Use of breast prostheses

Breast augmentation with prostheses remains the method of choice for a variety of indications; in this article, we explain how and why we use them in practice.

Breast augmentation by prosthesis 

Aestheticbreast augmentation is the most frequent indication for breast implants worldwide. It is one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures in France, with over 40,000 patients operated on each year. Following the banning of Macrolane Hyaluronic Acid injections in 2012, it is the only method of breast augmentation authorized and stable over time alongside breast lipofilling (generally better known among women asnatural breast augmentation). However, as the majority of patients seeking breast augmentation are very thin, lipomodelling accounts for fewer than 1,000 cases per year in France. Breast augmentation by prosthesis therefore remains the reference method for an augmentation of more than one cup size in a woman.

Breast removal or mastectomy

After removal of a breast for cancer, a prosthesis is a quick and reliable way of reconstructing the missing breast. However, an increasing number of women are undergoing radiation treatment (radiotherapy) in the aftermath of their cancer. This treatment severely impairs the predictable results of silicone implant reconstruction, with shell rates in excess of 20% of cases. We prefer to propose autologous reconstruction methods (i.e. with their own tissue) such as DIEP flaps to patients with radiation. We reserve reconstruction with silicone breast prostheses for lean women with small breasts who have not received radiation.

See also our article on changing a breast prosthesis.

Breast asymmetry

Breast asymmetry, or the difference in size between the 2 breasts, is a deformity that is often very disabling. For a long time, breast prostheses were the only solution to this problem, with results that were sometimes disappointing, particularly over time, since the implanted breast will age differently from the non-implanted breast. We now treat these patients with breast lipomodelling, which gives excellent results in this indication.

Discover our article on the price of breast augmentation by prosthesis.