A gummy bear implant is a silicone implant. A saline implant has a silicone shell. A smooth implant can belong to either group.
You could spend an evening comparing those names and still have no idea which one you’d want in your body. The vocabulary makes it easy to mistake a product description for a recommendation.
Breast implants have evolved. There are differences in gel consistency, internal support, and shell construction worth understanding. But the useful question is how a particular feature affects something you care about: the feel of your breasts, the fullness above a bra cup, the chance of visible rippling, or the follow-up you’ll need years after surgery.
At New Jersey Plastic Surgery, those choices are part of planning breast augmentation around a patient’s anatomy. Here’s a closer look at what the newer options offer, where the evidence stands, and what deserves a second question.
The name does a good job of explaining one feature. Think of how a gummy candy holds together when cut. With an implant, that comparison refers to the silicone gel’s cohesivity: how well it holds together.
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, form-stable implants contain thicker gel and feel firmer than traditional silicone implants. The organization also notes that placing them can require a longer incision.
That gives you a trade-off to consider. A gel that retains its shape may appeal to you; the firmer feel may appeal less. Ask to handle samples. Press them. Compare how they move in your palm. You won’t learn how your healed breasts will feel from a sample alone, but you’ll have a better reference than a nickname.
There’s a safety distinction to keep in mind, too. Holding its shape after being cut does not make an implant rupture-proof. A silicone shell can tear, and gel can escape. A cohesive implant still needs follow-up.
“Gummy bear” also leaves out the device’s shape and surface. Get the exact model name before comparing it with another implant. Otherwise, you may be comparing gel firmness on one page with a teardrop shape on the next.
Saline has a feature some patients value: if it leaks, the body absorbs the saltwater, and the breast loses volume. A change in size can make the problem apparent.
As Mayo Clinic explains, the empty silicone shell still requires surgery to remove. A replacement implant may be placed during the same operation. The filling’s absorption addresses one concern about a rupture; it doesn’t eliminate the need for treatment.
Structured saline adds internal support to control how the fluid moves. That construction aims to improve the feel compared with conventional saline. It gives someone who prefers a saltwater filling another type of device to discuss. It also means that “saline versus silicone” is a less complete comparison than it first appears.
There’s a naming wrinkle here. The FDA’s approved-implant list identifies the former IDEAL implant as the Puregraft Serene Breast Implant. Older articles can still turn up under the IDEAL name. The FDA entry links to patient labeling, which gives you a place to check the device information behind the marketing.
Confirm current availability with your surgeon. If you already have an IDEAL implant, keep your original records and verify the support terms that apply to your device. A change in branding is a good reason to check the paperwork.
Motiva is one of the newer silicone options offered at NJPS, including SmoothSilk Round and Ergonomix implants. For patients researching breast augmentation in New Jersey, it’s a relevant part of the conversation.
The FDA’s September 2024 announcement states that approval for augmentation in women 22 and older was supported by a study of 560 patients followed for up to three years at more than 20 U.S. and European sites.
The follow-up requirements are worth reading. The FDA required the original study groups to be followed for 10 years and a separate study of 2,400 additional patients, also followed for 10 years. Those studies address long-term performance and questions that the preapproval research could not resolve.
Three-year findings and 10-year findings answer different questions. A device can meet the requirements for approval while evidence about its performance over a longer period is still developing.
So, when you hear a claim about fewer complications, ask which complication was measured and over what period. Ask if the study involved first-time augmentation patients or revision patients. The answer gives a statistic and some context. A percentage without that context has limited value when you’re choosing surgery.
Two people can choose the same volume and get different-looking results. Their chest widths differ. One has more tissue covering the implant. One wants fullness near the collarbone; the other wants to fill out a bra without much change above it.
Volume is one measurement. The profile describes forward projection. Your skin and existing breast tissue influence how much of the implant you might see or feel.
NJPS uses breast measurements and Vectra 3D imaging to help patients compare options. A simulation can make a discussion about size less abstract. It remains an estimate; skin, tissue, and healing affect the eventual result.
This is also where a saved photo becomes useful. Show your surgeon the part you like. Is it the slope? The amount of cleavage? The proportion of the person’s waist? A cup-size request leaves much more open to interpretation.
