Gummy Bear Myths
When you’re the new kid in town, people start to talk and rumors run rampant; that’s the case with gummy bear breast implants. At our Los Angeles practice, Dr. Stevens has been using gummy bears since 2002, and in that time he’s heard just about every misconception imaginable about these innovative implants.
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Get the Facts
Non-board-certified surgeons can’t offer Sientra® form-stable implants, so they naturally want to dissuade women from seeking them. Their websites list a host of reasons not to choose gummy bears, including these falsehoods:
Myth #1: Breast Augmentation with Gummy Bear Implants is More Expensive
While the Sientra and Natrelle® implants cost slightly more per pair than other silicone gel implants, there are other factors to take into consideration beyond the cost of materials. For example, how long will the implants hold up? What are the rates of rupture, capsular contracture or other complications that may require a costly revision procedure? The 5-Year Follow-Up Data from the U.S. clinical trial of the Sientra implants supports the high rate of safety and patient satisfaction and low incidence of complications with these implants. If you factor safety and longevity into your cost analysis, gummy bears, in theory, could prove much more cost effective than other types of implants.
Myth #2: Gummy Bears Require Longer Incisions
This simply isn’t true. Most plastic surgeons prefer the periareolar incision or the inframammary incision for breast augmentation because the scars are discreet and they provide excellent access to the breast pocket. These are by far the most popular incisions for any type of implant, and we can use both with the gummy bear breast implants. In fact, the majority of our gummy bear patients choose the small periareolar incision, which is well hidden along the border of the darker circle of skin surrounding the nipple. Only saline implants can be inserted through smaller incisions, and most women are not willing to accept the aesthetic shortcomings of saline implants for a slightly smaller incision.
Myth #3: The Gummy Bear Implants are Much Firmer Than Other Implants
It may be hard to believe that something so strong can also be soft and pliable, but that is truly the case with these remarkable implants. In fact, Dr. Stevens has done his own (non-scientific) research to bust the firmness myth. He found that, in blind touch-tests, even plastic surgeons could not tell the difference between the Sientra implants and fourth generation gel implants most of the time. Additionally, the 5-year follow-up data from the clinical trials shows a very high rate of patient satisfaction with these implants, which would not be the case if they were too firm. Our own breast augmentation patients in Los Angeles report that one of the things they love about the gummy bears is the soft, natural feel they create.
If you want to know the truth about these innovative implants and the new era in breast augmentation, you’ve come to the right place. Dr. Stevens has been using the Sientra Silimed-brand implants since 2002, and has been integral in the ongoing clinical trial and data collection. He can answer all of your questions about gummy bear implants, including the Natrelle 410s, and even let you see and touch them for yourself.