All About Gummies

Per this Canadian PS:

"Allergan 410 implants - or as they are more properly known, Natrelle^TM Highly Cohesive Silicone-Filled Breast Implants (Style 410) - offer the highest level of cohesion and more than 140 different combinations of height, width, projection and firmness."

http://www.plasticsurgerycan.com/article_breast_implants.php

From a UK PS...

by ukplasticsurgeon » Sun Mar 08, 2009 12:48 pm

"The 410's are available in soft touch silicone which is softer than their "27" silicone. The inspiras are available in soft touch and responsive gel, the latter being softer than soft touch silicone.

I'm not sure about what is an what isn't FDA approved, though, as I don't work in the US, but I think I know which are the best implants available in Europe. Some UK implants aren't available in the US (ie are not FDA approved) and are very good. I think the Inspiras fall into this category as I haven't heard of any US surgeon offering them."

I especially found this part interesting :

Firmness: In addition to appearance, women can now choose how their breasts feel. Allergan 410 implants provide varying degrees of firmness with a unique range of cohesion from very soft to firm. Furthermore, the textured shells of Allergan 410 implants provide better adherence to natural breast tissue, with many patients telling me they feel just like a part of their body.

Is he saying the cohesiveness ranges from very soft to firm? What does that even mean. And is he saying that the implant is firm but with varying degrees of firmness?

I wish they would just spell out which ones are firm and which ones are very soft. I was not given a choice but unless they actually disclose the softness/firmness of each perhaps I have the softest or perhaps I have the firmest. Who knows . . . but they feel firm to me. Although, oddly enough, my right breast feels softer than my left breast. Still not what I would call "soft" but since I have two different 410 implants, I wonder if one of mine is infact softer.

Here is a link to Allergan Academy Canada:

"Available in twelve different anatomical shapes and two gel options, each with its own choice of projection and height, the Natrelle^TM 410 was designed to provide surgeons the ability to control shape, not just volume, to help achieve the right fit in a more natural-looking, anatomical shape."

http://allerganacademy.ca/Products410FormStable.aspx

Even though the softer version might be available to Canadian doctors, as Beesie suggested, most of them must not order or stock this version for their practice.

Maybe we can all go to Canada for our exchange in 10 years

You think she might come with us?

I wonder why surgeons aren't using the softer version if it's available.  I also wonder why they even sell a firmer version if a softer one is available. Wouldn't everyone prefer the soft one? I'd be tempted to switch (but doubt I'd actually do it). I'd also have to be completely convinced that Natrelle's idea of soft and my idea of soft are one in the same.  Lilah, your mission if you chose to accept it is to get the scoop on this!

Is there anyone on this thread from the UK that might have some first hand knowledge?

Deborah, thank you for finding that!  Great info!

Mantra, from the comments I've read about the 'soft touch' 410s, I think there may be some concern whether this is really a "true gummy" that maintains it's full cohesiveness and it's shape.  So I can see why many Canadian PSs, who are familiar with and comfortable using the original 410, might be hesitant to switch to a new softer implant that they have no history with and that might act differently.  I find it interesting in fact that while it took so long to get the 410 approved, now another variation is introduced by Allergan and it seems to not have to go through the same approval process.  I've been trying to find information about what testing has been done on the soft touch 410 and so far have found nothing (which doesn't mean that there is nothing, just that I haven't found anything yet).  I have found a few Health Canada documents about the Allergan approval and they include only information about the original 410s.  I would think that some submission must have been necessary for the soft touch 410s but so far can't find anything.

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodpharma/sbd-smd/phase1-decision/md-im/om_gl_2008_natrelleround_61865-eng.php

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/prodpharma/sbd-smd/phase1-decision/md-im/sbd_smd_2008_natrelle410_88573-eng.php

When you have a mastectomy, do they remove your lymph nodes?  My surgeon says he doesn't do that, so wondering if this is his opinion or not.

What-to-do48, from reviewing your other posts, I understand that you are having prophylactic mastectomies because you are BRCA1 positive.  In this type of situation, if there is no evidence that you have breast cancer, then there is no reason for your surgeon to remove lymph nodes when you have your mastectomies. 

