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With more than 20 years of education and training since earning his undergraduate degree from Columbia University, Dr. Greenwald is highly skilled in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. He is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Dr. Greenwald is associated with Cosmetic Surgery Associates of New York, a practice serving Westchester County, Putnam County and Manhattan for more than 30 years.

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(914) 421-0113
(212) 518-1642

Silicone and Saline Breast Implants

Dr. Joshua A. Greenwald offers silicone and saline breast implants for his many Westchester breast augmentation patients. For women who wish to increase the size of naturally small breasts, correct asymmetrical breasts or add volume to breasts that have lost shape due to pregnancy or weight loss, silicone and saline breast implants provided by Dr. Greenwald at his Westchester County surgical facility can be the ideal solution, helping women achieve the renewed, curvaceous breast appearance they desire. Women whose breasts are sagging as well as lacking in volume may be good candidates for breast lift with breast implants. In addition, women who have lost one or both breasts to mastectomy or trauma can benefit from the use of silicone or saline breast implants in breast reconstruction surgery procedures.

 

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Silicone Implants – $5995
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About Silicone and Saline Breast Implants in Westchester

Silicone gel-filled implants, manufactured by Mentor Corporation and Allergan, Inc., are composed of a silicone shell filled with silicone gel. Although there were questions about the safety of silicone gel implants in the 1990s, the Food and Drug Administration has conducted an exhaustive investigation of data from clinical trials lasting up to four years along with other safety information. As a result, in 2006 the FDA approved silicone gel implants for cosmetic breast augmentation in women 22 and older and for reconstructive breast surgery for women of any age. Daniel Schultz, MD, Director of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health at the FDA, said, “The extensive body of scientific evidence provides reasonable assurance of the benefits and risks of these devices. This information is available in the product labeling and will enable women and their physicians to make informed decisions.”

Saline breast implants are made of a silicone shell filled with sterile saline, a saltwater solution. They were the only implants available prior to the FDA approval of silicone-gel filled implants and remain a popular choice for many patients. With both saline and silicone gel-filled implants on the market, women over the age of 22 now have a choice when deciding to undergo breast augmentation or breast reconstruction surgery in Westchester.

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Silicone and Saline Breast Implants

Below is a list of questions frequently asked by patients of Dr. Greenwald:

What are saline breast implants made of?

Saline-filled breast implants are composed of a silicone shell that is filled with saline, a solution of sodium chloride (salt) in sterile water. They are filled to their desired volume during breast augmentation surgery.

What are the benefits of saline-filled breast implants?

The primary benefit of saline implants is that, because they are filled following insertion, they can be placed via a much smaller incision than is needed for silicone breast implants. In order to place a 350 cc saline implant, Dr. Greenwald need only create a 2.5 cm incision in the inframammary crease (the fold at the bottom of the breast). To place a silicone implant of the same size requires a 4 cm incision in order to ensure the integrity of the implant. Also, in general saline breast implants cost less than silicone.

What are the risks of a saline implant rupture?

Saline implants occasionally rupture as a result of various causes, including failure to seal the implant properly, over- or underfilling the implant, or damage to the implant during insertion. Saline implants can also rupture as a result of trauma or pressure imposed on the breast during a mammography.

In the case of rupture of a saline implant, the saline leaks out slowly over several days and is harmlessly absorbed by the body. The deflation of the breast will be obvious to the patient but will produce no pain or harm of any kind. If the implant is replaced in a timely manner, the procedure can be done under local anesthesia.

What are silicone implants composed of?

Silicone implants are made of a silicone shell filled with silicone gel. Silicone is derived from the natural element silicone, which can be processed to form a substance of various degrees of consistency that is used in numerous products. Forms of silicone can be found in lubricants, oils, rubber, chewing gum, soaps and other products.

Who is a good candidate for silicone breast implants?

For cosmetic breast augmentation, silicone implants are approved for women aged 22 or older. For reconstructive surgery, silicone implants are approved for women of any age. Certain women should not undergo breast augmentation with silicone breast implants, including women with an active infection or untreated breast disease, women who are pregnant or nursing, or women with autoimmune diseases such as lupus or scleroderma.

What are the benefits of silicone gel-filled breast implants?

While silicone and saline implants look the same, silicone gel-filled implants feel lighter and more natural than saline-filled implants. In addition, due to the more-cohesive quality of the silicone gel, silicone implants are less likely than saline implants to show rippling. The issue of rippling is most important in the case of thin women who have less breast tissue to cover the implants. During your consultation, Dr. Greenwald will allow you to handle both saline and silicone implants to get a sense of their differences and similarities.

What are the risks of silicone implant rupture?

Unlike saline implant rupture, in which the deflation of the breast is obvious to the patient, silicone breast implant rupture is undetectable to the patient or the physician. For this reason, women who have silicone implants must receive an MRI three years after surgery and every subsequent two years. If an MRI detects a rupture, it is recommended that the implant be removed along with all leaked silicone gel, as there is concern that gel could migrate in the body and cause localized inflammation.

In clinical trials, Mentor reported that over three years, 0.5 percent of silicone gel implants ruptured. Allergan reported that over four years, 2.7 percent of implants ruptured, with no gel migration outside of the breast.

Do silicone breast implants increase the risk for breast cancer?

Many studies have examined the link between silicone breast implants and breast cancer. The largest such study, conducted by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), followed more than 13,000 women who had received breast augmentation with silicone-filled breast implants. The NCI found no significant increase in breast cancer or death among patients with silicone breast implants compared to women without implants. Details of the study can be found at www.nci.nih.gov/newscenter/siliconefactsheet.

Is there a link between silicone breast implants and connective tissue diseases?

Much research has focused on the link between silicone breast implants and connective tissue diseases such as arthritis and lupus. In 1997, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services began one of the most extensive research studies in medical history when it appointed the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Science to investigate the potential complications of breast implants surgery.

The IOM assembled a panel of experts in radiology, women’s health, neurology, oncology, silicone chemistry, rheumatology, immunology, epidemiology, internal medicine and plastic surgery. After an exhaustive review of the research on silicone gel-filled breast implants, the IOM concluded, “Evidence suggests diseases or conditions such as connective tissue diseases, cancer, neurological diseases or other systemic complaints or conditions are no more common in women with breast implants than in women without implants.

How will I choose the correct implant size?

Dr. Greenwald will recommend that you bring photographs depicting the breast shape and size you desire to your initial consultation. He will also show you a vast assortment of before and after photographs and allow you to handle and “try on” implants of various sizes. Finally, Dr. Greenwald will carefully examine your breasts and measure their base diameter. Based on his examination, the photographs and your aesthetic preferences, Dr. Greenwald will recommend the implant type, size and placement he believes will lead to the best aesthetic-enhancing results.

Should I choose smooth or textured implants?

The advantage of textured implants is that they reduce the rate of capsular contracture (a potentially severe breast implant complication) when placed in the subglandular position (that is, in front of the chest muscles). However, textured implants do not appear to reduce the risk of capsular contracture when placed in the submuscular position, which is Dr. Greenwald most frequent placement. In addition, textured implants are more likely than smooth implants to rupture. For these reasons, Dr. Greenwald usually recommends smooth implants, although he sometimes used textured implants in revision breast augmentation.

Should I choose moderate-profile or high-profile implants?

High-profile implants are narrower and longer than moderate-profile implants of the same volume, providing greater breast projection. They are useful for women who want significant breast projection as well as very thin women who want a large increase in breast size.