Mentor and Allergan are companies that have an excellent reputation for developing and manufacturing breast implants. The quality of the breast implant is almost as important as choosing a quality surgeon. Choosing the appropriate implant is essential in ensuring comfort and achieving a realistic breast shape. It is also important to choose an implant from a quality manufacturer for safety and avoidance of long-term rupture.
Mentor MemoryGel Implants
Mentor has been researching, developing and testing breast implants for over 20 years. Mentor has maintained a reputation for adhering to safety standards in manufacturing and clinical trials. Mentor offers a patented MemoryGel silicone breast implant that is FDA approved. MemoryGel implants consist of a gelatinlike substance that creates a feeling more like natural breast tissue. The gelatin substance acts more like a solid than a liquid by holding together uniformly and retaining the natural elasticity of breast tissue.
Allergan Natrelle Implants
Allergan is a global specialty pharmaceutical company that has been manufacturing breast aesthetics since it purchased the Inamed Corporation in 2006. Allergan produces a line of breast augmentation products called Natrelle. Natrelle offers a patented silicone gel implant that was approved by the FDA in 2006. Natrelle implants have an elastic silicone rubber shell and they are filled with a cohesive silicone gel. The saline implants also have the silicone rubber shell but are filled with sterile saline fluid.
Safety
Technology and rigorous testing have drastically changed the development and safety of breast implants. Allergan (formerly Inamed Corporation) has been performing clinical testing on long-term use of their implants for 10 years. According to Allergan, European research found that after 11 years, 92 percent of implants were still intact. Mentor has been participating and developing clinical testing for over 10 years as well but has not yet published results for its incidence of long-term rupture. The Institute of Medicine did release a statement that concluded silicone did not appear to be responsible for any major disease of the body.
Physician Feedback
Many physicians trust and use both brands of implants. Dr. Kim Meathrel, a plastic surgeon in Ontario, Canada, says that both brands offer similar products and warranties, but she uses Mentor because she learned to use them during residency and they offer great customer support. Dr. Kris M. Reddy, a plastic surgeon in Palm Beach, California, says that both companies offer quality products and service. He claims the real decision is whether to use saline or gel implants and says the topic should be discussed thoroughly with your surgeon.
Other Considerations
Carefully discuss breast augmentation surgery with a surgeon before deciding on implants. It is advisable to discuss potential complications, no matter which brand of implants you choose to use. All brands of implants can present complications such as capsular contracture, deflation or rupturing.
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