At his renowned San Francisco breast augmentation facility, Dr. Beck offers Natrelle saline and silicone breast implants, manufactured by Allergan, for women who wish to increase the size or volume of their breasts. Women undergo breast augmentation for a variety of reasons, such as to increase the size of naturally small breasts, correct asymmetrical or disproportionately sized breasts, add volume to breast that have grown saggy due to aging, childbearing or massive weight loss, or repair breasts damaged by trauma or disease.

Whatever your reason for considering breast augmentation surgery, it is important to be fully informed about your choices regarding implant type and size, incision technique and implant placement. Dr. Beck is committed to helping each patient make the best choices to meet her personal appearance enhancement goals and therefore offers the following information for patient education.

The two types of implants

There are currently two types of implants on the market: saline and silicone. Both implant types consist of a silicone shell that is filled with either saline (a salt-water solution) or silicone gel. Each type of implant has its own distinct advantages and disadvantages. Saline implants are approved for women 18 or older, whereas silicone implants are approved for women 22 or older. A third type of implant known as cohesive gel or “gummy bear” implant is available in many parts of the world but has not received FDA approval for use in the United States.

Advantages of saline implants

One advantage of saline implants is that they are cheaper than silicone implants. In addition, they can be filled after being placed in the body, which means they require smaller incisions than silicone implants and can be easily adjusted to ensure breast symmetry.

Saline implants are also considered to be safer than silicone implants. If a saline implant ruptures, the saline solution is absorbed harmlessly by the body, and the rupture is immediately apparent due to the sudden change in breast size. In addition, there is a lower infection rate associated with saline breast implants. 

Disadvantages of saline implants

Most people believe that saline implants appear and feel less natural than silicone implants. In addition, due to the liquid nature of the saline solution, saline implants are more likely to develop rippling. However, the risk of visible rippling can be minimized by filling the implants according to the manufacturer’s recommendations and placing them under the chest muscles.

Advantages / disadvantages of silicone breast implants

The main advantage of silicone breast implants is their more natural look and feel. Many women consider this advantage a major factor in their decision — one that outweighs any potential negatives.

One disadvantage of silicone implants is their higher price. In addition, their size cannot be adjusted after placement, so they require larger incisions.

Silicone implants also present greater risks associated with rupture. If a silicone implant ruptures, the gel remains in the breast area, making the rupture hard to detect. For this reason, it is recommended that women who receive silicone implants get MRIs at regular intervals. In addition, leaked silicone can cause local inflammations and can be difficult for the surgeon to remove from the body.

Breast implant size

Choosing the size and shape of your breast implants is one of the most important steps in the breast augmentation process. The size of your breast augmentation will depend on your existing body anatomy as well as your aesthetic goals. During your consultation with Dr. Beck, you will have the opportunity to test various sizes and shapes of breast implants and to view before and after photographs of women with body types similar to yours. Dr. Beck advises taking a conservative approach to breast implant size in order to achieve a natural-looking result and prevent sagging and other problems in the future.

Incision sites for breast implant placement

Dr. Beck offers three incision types for his San Francisco breast augmentation patients: inframammary, periareolar and transaxillary.

Breast implant placement locations

Dr. Beck offers two breast implant placement locations: above the chest muscle
(subglandular) or below the muscle (subpectoral). The best location option will depend on the patient’s anatomy, existing breast tissue and skin elasticity as well as her aesthetic goals. For patients with a small amount of breast tissue, a subpectoral placement is typically best in order to provide more natural-looking results.

Natrelle warranty information

 Natrelle breast implants come with a lifetime product replacement guarantee. If your saline or silicone implant deflates or ruptures due to a loss of implant shell integrity, Allergan will replace it with any style of size for free.

In addition, by purchasing Natrelle saline or silicone breast implants, the patient is automatically enrolled in Allergan’s ConfidencePlus warranty program, which includes 10 years of financial assistance and up to $1,200 for expenses not covered by insurance. For an additional fee, patients can enroll in Allergan’s ConfidencePlus Premier warranty program, which includes 10 years of financial assistance, up to $2,400 for expenses not covered by insurance and contralateral implant replacement.

Dr. Beck is proud to offer Natrelle breast implants to breast augmentation patients who wish to beautify their bust appearance. In addition, he is an experienced provider of breast lift San Francisco women turn to when their breasts have become saggy due to age, childbirth or weight loss. He also performs breast reduction for women with excessively large breasts as well as male breast reduction for men suffering the embarrassment of gynecomastia (enlarged male breasts).

      

66 Bovet Road Suite 101
San Mateo, CA 94402
Phone: (650) 570-6066