And if the issue is stretched skin or nipples that sit lower than you’d like, discuss a breast lift. Adding volume can leave that concern unresolved. You deserve to understand that before choosing a larger implant, in the hope that it will do both jobs.
Start with the complications that can affect any implant: infection, rupture, changes in sensation, and capsular contracture. That last term describes scar tissue tightening around an implant, which can cause firmness, pain, or a change in shape. Treatment may involve another operation.
Surface carries its own considerations. The FDA states that BIA-ALCL occurs at a higher rate with textured implants than with smooth implants. This lymphoma develops in association with the implant, with most cases found in the surrounding fluid or scar tissue. It is distinct from breast cancer. Saline filling does not remove the need to discuss that risk.
Other cancers, including squamous cell carcinoma, have been reported in the capsule around implants. The FDA continues to study these conditions.
The agency also acknowledges systemic symptoms that patients call breast implant illness. In its review of breast implant risks, it describes reports of fatigue, brain fog and joint pain, while stating that the causes remain unclear. Some patients report improvement after removal. That outcome cannot be promised.
You should have time to read the proposed implant’s patient information and discuss the decision checklist before surgery. If you already have implants, persistent swelling, a new lump, pain, or a change in shape, it calls for assessment. You don’t need to know what caused it before contacting your clinician.
Implant care continues long after recovery. This is the part to put in your calendar.
According to FDA guidance, patients with silicone implants should have an ultrasound or MRI five to six years after placement, then every two to three years, even without symptoms. The FDA recommends an MRI sooner if symptoms develop or ultrasound findings are uncertain.
Silicone rupture can be silent. The breast may look and feel unchanged, so an examination alone can miss it. Saline implants do not have the same routine rupture-screening schedule, but they still need follow-up and assessment of changes.
These implant checks serve a different purpose from mammograms. Continue breast cancer screening based on your age and risk, and tell the imaging team about your implants.
Then there’s the bill. The FDA advises that implants need lifelong monitoring and that insurance may not cover screening ultrasound or MRI. Before surgery, find out who arranges those tests, what follow-up visits include, and which costs could fall to you.
Keep your device card and warranty documents. Check if a warranty covers a replacement implant alone or contributes to surgery costs. The surgeon’s fee, anesthesia, and facility charges need their own answers.
The FDA states, “Breast implants are not lifetime devices.” The longer you have them, the greater the chance of complications and additional surgery. That warning supports ongoing care; it does not create a universal replacement date at 10 years.
An implant revision consultation should consider symptoms, examination findings, and imaging, along with how you feel about your breasts now. You may want a different size. Pregnancy or weight changes may have altered the surrounding tissue. You may be content with your augmentation and need a follow-up plan.
If you no longer want implants, implant removal is an option, too. Discuss the expected appearance afterward and any role for a lift. A newer product announcement can wait while you work through those questions.
No. The nickname refers to gel consistency. Confirm the implant’s shape and surface as separate features.
Yes. Both saline and silicone implants can ripple. The device, its placement, and your tissue coverage influence how noticeable that is.
Some people can; others have difficulty. Your anatomy and the surgery performed can affect milk production. Discuss pregnancy and breastfeeding plans before surgery.
Price alone cannot establish durability. Ask about results for the proposed device and the length of follow-up behind those results.
Keep your original device records. Your surgeon or the current manufacturer can help identify the implant and clarify support. Confirm warranty terms instead of assuming coverage transfers.
At New Jersey Plastic Surgery in Montclair, board-certified plastic surgeons Dr. Barry DiBernardo and Dr. Matthew Trovato help patients compare implant options based on their anatomy and goals.
For a consultation, bring the photo you keep returning to and the concern you keep searching for. Ask your surgeon to explain the trade-off behind the recommendation, including future care. You should be able to explain why that implant makes sense for you in words you’d use yourself.
New Jersey Plastic Surgery 29 Park St, Montclair, NJ 07042
Our New Jersey Plastic Surgery cosmetic specialists are ready to help you achieve your aesthetic goals with the most advanced treatments the cosmetic industry has to offer. Contact us today to take your first step toward a more beautiful you.
