Gummy-Bear Implants

The so-called gummy-bear implants or cohesive implants are made of a more cohesive and firmer silicone gel filler to help maintain the shape of the implant. At this time, these breast implants are available only through clinical studies being conducted by Mentor and Allergan (formerly Inamed). They are currently on the market in Europe and Brasil. These implants are not yet FDA approved in the US and the comments below are based on the experience of Europeans.

When you cut into a cohesive gel implant, nothing leaks out, the gel does not migrate - the inside gel material is of about the same consistency as gummy bears. Technically speaking this is because of the amount of cross-linking of the silicone strands. Cohesive gel implants (the term 'cohesive' implies form stability, or form retention) are much less likely to fold or collapse, especially in the upper pole. Cohesive gel implants have the potential to provide a more natural, realistic breast shape and feel, minimize the risk of wrinkling and rippling, and ensure a greater degree of safety in case the implant lose its integrity. The wide variety of implant sizes and shapes allows for great flexibility in reconstructive surgery, in cases of breast asymmetry, and breast enlargement.

The most popular method of inserting the cohesive gel implants is through the inframammary incision. This is because the cohesive gel implants are more firm and require a longer incision - about 2" - to push them through. Sometimes it is possible to insert them through the transaxillary or if the areola is large enough, through the periareolar incisions.

How about disadvantages of cohesive gel or gummy-bear implants?

• Less margin for error when selecting size and shape. This is because cohesive implants are ... cohesive and unlike saline and silicone gel filled implants maintain their shape and size in all positions. Usually this is not a problem unless very large implants are used.
• These implants do feel somewhat firmer.
• Gummy-bear implants are more expensive than silicone gel implants and much more expensive than saline implants.
• Cohesive implants are made only in anatomical shapes so if they rotate in the body, it will result in a distortion which usually requires another surgery to correct the problem.

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