There are many options in breast augmentation to consider such as what type of implant, whether to place it above or below the muscle, and where to place the incision. Traditionally women had only two options in their implants - saline or silicone. Several doctors around the country are participating in an FDA investigation into a new implant called The Ideal Implant.
The Ideal Implant is meant to be a crossover between saline and silicone. The FDA approved silicone breast implants for use in 2006 but the safety stigma surrounding silicone remains. The fear is that the implant may leak, causing silicone to be released in the body. Saline implants are a good solution, but many feel that they don't provide the same aesthetic value. Patients report wrinkling and a 'bouncy' feeling, which is the saline sloshing around inside the casing.
The Ideal Implant was recently introduced as a hybrid alternative between the two. This implant differs from traditional saline implants by lowering the edges so that it better contours to the chest wall. Internally, there are a series of additional implant shells nested together to control the movement of the saline. The makers believe that it will reduce bouncing and provide support to the edges of the implant to reduce the wrinkling effect.
Dr. Nicholas Nikolov of Beverly Hills' Nikolov Center for Plastic Surgery is participating in the study and he says "The Ideal Implant offers the natural look of silicone gel and the safety of saline." Recently featured on "The Doctors," Dr. Kevin Brenner of The Roxbury Clinic and Surgery Center performed the procedure on Julie who was unhappy with the size of her breasts after breastfeeding her three children. He says that the Ideal Implant has an internal baffling system which reduces the rippling effect often associated with saline implants.
So far, only about 100 pairs of implants have been used nationwide. The Ideal Implant is currently in the testing phase and it is unclear when this implant will be available to the general public.
