Breast Augmentation

Beautiful and well-developed bosom is every woman’s dream. At our clinic, silicone is implanted under the greater pectoral muscle to enlarge breasts. There is a controversy in silicone implants, but silicone is a material used most commonly for many medical devices such as artificial joint or pace maker. There is a variety of silicone implant products depending on the viscosity and hardness. We select the silicone bags that have the most similar feel to each patient’s breasts.

This is a picture of a patient’s breasts before the surgery. Sizes of her right breast and left breast are different.	6th day from the implant. A 220ml silicone bag was implanted in the patient’s right breast. A 180ml silicone bag was implanted in her left breast. There is a slight scar from internal bleeding between the patient’s breasts.
7th month from the implant. The patient’s breasts maintain natural softness.	This is a picture of a scar on the patient’s armpit in the 7th month from the breast implant surgery. It is hard to recognize the scar due to the underarm wrinkles.

Silicone Implant Bags for Breast Augmentation

There is no silicone implant bag officially approved by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry in Japan. All silicone implant bags used at the cosmetic surgery clinics in Japan were imported privately from overseas. These bags are manufactured mainly in Europe, but the prices, durability and safety of these products vary considerably by the manufacturer. Contents of the silicone implant bags are (1) Normal saline solution, (2) Silicone, (3) Cohesive silicone, (4) Hydro gel (CMC).

We do not recommend cohesive silicone and hydro gel (CMC).

“Cohesive” means “joined together tightly”. Cohesive silicone bag is harder than a regular silicone bag. Manufacturers promote cohesive silicone bags by emphasizing its safety against rupture. Cohesive silicone bags may be tough, but they feel hard. A large incision has to be made on the side of the patient’s breast in order to fit a hard cohesive silicone bag.

Safety of implanting hydro gel (CMC) in human body has not been proven. There is also a danger of infection. Hydro gel implant is banned in France and England where they question its safety. The Japan Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery urges cosmetic surgery clinics to refrain from using hydro gel.

Some cosmetic surgery clinics promote CMC bags as follows. “CMC gel bags are sold and used in European countries. 96% of CMC gel bag consists of normal saline solution and 4% consists of CMC (carboxymethylcellulose), natural water-soluble substance contained in food products. Quality and safety of CMC gel bags are proven in Europe where high medical standards are strictly maintained. CMC gel bag is superior to other products in its natural feel. The shape of the breast looks natural when a person with an implanted CMC gel bag stands up and lies down. If you massage your breast, it will not become hard. A CMC gel bag made by a French company, Laboratoires Arion is made much sturdier than the comparable products. Their CMC gel bag is strong and unbreakable.”

However, use and sale of CMC gel bags are banned in France and England. CMC gel bag products are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). There is a suspicion that some companies purchase CMC gel bags at a clearance price from European manufacturers and sell them at discount prices in Japan. (Excerpt from Japan Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Quality Assurance Committee, Emergency Information)

Textured Type and Smooth Type

There are two different types of silicone gel bags for breast augmentation. A “textured type” bag has textured surface. A “smooth type” has smooth surface. Some cosmetic clinics advertise that the post-operative massage is not necessary if a textured type silicone gel bag is implanted in a patient’s breast. However, a breast shape tends to become unnatural when a patient with a textured gel bag in her breast lies down.
We recommend smooth type gel bag implantation and post-operative breast massage in order to maintain natural breast shape after the surgery.

Sizes and Shapes of Silicone Gel Bags

Generally speaking, 100cc silicone gel bag makes breast one cup larger. If a patient wants her breast a little larger than one cup, 125cc to 150cc gel bag is used. We recommend using 175cc to 225cc gel bag if a patient wants to make her breast 2 and more cups larger. The result, however, largely depends on each patient’s body type and amount of lactating gland. Some cosmetic surgeons recommend “anatomical type” gel bag, but a flat and round type gel bag provides a more natural breast shape for Asian women. If bags with irregular forms are implanted, breast shape looks unnatural as the implanted bags move.

Silicone Gel Bag Used by Sapporo Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Mentor (U.S.A.) and INAMED (U.S.A.) (brand name is McGhan) are the trusted manufacturers of silicone gel bags for breast augmentation. We at the Sapporo Aesthetic Plastic Surgery use silicone gel bags manufactured by Mentor. Their silicone gel bags have soft, smooth and natural feel. Be wary of cheap “Eurosilicone” gel bags used by some cosmetic surgery clinics even if they are famous major clinics. (Excerpt from Japan Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Breast Implant Manufacturers)

Breast Augmentation Using Silicone Gel Bags

Silicone is a material used widely in the world of medicine. Silicone is used to make artificial joint, artificial cardiac valve and other medical devices. Breast enlargement procedures have some risks such as capsulation, but hundreds of thousands of people receive this procedure with satisfied results throughout the world. Please select a clinic and silicone gel bag carefully since you will have a foreign object implanted in your breast.