Which Brand of Breast Implants is Best?
Is One Brand of Breast Implants Better Than Others?
There are several brands of FDA approved breast implants available on the market in the United States. These include the two biggest breast implant manufacturers – Allergan and Mentor – who produce both saline and silicone implants. There are also several smaller breast implant companies – like Sientra and Motiva – that only sell silicone breast implants.
Thanks to decades of ongoing research and significant scientific advancements in breast implant materials and design, today’s generation of FDA-approved breast implants are among the safest and most well-tested medical devices on the market.
But if you are considering breast augmentation surgery, it is natural to wonder if one brand “looks better” or is safer than another. After considerable research and decades of experience, renowned breast augmentation surgeon Dr. Ali at AMAE Plastic Surgery in Birmingham, MI chooses to use Mentor breast implants. In this article, he explains why Mentor is his choice for safe, beautiful, natural looking breast implants.
All breast implant brands offer a very similar array of sizes and profiles. The materials are also similar but not identical – which is where we get into some differences. However, the reality is that no one will be able to tell which “brand” of breast implants you have just by looking at you.
Of course, the most important factor in achieving beautiful, natural, safe breast implant results is choosing the best breast augmentation surgeon. No matter how good the implants are themselves, an inexperienced or unskilled surgeon will not achieve the placement, symmetry, and hidden scars that a renowned plastic surgeon like Dr. Ali at AMAE Plastic Surgery in Birmingham, MI will create.
That being said, let’s take a look at why Dr. Ali chooses Mentor breast implants for breast augmentation surgery.
Mentor vs. Allegan Breast Implants
Allergan, the largest producer of breast implants, also manufactures many injectables including BOTOX and Juvéderm, and a wide range of non-aesthetic medical devices, as well as the skincare line SkinMedica. Mentor, on the other hand, is highly specialized and only manufactures breast implants and breast tissue expanders.
Allergan was founded in 2015. Then in 2016, Allergan sold its generic business, Actavis, to Teva Pharmaceuticals. Then in June 2019, the huge U.S. pharmaceutical conglomerate AbbVie announced it had reached an agreement to acquire Allergan for $63 billion.
Mentor, however, has operated continuously under the same name for thirty years, and all Mentor implants sold to the US market are made in the USA.
Many plastic surgeons also favor the Mentor brand of breast implants because they appreciate the level of customer service and technical support provided to medical practices and patients.
Mentor Breast Implants
Mentor offers silicone breast implants under the brand names MemoryGel, MemoryGel Xtra, and MemoryShape, in addition to offering saline implants, including the SPECTRUM implant. Dr. Ali can show you actual implants and discuss their features and differences to help you decide which model is right for your aesthetic goals.
Mentor breast implants are also coated with a special silicone elastomer shell to help reduce the risk of complications such as leakage or rupture.
Here are some of the types and features of Mentor breast implants:
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Breast Implant Shape
Mentor breast implants are available in two basic shapes, round and anatomic (teardrop). The appropriate shape for you will depend on your individual goals and the recommendations of your surgeon.
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Breast Implant Size
Mentor breast implants are available in an extremely wide range of sizes to suit the individual needs of patients. The appropriate size for you will depend on your desired volume and your body size or frame.
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Breast Implant Texture
Mentor breast implants are available in two textures, smooth and textured. Smooth breast implants are more ‘slippery’ and are designed to move naturally within the breast pocket. Textured breast implants have a rough surface that is designed to help the implant stay in place and reduce the risk of complications such as rippling, contracture, or implant displacement.
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Breast Implant Profile
The profile of an implant refers to how far it projects from the chest wall. Mentor breast implants are available in three profiles, low, moderate, and high. The best breast implant profile for you will depend on your desired appearance – from natural and subtle to super sexy – as well as your body size.
Types of Mentor Breast Implants
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MemoryShape® Breast Implants
Mentor MemoryShape® Breast Implants have a tapered shape that provides more projection at the lower pole, offering maximum projection where desired. This is sometimes called a teardrop breast implant. MemoryShape® Breast Implants offer a natural breast appearance. And they have been proven to retain shape and projection over time.1
Additionally, MemoryShape Breast Implants are made with SILTEX™ Texture, which has been proven to reduce complications. In fact, Mentor MemoryShape® Breast Implants have the lowest reported risk of key complications in primary breast augmentation at 10 years after surgery!
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MemoryGel BOOST™ Breast Implants
MemoryGel® Breast Implants have been used in over 6,000,000 breast implant surgeries worldwide. They offer the natural feel that patients desire, but with more “roundness” that gives them a higher “profile”. MemoryGel BOOST™ Breast Implants are available in “Moderate Plus” and “High” profiles.
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MemoryGel® Xtra Breast Implants
MemoryGel® Xtra Breast Implants also offer the natural feel that patients desire, but with more “roundness” but with additional benefits in three profile options – “Moderate Plus”, “Moderate High” and “High”. You might say MemoryGel® Xtra offers the most dramatic breast enhancement.
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Mentor Saline Implants
Mentor also manufacturers the best saline implants currently on the market. These are filled with a natural saltwater solution that is more firm than gel implants, which more closely imitate the feel of body fat. while they feel less like natural breast tissue, the look can be dramatic and they are less expensive than gel implants.
Mentor saline implants offer a round shape, an all-around fuller look, firmer feel and enhanced cleavage. They come in “Moderate”, “Moderate Plus” and “High” profiles. MENTOR® Round Saline Implants also come in a SPECTRUM® Adjustable model, which are the only breast implants that can be adjusted AFTER your surgery, by allowing your plastic surgeon to add or remove saline solution months after your procedure!
Mentor Breast Implant Before & After
You can view actual patient Before & After Photos of Dr. Ali’s breast implant surgeries HERE.
Mentor also has an excellent page that allows you to search for Mentor breast implant Before & After photos by patient, age, cup size, amount of increase and type of breast implant HERE.
The best breast implant for you will depend on the extent of your current breast tissue, your frame and body type, and most importantly your desired outcome. AMAE Plastic Surgery is among the first and only plastic surgery practices in the Birmingham, MI area to offer state-of-the-art Vectra 3D imaging for breast implant patents. This revolutionary imaging system provides a three-dimensional computerized image of the patient’s breasts from any and every angle – so that Dr. Ali can show you what different breast implant sizes and shapes will look like – before you have your breast implant surgery!