Does Breast Implant Brand Matter?

Turns out brand does matter when it comes to breast implants. 

You’ve got options when it comes to implant brands so it’s important to know what those options are. There are four breast implant manufacturers in the United States: 

• Sientra
• Mentor
• Allergan
• Ideal

Ideal only makes saline implants and isn’t as popular, so we are going to focus on the other three implant brands who make both saline and silicone gel implants.

Sientra breast implants (a favorite at Amelia Aesthetics), Mentor, and Allergan all make silicone gel breast implants, also called gummy bear implants. Mentor and Allergan also make saline breast implants.

How do you know which one to choose?

It can be really helpful to connect with other women in the Bustmob Community who have or are considering breast implants to learn more about their experiences and why or how they chose their implant brands. If you want to get really nerdy with it, check out this study.

But why does it matter? 

Breast implant brand matters, because each manufacturer has undergone different clinical studies, offers varying warranties, and each plastic surgeon will work with and offer their preferred brand or brands.

Each brand also has its own set of unique risks and benefits. For example, one brand may have a lower risk of capsular contracture, but another may have a longer warranty. 

Doing your deep-dive research for each brand, and learning the risks and warranties associated with each will help you to decide what’s important for you. 

Your plastic surgeon will also be able to walk you through the product information details of the brand they use and why it is their preferred choice. 

Keep in mind that each plastic surgeon and plastic surgery practice will offer their own selection of implant brands and types so be sure to ask about the implant details in your consultation. 

What are breast implant warranties?

Something many women consider when choosing their implant brand is the implant warranty. Each implant will come with a warranty though the length and details of the warranty vary by brand. 

Implant warranties are provided by the manufacturer to cover the cost of the implant in the event of a complication like capsular contracture or implant rupture. 

However, the warranty typically only covers the cost of the breast implant, not any additional costs like operating time or anesthesia.

Most warranties last between 10 and 20 years, again depending on the brand you choose. 

Hold on. Capsular contracture? Rupture? 

Unfortunately, all great things do come with a bit of risk. Luckily for the majority of breast augmentation patients, the risk of capsular contracture and rupture is fairly low (learn more about breast augmentation risks with the Bustmob Academy app). 

Capsular Contracture

Capsular contracture is when the scar tissue, sometimes called the pocket, around the implant squeezes down on the implant. 

Because the implant is soft, it can cause asymmetry in the breasts along with tightness and discomfort. 

Though it isn’t medically dangerous, most women will choose to have this corrected with surgery. 

Your plastic surgeon will remove the implant along with some or all of the scar tissue and put in a new implant. 

Breast Implant Rupture

An implant rupture is when the outside silicone shell of the implant forms a tear. 

Saline ruptures are obvious leaving the breast with the ruptured implant deflated. 

The good news is the implant is filled with a sterile, saline solution that your body can absorb naturally and safely. 

Gummy bear implant ruptures often go undetected without an MRI since the silicone high-strength cohesive gel holds its shape even outside of the shell.

Ruptures can be corrected with a breast implant exchange procedure. They tend to be fairly simple procedures with less recovery time and in some cases don’t require full anesthesia. 

Regardless of the complication, the warranty will typically cover the cost of the implant. But keep in mind additional costs may come out of pocket for surgeon’s fees and anesthesia. 

Want to see real results from each brand? 

The Bustmob GoalFinder is home to thousands of breast augmentation after photos. You can search by implant brand, size, shape, and profile and filter by the patient stats to see results on frames that match yours. 

Save your favorites to a collection so you can easily compare and see which implant is your aesthetic favorite. 

Found this helpful, but want more? 

Good news! This is just one of hundreds of fun, factual videos on the Bustmob Academy app to make your plastic surgery research easy.

From commonly told myths and FAQs, to recovery time and costs, Jenny Eden, founder of Bustmob, and Gretta Nance, lead educator at Amelia Aesthetics, break down your plastic surgery research into bite-size, binge-able pieces.