What is the difference between the new
Brazilian breast implants and the older regular implants?
The Brazilian and the regular brands e.g.
Mentor, McGahn/Inamed, Nagor are all made with the silicone cohesive gel
interiors. The difference them is in the special coating on the outside
of the Brazilians. This polyurethane coating adds a texture which
interacts with the body’s tissues when healing and greatly reduces the
common complications/risks of capsular contracture (hardening) and
displacement (implant moving out of position. For example, the 10 year
incidence of capsular contracture with ordinary implants (both smooth
and textured) is around 19% while the 15 year plus rate of contracture
with Brazilians is only around 1 -2 %.
This special polyurethane coating grips
better and has eliminated the risk of displacement. This is
particularly important if you have teardrop implants. (The risk of
ordinary teardrops turning is over 20%). The Brazilians are not new. The Silimed
company have been making them for over 30 years.
Is the Brazilian implant
covering of polyurethane safe?
The polyurethane coating is safe. It has
been approved by the Australian TGA (Therapeutic Goods & Administration
Dept). A number of years ago there was a concern about polyurethane causing cancer in
rats and whether there was a cancerous breakdown product that occurred
in humans. However, this was proved to be a laboratory error and the
risk is not there.
Some other medical devices like heart
pacemakers are also using the protective polyurethane coating now.
How soon can I go back to the
gym after breast implant surgery?
In general, we suggest you wait for 1
week. During the first week, you can go for walks, but not get hot and
sweaty. All being well after the 1 week check up, it is OK to return to
the gym, but no upper body work. Just things like setting your own pace
on the treadmill and the bike – no classes. Also, maybe some lower body
exercises like lunges and squats. All OK by the 1 month check and you
can usually return to most classes, but avoid serious weights and push
ups for another month.
How soon can I go back to work
after breast augmentation /liposuction?
If you work in an office/admin job, then
usually about 3 days is enough for liposuction and about 5 -7 days is
enough for breast enlargement. If you work from home then 1 -2 days is
often enough.
What is the warranty on a
Brazilian implant (compared with regular implants)?
The Brazilians come with extra warranties
that the average implant does not have.
a.All
implants have a warranty against spontaneous rupture. With the
Brazilians this is a lifetime replacement warranty.
b.The
Brazilians have a 10 year replacement warranty for capsule
contracture.
c.The
Brazilians have a 10 year replacement warranty for
movement/displacement (including teardrops turning).
(Of course, there are some conditions on
these warranties. Further information can be supplied at the time of
consultation).
Why are your prices cheaper than
some other clinics?
We have gone to the trouble of setting up
our own day surgery on site. We have our own nurses and equipment. We
don’t need to book theatre time at the local hospital and pay expensive
theatre fees. Our Day Surgery is registered with the Qld Health Dept.
We also have internationally accepted accreditation with ISO 9001 and
with the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards. This
means that our patient safety, staff training, infection rate, equipment
checks etc are the same or better than any private hospital.
Is Cosmetic Surgery recognised
by Medicare?
In general, cosmetic surgery is NOT
recognised by Medicare. However, they may help with the following
procedures if certain conditions are also met:
a.Upper eyelids
b.Removal of a breast
implant capsule
c.Replacement of a
leaking /ruptured breast implant
d.Tummy tucks
e.Breast lifts and
breast reductions
First time around breast enhancement,
liposuction and facelifts are usually not recognised.
How long do breast implants last
before you have to replace them?
There used to be a policy that implants
needed to be changed every 10 years or so. However, the technology of
implants is now lasting well past 10 years, so this would be unnecessary
surgery. The rule of thumb now is “If it isn’t broke, then don’t fix
it”.
But nothing, not even implants last
forever. The average patient could expect to change them once or twice
in their lifetime. A common reason for this is that the body has
changed around the implant, not that the implant has changed. A typical
example is pregnancy and breast feeding, where the breast growth and
skin stretching can cause a sag problem. The implants may then need to
be replaced or resited.
Can I still have a mammogram
after implants?
It is advisable to continue with the
normal breast cancer screening after implants. (There is no increased
risk of breast cancer after implant surgery). If the implants are
under/behind the muscle, then a mammogram alone is usually sufficient.
If the implants are in front/over the muscle, it is advisable to also
have an ultrasound as well as a mammogram.
Why are men often unsuitable for
liposuction?
In general, most men store fat in behind
the tummy muscle where the liposuction instruments cannot reach. The
average lady stores her fat under the skin in front of the muscle, where
it can be safely reached by liposuction instruments. So, if your tummy
looks like the proverbial “beer gut” then it is usually
the case that liposuction cannot help. In either case, the liposuction
is only for reshaping, it is NOT for weight loss.
Do you have nurseS working in
your clinic? What is their experience etc?
All of our nurses have been with us for
years. They assist with the procedures and help look after the patients
post–op. They are regularly updated in CPR and Advanced Cardiac Life
Support. They also take turns in reception to answer your phone calls.
Their intimate knowledge of the procedures means that they are well
placed to accurately answer your questions.
How long does a breast
enlargement operation take?
The average first time enlargement takes a
little over an hour. You are in our clinic for about 3 ½ to 4 hours all
up. We never need drains for first time surgery. If the breast surgery
is more complicated e.g. removing a capsule etc, then it can take up to
2 ½ hours. We sometimes use drains for more complicated surgery.
What are the benefits and
problems of the different incision sites for breast implant surgery?
By far the most common site is the
crease under the breast. The risk of nerve injury to the nipple
(which would interfere with your sexual response and breast feeding) is
very low. It allows for a new crease to be accurately made when large
implants are used. The incision averages 5 -6 cm and is a hairline scar
with internal dissolving stitches. We recommend this approach for these
reasons.
The next available site is through the
armpit. This can leave a visible scar in the armpit. You generally
cannot fit an implant any bigger than about 300ml through the armpit.
The risk of nerve injury to the nipple is much greater. It is difficult
to get a good position for the implants and they often end up in a
higher position than desired.
Going in around the areola is also
possible. Again there is a significant risk of nerve injury. Nor do
you want to put a big implant in through a small nipple area because of
the scar size. This
probably works the best for empty saline implants that are inflated once
they are in.
Why not go to Thailand etc for
breast implant surgery instead of having the procedure in Australia?
Well you can. It is cheaper.
However, there are two obvious concerns. One is they don’t have the furry
Brazilian implants so they can’t offer you the safest implant.
Secondly, what happens (and who pays) if there is a problem?
Are you prepared to travel back to
Thailand and have them fix it? That’s if they even acknowledge that you
have a legitimate problem. Or do you pay someone local to fix it?
The most common problem we see coming out
of Thailand (for example) is that the patient has had implants put in
via their armpits. The pocket has not been made accurately and the
patient has a problem with either high riding implants and downward
pointing nipples, or worse still, they have a double fold problem as
well.
What are your prices for a
breast enlargement? or Liposuction?
If you tick the enquiry box on our
Contact Page,
(and give details of the likely number of areas for liposuction) then
our Clinic Manager, Margaret, will get back to you within 24 hours with
specific, all inclusive prices.
