I am getting inundated with calls about the Motiva breast implant… and I am not surprised. Breast implants have been through a lot. We have seen saline, smooth, round, anatomic, gummy, textured, high profile, you name it. We have also seen ruptures, ripples, and recalls; calcium, contractures, and cancer. And it has been a long time since we have had a major advance in implant technology to offset all of this drama.
The Motiva implant has been available all over the world for over a decade. This fall, it finally landed in the US. To my estimation, this represents a revolution in implant design. For one, the fill is fused to the shell, which means that leaks no longer occur. The material cannot run away from the envelope if it is actually part of it. For two, because the fill and shell are their own unit, there is no space between them. This means that the fill is more evenly distributed, even on the edges, and this means less rippling. As a surgeon who is devoted to over-the-muscle augmentations, this is one of the most exciting aspects of the implant. Better fill and less rippling means that patients with very thin implant coverage will likely have a better result.
But the best part about this new technology is the texture. I have never been a proponent of textured implants, as they were in their first forms. They are hard to work with, create a lot of fluid in the implant pocket, and often lead to health complications. Surgeons who have been favorable to textured implants believe that the texturing may help limit capsular contracture, but the trade-off seemed high.
The Motiva implant has a new micro-texture which is its own category. It is not smooth, but it also does not have the same deep crevices which can harbor bacteria, and which are recognized by the immune system as foreign. Instead, the texturing is manufactured to mimic natural bodily surfaces, so, although the body does know that it’s a stranger, it is a lot more comfortable with it hanging around. This seems to translate into the implant causing much less of an immune response, less scar tissue, and generally less trouble. I like all of those things.
It has been a long time since I have been able to answer a patient who asks me “What is the newest technology in breast implants?” I am very excited about Motiva being available in the US, and I now have something new and improved to offer. It is always wonderful to be newly motivated.