This is very different than a situation where someone is having a mastectomy because of a breast cancer diagnosis, and particularly, for invasive breast cancer.  For those who are diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, lymph nodes absolutely must be checked.  I'm sure that your surgeon does remove nodes when doing a mastectomy if the patient has been diagnosed with BC.  His comment about not removing nodes was no doubt specific to your situation.  

I had 3 nodes removed when I had my lumpectomy. I remember my first surgeon asking if I wanted to have a SNB. I knew nothing of lymphedema and I remember asking her "what's the down side? Why do people choose not to have a SNB?" I really wish she had explained to me about LE. I think I would have said no to the SNB and I would have had more time to research and make a decision when it came to the mastectomy. 

When I decided to have a prophylactic, I told my new surgeon I did not want a SNB unless there was proof that there was cancer. I had a BSGI to give me enough confidence to know that I didn't have cancer and the mastectomy was going to be prophylactic. My fear was of course having the mastectomy, finding out there was infact cancer and then having to have an AND.

I think a lot of people have said their sugeon's don't do a SNB (referring to a prophylactic mastectomy.) My first reaction was the same as Lilah's  .. . he doesn't do what!! But leave it to Beesie to get it right!!  

Well excited , anxious  tomorrow I get my new gummie boob . I just can't wait to get this turtle shell off my chest . I pray that the gummie will always be soft . PS is very happy with my skin ( very soft) especially after radiation . He is also going to tweak the other breast . If anyone has had this exchange already any helpful hints are greatly appreciated . It is too funny my boobs right now are all magic markered in granddaoughters favorite color purple  hee hee

Fondly Linda

100% alright What-to-do and my apologies if anything I wrote confused you.  Sounds like you are in good hands and I am very sorry about your sister.

Yes, good luck with your surgery tomorrow!  My PS didn't draw on me until I was minutes away from going into surgery. She used purple too . . . guess that's their colour of choice.

Yeah my PS also drew on me about 20 mins before surgery... I can't remember if she used purple or black though. 

I wouldn't put myself through surgery again (although that thought may change), but I've decided I really dislike the tear drop shape of the gummies. They look fine naked. In clothes, it looks like I should be wearing a good support uplift bra. Of course, since they don't really move, a good support bra to lift them up wouldn't work regardless.

I recall the PS saying that the tear drop shape most matched my natural breasts. I liked my natural breasts, they didn't sag, yet I always wore and loved the look in a push up bra. Now, yes I would say this shape most resembles my natural breasts . . . but only when I was braless. If I had been told that tear drop looks like your natural breast but only when you are not wearing a bra I would have tried on some tops without a bra and would have instantly known that I would not be happy with the tear drop shape.

When I wear clothes, I just keep seeing this lower pole fullness and if I saw me on the street, my first thought would be "hmmm,there's someone who really doesn't know how to wear a bra that lifts!" I find myself wearing clothes that don't accentuate the implants and so I'm hating the clothes I'm wearing which in turn is making me miserable.

I won't go through with nipples until I'm convinced I can live with these implants. If I can't, can I change to silicone rounds?

Jerusha, Yes, agree that the feeling is definitely a negative factor too but I haven't even began to think about that yet. I don't have enough fat to have one of the other procedures but honestly, even if I did, I just can't imagine putting myself through it at this point in my life. So for me, I guess the only option would be to exchange the gummies for round silicone. 

I dread the thought of another surgery but I really can't imagine living 10 years with implants that make me want to dress in layers to mask the shape of the gummies.

I don't see the surgeon for another couple of weeks (my 6 week follow up appointment) so I have a bit of time before deciding the route I want to go.

I think the surgeon did a great job but I really wish she would have involved me more in the decision making process. I orginally told her I wanted rounds but she kept saying that gummies mimicked the shape of my natural breasts and would look better on me. If I lived in a nudist colony, I'd agree. But in the real world, looking good in clothes is important to me. And this  bottom heavy, non-push up look does nothing to make me want to wear anything that doesn't include layers.