Breast implants: a complete guide

Silicone gel implants today

Modern breast implants used at New City Clinic are made of cohesive silicone gel inside a silicone shell. Cohesive gel holds together like a soft gummy sweet, so if the shell ever tears the gel tends to stay in place. These implants feel more natural than older saline implants, which are rarely used today. Every implant has a serial number and comes with an implant card for your records.

Round or anatomical (teardrop)?

• Round implants are the most widely used. They give fullness in the upper and lower breast, and once in the body they take on a natural slope when you stand. If they rotate, the shape does not change.
• Anatomical (teardrop) implants are fuller at the bottom and taper at the top, imitating a natural breast slope. They can suit very slim women with little breast tissue or a tuberous breast shape, but they must stay in the right orientation.

The surgeon recommends the shape that suits your tissue and the look you want; for most women a well-chosen round implant gives a natural result.

Size and profile

Implant volume is measured in millilitres (cc), not cup sizes. Equally important is the profile – how far the implant projects forward for a given width. A low or moderate profile gives a softer, more natural look; a high profile gives more projection on a narrow chest.

The right implant is chosen from measurements: the width of your breast base, the thickness of your tissue and the stretch of your skin. An implant wider than your breast or too heavy for your tissue increases the risk of rippling, sagging and visible edges over time. In Istanbul you try sizers in a bra before deciding. The clinic article how to choose breast implant size and shape gives practical tips.

Placement: under or over the muscle

• Subglandular (over the muscle): under the breast tissue. Suitable when there is enough soft tissue to cover the implant; recovery is often quicker.
• Submuscular (under the muscle): under the chest muscle. More cover for the upper edge of the implant, useful in slim women.
• Dual plane: partly under the muscle at the top, under the gland at the bottom. Combines natural upper cover with a good lower shape, and is very common in lifts with implants.

The incision is most often in the crease under the breast, sometimes around the areola. Read about the full operation on our breast augmentation page.

Brands, certification and your implant card

New City Clinic uses implants from established international manufacturers that carry European (CE) certification. Your written quote names the brand and model, and after surgery you receive an implant card with the serial numbers, size and type. Keep it safely and show it to any doctor or radiologist who treats you in future – it is also essential if you ever need a revision. Ask any clinic you consider for this information before you book; vague answers are a red flag, as explained in our safety checklist.

The clinic blog article breast implants in Turkey: safety, aftercare and removal explains certification and follow-up in more detail.

Smooth, textured and BIA-ALCL

Implant surfaces can be smooth, micro-textured or textured. A rare type of lymphoma, BIA-ALCL, has been linked mainly to textured implants; it usually appears years later as sudden swelling of one breast and is treatable when caught early. Your surgeon will explain which surface is recommended and why. Any late swelling of a breast with implants should be checked by a doctor.

How long do implants last?

Implants do not have an expiry date, and there is no rule that they must be changed every ten years. Many last well beyond that. They are replaced or removed when there is a problem – hardening (capsular contracture), rupture, malposition – or when you would like a change in size or shape. Your doctor may recommend imaging from time to time. If the time comes, see our page on implant replacement and removal.

Implants at New City Clinic

At New City Clinic implants are used for breast augmentation, breast lift with implants and implant exchange. The official overview is on breast augmentation at New City Clinic, and the clinic’s complete guide is breast augmentation Turkey: implant guide.

Questions to ask about your implants

• Which brand and model will be used, and is it CE-certified?
• Round or anatomical, which profile and which volume – and why for my body?
• Over the muscle, under the muscle or dual plane?
• Smooth or textured surface?
• Will I receive an implant card with the serial numbers?

Implants and future pregnancies

Pregnancy and breastfeeding are possible with implants. The breasts may change shape afterwards, and some women later choose a lift or an exchange. If you plan more children soon, discuss timing with your surgeon.