The “Ideal Implant” Being Tested

By Dr. Surjit Rai

If you would like to have breast augmentation, you currently have a choice between saline implants or silicone gel implants. Both are effective, safe, and popular. However some women prefer one over the other.

• Silicone gel implants are thought by many to look and feel more natural
• Saline implants are thought by some to be safer

The Best of Both Worlds

The IDEAL IMPLANT® was devised by a Dallas, Texas doctor to have the naturalness of silicone implants and the perceived safety of saline implants.

They are made with the same materials already used in breast implants. They are filled with saline and have saline implant shells and valves. But they have several shells nested inside each other.

• This design puts more control on the saline solution, restricting its movement to prevent sloshing and making it behave more like the thicker silicone gel
• The nested shells give more support to the outer shell, helping to prevent wrinkles and folds.
• The shells are designed to conform more comfortably to the convex shape of a chest wall.
• These implants can be inserted folded and empty like saline implants, which means the incisions can be smaller.
• IDEAL IMPLANTS® come in 14 sizes ranging from 184 cc to 600 cc.

FDA Trials

The plan is to conduct trials in several states and to have a ten-year follow-up period. Follow-up visits will be scheduled at pre-set intervals. Participants will pay the normal cost for the implants and procedure but will also have a Trust Fund set up in case Ideal Implants, Inc. ceases to operate and they need funds to remove or replace their implants. The follow-up visits are to research the long-term safety of these new implants.

Time will tell whether IDEAL IMPLANTS® turn out to be superior. Meanwhile, if you would like to learn more about the two types of breast implant currently available, please call or email our cosmetic surgery office for a personal consultation with Dr. Rai.