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Everything You Need To Know About Gummy Bear Breast Implants
 Cohesive gel breast
implants or as they are more commonly known, gummy bear breast implants have
been generating lots of buzz lately. Dr. Steven Teitelbaum of Santa Monica,
California has been using these cohesive gel implants in clinical trials. “I
far [more] prefer these in most situations,” says Dr. Teitelbaum. “The
shape is better, predictable, and seems to be longer lasting, but these claims
remain to be proved.” Gummy bear breast implants have been used outside
of the United States for about a decade with positive results.
They are nicknamed gummy bear beast implants because they have the feel and
consistency of a gummy bear when you cut into one. The advantages of this type
of breast implant would be it doesn’t leak like traditional silicone
and saline implants if ruptured. As mentioned, these cohesive gel breast implants
seem to hold their shape for a much longer time than the other implants do.
Gummy bear implants are composed of “exactly the same ingredients as
standard [silicone] gel. They just put more ‘cross-linker’ into
it, so the molecules bond to each other more and it creates a more form-stable
shape,” according to Dr. Teitelbaum. The gel is so thick that it won’t
run or slosh around inside the implant. The durability of cohesive gel breast
implants looks promising. The folds and rippling associated with saline and
silicone implants is less likely to occur with this stable-form implant. The
folds become weak spots on the implant shell, making them more susceptible
to rupture. And, even if these cohesive gel implants do rupture, the silicone
will not leak out. More research is needed to see if silicone being in contact
with the body will cause harm to the patient in any way. All breast implants
including saline have a silicone shell. It may be possible that silicone can
diffuse into the body over time, but the long-term effects are unknown.
One downside to the gummy bear’s ability to hold its shape is it cannot
be inserted through the belly button via a transumbilical breast augmentation.
Transumbilical breast augmentation (TUBA) is a popular procedure because there
are no noticeable scars since the incision is hidden in the navel. This type
of breast augmentation “requires that an implant be folded and placed
through a long hollow tube,” says Dr. Teitelbaum. He goes on to explain
that “even a regular silicone implant cannot be placed through that method,
and it would be even more impossible for the more form-stable cohesive or gummy
bear implant.” Another issue to consider is since gummy bear implants
hold their shape well, they require a longer incision than saline and silicone
breast implants. Gummy bear breast implants can be inserted through incisions
in the armpit, underneath the breasts or through the areola. Dr. Teitelbaum
cautions that insertion through the areola is “more difficult if the
areola is small or there is a large amount of breast tissue to push the implant
through.” Inserting the gummy bear breast implant through the crease
under the breast is the most popular method.
Anatomical or teardrop-shaped implants must be placed in exactly the right
position and leave less room for error. If an anatomically-shaped implant moves
around, it will cause a very unnatural profile. Dr. Teitelbaum tells us “the
only form-stable implants that are under consideration by the FDA have an anatomical
shape. In order to prevent rotation, a pocket that precisely fits the implant
must be developed.” He goes on to say that “the surgeon must ensure
that the pocket is made to fit the implant, which is a very different approach
than most surgeons use with a round smooth implant…in which [they] make
an overly large pocket to allow the implant to move around. One must be cautious
in patients with loose, empty, or floppy types of breasts, as loose tissue
may allow the implant to move around.” Dr. Teitelbaum says another concern
would be patients requiring “revisions in which there is already a pocket
that either may be too big for the new implant, or is already lined with smooth
tissue, thereby preventing the textured surface in the teardrop implant from
adhering and preventing rotation.” If a patient is getting old implants
replaced and the pocket is just too loose, a round gummy bear implant may be
used. However, the round ones are not available in the United States at the
moment. You will definitely need a skilled plastic surgeon to insert your cohesive
gel implants.
Dr. Teitelbaum is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the only board recognized to credential plastic surgeons. He is a member of many professional societies, including the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the International Society of Ultrasonic Surgeons, the California Society of Plastic Surgeons, and many others.
To learn more about Santa Monica Plastic Surgeon Dr. Teitelbaum:
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