The first breast implant that looks like a real breast! [Dan Zegzula, MD, Portland]

Eva Sheie (00:00):
You're listening to Where Before Meets After. What's the difference between the round and the ergo and how do you think about which one you recommend for which kind of patient?

Dr. Zegzula (00:10):
Well, that's a very good question. We'll start with explaining that Motiva implants do come in two varieties. This is their ergonomix implant, which allows a lot of the gel to drift down to the bottom of the implant. So when it's in, it's almost functioning as a shaped implant. Do you see how the gel travels to the lower part of the implant? And so these implants will give a very natural look, and there'd be very soft and natural feeling. I don't think I can demonstrate how small that they can be conformed to go through a small incision, but they're very elastic and very moldable, and they pop right back to their original shape, even when you squeeze them through a small opening.

Eva Sheie (00:52):
It's amazing. When you held it up, it looked exactly like we want to look like high school, like we looked in high school.

Dr. Zegzula (00:59):
Yeah. Like a teardrop implant. Yes, just like that. One of the breast implant companies, Sientra just removed their shaped implants from the market. So that's going to leave plastic surgeons with only one implant on the market that uses or that makes shaped implants and that being Mentor. And they're a fined company and they've got their catalog of implants, but now we have the ability to offer yet another option to our patients. That is if they're interested in shaped implants, but they like the newer technologies of Motiva implants that we can offer them these ergonomix implants that have the advantage of having that teardrop shape. But also it's a round implant, so if it turns, it's always a round implant. You don't have the risk of rotation that shaped implants have, because when shaped implants rotate, the shaped doesn't look right. But the ergonomix implant can rotate to any position, and it's always going to assume that teardrop when the patient stands up. Because it's not truly a shaped implant but the gel makes it act like a shaped implant. So there's some safety in that as well. That's satisfaction in that, that it doesn't matter if it rotates, you'll still have that natural beautiful shape. The other implant is their round implant. Motiva round implants are a bit more form stable, and the gel for these implants will stay more in the shell without descending down. These implants are a tad bit firmer to the feel. For women who want a fuller upper breast this will provide that because when they stand, the gel in the upper pole of the implant will stay in the upper pole of the implant. So this will give a rounder, fuller look, perhaps a more augmented look, is another way to say that, but at the same time, still plush enough that you'll give a natural feel without the ergonomix change to give a fullness the lower pole, which many patients consider to be a more natural versus a more augmented look.

Eva Sheie (03:03):
What do those implants feel like? Is there anything you can compare them to?

Dr. Zegzula (03:08):
If you've never felt a breast implant before, it's hard to describe, but these implants have a subtle texture to them that makes it feel a bit more like tissue in your hands. There's definitely a more firm feeling to the round than the ergonomix, but they both feel similar in that it's silky, plush and generally soft on both sides.

Eva Sheie (03:34):
How do patients react when they see or feel the Motiva implants in consultation? What kinds of things are they saying about them?

Dr. Zegzula (03:41):
When I'm doing a consult with a patient and they're interested in Motiva implants, one of the fun things to do is hand them one. There's a definite difference in the way a Motiva implant looks because it's got the blue color to it that's got a slightly opaque surface. Most implants will be a smooth implant that they're feeling, and when they put that in their hand, it feels sort of like cellophane to the touch. It's a little bit tacky, a little cool feeling in the hand, and then the Motiva implant has got a velvety texture on the surface, and then it feels very soft in the hand. There's a definite palpable difference in the hand, and patients tend to like the way that the Motiva implant feels in the hand because it's different than anything else they felt. And it's very soft and it's velvety and it's comfortable feeling in the hand perhaps, and it sets it apart from the other implants. So patients are immediately drawn to the way the Motiva implant looks and the way it feels.

Eva Sheie (04:40):
Thanks for listening. I'm your host, Eva Sheie. Follow the show and submit questions for our experts at wherebeforemeetsafter.com. Where Before Meets After is it production of The Axis.