gels, the silicone, and saline?
my friend got hers done w saline bc she said that if they do leak, it wont do harm to your body other than make one smaller than the other.

but ive been wanting to get mine done for some time also buttttt dont really know what the difference is and the pros and cons about them.

 

[lovelyweapon]

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Originally Posted by eye_pr0mise what are the difference w the cohesive gels, the silicone, and saline? my friend got hers done w saline bc she said that if they do leak, it wont do harm to your body other than make one smaller than the other. but ive been wanting to get mine done for some time also buttttt dont really know what the difference is and the pros and cons about them.

Silicone's illegal in the US. Cohesive gels are also called "gummies" because they almost resemble gummy bears in texture. If the implant leaks it will stay put and be, basically, cohesive. It will take a long time for you to tell if it has leaked. They are generally softer but more expensive. Saline is basically a salt/water solution implant and if it leaks it will just be absorbed by the body. You will be able to tell soon after the implant has leaked. Saline is less expensive but gives you a perkier look (imo without looking fake if you go to a good doctor).

 

[pumpkincat210]

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Originally Posted by lovelyweapon Silicone's illegal in the US. Cohesive gels are also called "gummies" because they almost resemble gummy bears in texture. If the implant leaks it will stay put and be, basically, cohesive. It will take a long time for you to tell if it has leaked. They are generally softer but more expensive. Saline is basically a salt/water solution implant and if it leaks it will just be absorbed by the body. You will be able to tell soon after the implant has leaked. Saline is less expensive but gives you a perkier look (imo without looking fake if you go to a good doctor).

actually silicone is legal again in the U.S. as of last year i believe. The new silicone is much thicker than the old silicone's were.

 

[chocolategoddes]

just be safe and careful. do your research. know what to expect. have your mind made up and think about your desicion. i have no problem with people getting breast implants.

 

[VioletB]

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[eye_pr0mise]

yay, im excited for you. when you get them,
whenver that may be. let us know how the experience
went.. im kinda scared. but i might be getting mine
later this year. maybe after july.

 

[fingie]

Aww I can't wait to see/hear how things go for you! And if you do get them done in may you'll have to post about your recovery

As it was mentioned before, profiles make a big difference and I personally am going to go with moderate plus because I just don't think that high profiles will give me the look that I want. Have you set up your consultation yet?

 

[little teaser]

im excited for you too, good luck!
did you decide what you are going to get

 

[lovelyweapon]

It's such an exciting process! You may suffer a little depression and "boob greed" for the first two weeks or so, but I promise you will be so happy!!

That's also awesome that silicone is now legal again. I had my surgery April 27th last year and it still wasn't legal by then.

 

[VioletB]

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[fingie]

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Originally Posted by lovelyweapon That's also awesome that silicone is now legal again. I had my surgery April 27th last year and it still wasn't legal by then.

I'm pretty sure silicone has been legal in the US since Nov 2006.

 

[lovelyweapon]

^^ Thanks for the correction.

My doctor did not offer this type of implant April 2007, maybe personal choice.

 

[fingie]

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Originally Posted by lovelyweapon ^^ Thanks for the correction. My doctor did not offer this type of implant April 2007, maybe personal choice.

Maybe. I think there's (atleast) 1 Dr. in my area who
only offers salines.

 

[lovelyweapon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fingie Maybe. I think there's (atleast) 1 Dr. in my area who only offers salines.

Well my doctor offers cohesive gel and saline, but not the liquid silicone.

Which do you think would be better from cohesive gel or liquid? I already did the surgery but am just curious as to what the difference really is regarding looks lol.

 

[VioletB]

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[fingie]

Liquid silicone is what used to be on the market--I saw a picture of a ruptured one when I was at my consult; it looked like the shell with jelly/jam leaking out of it (clear though, obviously) and when they show a "ruptured" (really cut in half) silicone gel implant it looks like this:
http://www.loveyourlook.com/breast-a...ES/cut-gel.jpg

It is my understanding that after old style silicone was pulled from the market up until 2006 all that was offered was saline, unless you were getting a reconstruction. Now after the Nov 2006 approval for silicone gels to get them you have to be either a reconstruction patient or be 22 y/o if its your first augmentation.

I definately think the gels are better than liquid (hence the reason gels were approved and the old/traditional style pulled off the market)--the liquid could leak and you'd have a jelly-like substance throughout the implant pocket and whatnot...which according to my surgeon was very hard to remove because it was like a jelly and often sometimes surgeons missed some when doing the implant replacement, which could ultimately cause health problems or w/e. With the gels, should they rupture, because they are more cohesive than previous silicone, it keeps its shape for the most part and you don't have the silicone leaking all around your body, you know?

I'm not sure about looks regarding old style silicone vs silicone gel--only of the gel vs saline.

For me, its purely personal reasons as to why I'm getting the gel vs saline. I'm willing to spend the $$ on an MRI every few years for a more natural feel/look (although obviously size/surgeon do make a large difference, I'm just going for a generalization here). I'm not sure if they do this with saline, but my gels are going to come with a "warranty" of sorts and thats if should they rupture within 10 years, Mentor will give me like $2400 towards the cost of replacement surgery (to cover/help cover anesthesia & hospital costs)

Here is a quote from Cohesive Silicone Gel "Gummy Bear" Breast Implants - Types of Breast Implants (it IS a bit outdated, because the gels apparently hadnt been approved at the time the website was made, but the pros/cons are pretty much the same wherever you read them on the web)

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Advantages of Silicone Gel Breast Implants Cohesive silicone-gel breast implants have distinct advantages over other types of breast implants. Because gummy bear breast implants are made of silicone, they have a consistency that is much closer to breast tissue than saline breast implants. Silicone-gel implants also exhibit “shape memory," meaning that they return to their original form, lessening the chance that the shell will fold or ripple. Folding and rippling are the primary causes of implant rupture. Of the silicone types of breast implants, cohesive-gel implants may be the safest because i f the outer shell were to rupture, the silicone would not spill out, but rather retain its shape and integrity. Furthermore, maintenance of breast implant shape is better with cohesive silicone-gel implants because they are stable. The gel does not migrate with body movement as it can with saline or traditional silicone implants. It maintains proportion and distribution for controlled, stable support and shape. In addition, capsular contracture, or the compression of scar tissue that is a potential complication of breast implants, reportedly occurs less often with cohesive silicone-gel breast implants than with other types of breast implants. Disadvantages of Silicone Gel Breast Implants A disadvantage of cohesive silicone-gel implants is that they require a larger incision for insertion. The insertion is usually performed through an inframammary incision under the breast or through an areola incision. Also, the implants themselves are more expensive than saline-filled breast implants, and the cost of breast augmentation surgery can be higher as well.

I already know that my incision is going to be about 2 inches long vs the teeny tiny incision you can get with salines, and I'm okay with that. I also know that the cost of the implants themselves is double what it would cost me for salines ($1200/pair for salines vs $2400/pair for gels) and that is something I'm willing to spend for the look that *I* want.

 

[VioletB]

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[fingie]

I think the roundness/"fakeness" that you want is more the profile of the implant...high profiles have more projection with a narrower base vs a moderate or moderate plus profile. Of course your natural breast shape comes into play too of course.
I work at a strip club so I've seen a few augmentations in my life and while only one of them were gels, I immediately prefered the feeling of them over salines. Hers were just done in jan so I can't tell you about possible sagging. Check out implantinfo.com for pics of gels... I've seen a few on there.
oh, and youre so lucky!--my gels are going to cost just under $8000 and that's with a cash discount!

 

[VioletB]

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