What to Know When Considering Breast Augmentation in Lubbock

For women in Lubbock, plastic surgery options can vary from a tummy tuck to a facelift. But the top requested plastic surgery across the nation is breast enhancement. As women age, and after having children, breasts can lose volume and their youthful shape. Perhaps you were born with smaller breasts that feel out of proportion with your body or otherwise cause self-consciousness. Before making a final decision about getting a breast augmentation in Lubbock, you will need to make several important choices. One choice with breast implants is which implant material you will choose.

Breast Augmentation in Lubbock: Silicone or Saline?

First, it’s important to note that all breast implants approved by the FDA for use are constructed of a silicone shell.  The difference, then, between silicone or saline implants is what the silicone shell is filled with, either silicone gel or saline (sterilized water and salt). We’ll discuss the basic pros and cons of each below.

The Pros and Cons of Silicone Gel Implants

Silicone gel is more similar to breast tissue that traditional saline implants in terms of its feel and viscosity.  This means a silicone gel implant will sit, feel, and move more like a natural breast than the typical saline implants. Because of this, these implants have a lower risk of showing rippling in the tissue around the implant.

Silicone implants, however, come pre-filled, meaning they require a larger incision than saline. Also, they have a risk of “silent rupture.” This is when the implant fails and silicone gel leaks into the surrounding tissue. These ruptures can only be detected by a costly MRI (typically not covered by insurance) and the FDA recommends a woman with silicone implants have an MRI every few years. If a rupture occurs, the implant and silicone gel must be surgically removed. This greatly increases the long term cost.

Why Women Choose Saline

Where silicone implants come pre-filled, saline implants are filled and adjusted during surgery. Since the implant is inserted empty, it requires a smaller incision. If there is a rupture with a saline implant, you can tell just by looking in the mirror and seeing the decrease in breast size. The saline, however, is harmless and will be absorbed by your body, posing no health risk. Typical saline implants have a tendency ripple, which can be visible in the enhanced breast. Also, as said above, they do not generally feel as natural as silicone gel implants.

The Best of Both Worlds: Structured Implants and the IDEAL IMPLANT

Dr. Jane Rowley is proud to offer her patients the IDEAL IMPLANT® Structured Breast Implant that gives the benefit of a more natural appearing implant without the concerns of the possibility of a silicone leak. While the IDEAL IMPLANT is filled with saline, the implant is structured with chambers to control the movement of the saline. The result is a saline-filled implant that has a look and feel that is more like a natural breast or silicone implant.

Patients benefit from smaller incisions, no silicone risk, and a lower rate of rupture.  This choice is increasingly living up to its name for more and more women and surgeons around the country, in some practices now making up over 95% of the implants they use.

Whether you choose a silicone gel or saline breast implant, the decision is personal. It should be carefully made after a thorough discussion with your doctor. If you are looking for the best of both worlds when it comes to breast augmentation in Lubbock, plastic surgeon Dr. Jane Rowley is the only surgeon in Lubbock that offers her patients the IDEAL IMPLANT option.

What About a Breast Lift?

As noted, breast procedures are among the most requested plastic surgery options. Women want to feel good about how they look. And, when you feel confidence in your appearance, you can have feel confidence in you. But plastic surgery isn’t just to give you a bigger bust size. If you are happy with your breast size but not with the effects of pregnancy, nursing, or aging, you may want to consider a procedure that will simply give you a more shapely appearance.

A breast lift will take a sagging breast and raise it to a more youthful position. Your breast lift will not change your size, but will firm up the breast tissue, reposition the nipple, and give your breast a symmetrical shape. In effect, it can reverse some of the toll taken on your body by time, gravity, and possibly motherhood.

Can I Do Both?

A breast augmentation and a breast lift can work very well in tandem with each other in a single surgery. Excess skin is removed in the lift, repositioning your breast tissue and nipple for a more youthful shape, while an implant then adds volume and size. The results of the two procedures can be dramatic on the right patient. Ask your doctor what your options are for a combined procedure.

For breast lifts and breast augmentation in Lubbock, the leading plastic surgeon with extensive breast plastic surgery experience is Dr. Jane Rowley. She carefully and thoroughly talks with her patients to know their expectations and cosmetic goals as she makes an individual surgical plan for each person.  Schedule your no-obligation consultation today.