what are gummy bear implants

Gummy bear implants are a type of breast implant that contain a thick silicone gel that helps the implants maintain their original shape once placed, even when changing positions. They are also known as "shaped breast implants" or "anatomical breast implants" and were FDA approved in 2014. Gummy bear implants are teardrop-shaped and thicker or denser compared to other types of implants, which may be preferable if a patient is seeking less fullness in the upper part of the breast and a more natural droop to the bottom half. One of the main benefits of gummy bear implants is that they mimic the natural shape of the breast, with the implant being thicker at the bottom and tapered towards the top, giving them the shape of a teardrop. Unlike traditional silicone-based breast implants, gummy bear implants retain their shape even if their shells are broken because the gel is thicker. To prevent the rotating or shifting of these shaped implants, the shell of the gummy bear implant is typically textured, which allows the tissue around it to grow into it, somewhat like Velcro. However, there are some common concerns surrounding gummy bear implants. Unlike round implants, they may rotate over time and this can distort a patient’s breast shape. Due to the thickness of the silicone gel, the incision a plastic surgeon needs to make to insert gummy bear implants may be longer than that of other implant types. Gummy bear implants have also been reported to be more expensive than their other silicone- and saline-based counterparts.