"Gummy Bear" Implant Video

Video on "gummy bear" implants. Kind of boring but there's some good info in there...

http://www.theplasticsurgerychannel.com/plastic-surgery-proc edures/breast-aesthetics/cohesive-gel-breast-implants/form-s table-breast-implants-style-410-fda-clinical-trials.html

Go to 8:37 for the section on "what patients are candidates for gummy bears?"

Dr. L,

Thanks for posting this!! It was very informative. It also helped to clear up some of the confusion regarding the different types of silicone used.

I'm excited about the safety profile, although I wish there were an implant that specificaly addressed the concerns of post-WLS patients, mainly implant migration/movement/dropping !

Hi Dr. L. , Being a past Implant WLS person I am interested in this implant/movement dropping. Can you please explain it? and it it worse or better for people who have the gummy bears?
                                                                                                                                    Thanks
                                                                                                                                               Gail

This was interesting! I had my implants done here in Europe and it's true that this technology is much more widely accepted here. I went back and looked at my ID card from my surgery last week and... YEP, I've got the 410s.. My style is the 410-MM "A BIOCELL^® textured shaped silicone gel-filled implant with a moderate height and moderate profile projection." that is approx 240 CCs.

It looks WONDERFUL! because it's cohesive, the doc was able to do my lift with the donut cut, not worry about it being too heavy and avoid the scars underneath. (I'm wondering if he stuck the implant in from the side where he cut for the bra fat/chest lift though since some docs say you can't put the gummy impants through the nipple only.)

They are very comfortable and feel very nice. I'll be glad when I no longer have to wear the stabilizer though!  (My doc said by now the tissue is probably already grafted to the texture so the chances are SUPER low, but he likes his patients to wear the stabilizer for 4 weeks anyhow - UGH!)...

Cass

Keeping implants in place in WLS patients who have a lot of loose chest/breast skin is a real challenge.  The implants tend to stretch the skin and lower the breast causing "bottoming out" after a lift.

There are many reasons for this:

1. Loss of skin elasticity and integrity from weight gain/loss cycles, pregnancy, and age

2. A large amount of breast skin

3. A large amount of neightboring chest skin (top and sides and "bra roll") that adds to breast skin looseness by recruitment, and can allow the implant to move

4. The lower amount of scar formation in WLS patients that seems to favor a very thin capsule forming around the breast, allowing it to move more freely.


A gummy bear implant, being more solid and non-conforming, will worsen the chances of movement and displacement. As the Dr. in the video pointed out and as research and experience have shown, the implant and pocket need to be "hand in glove" tight.  This may not be possible in some WLS patients.

When a breast lift is performed, a heavy implant can "undo" it and stretch it out to some degree, so I will not add an implant in patients who meet certain measurements, who desire a very large implant, or who have very loose skin.  I will let the lift heal,a nd put the implant in at a  second stage. 

Sorry so long !