Body Implants
Before and After Buttock Implant Surgery by Dr Hodgkinson Body implants are used in many forms in cosmetic plastic surgery that many people may not be aware of. Most people know about breast implants ...
Continue ReadingCustomising implants is a means whereby a deformity of the limbs or trunk can be repaired by using a solid silicone implant. These solid silicone implants do not break or leak, unlike breast implants. Dr Hodgkinson has been using these specialised implants for over 30 years.
The process is that a “moulage” or model of the patient’s defect is produced which perfectly replicates their body, then the model is sent to a specialised company in the United States and a customised implant is designed and produced specifically for the patient. That product can then be inserted through a small incision to re-create the symmetry of the body.
Dr Hodgkinson has especially used this technique for chest wall implants, particularly to address Poland’s Syndrome, ruptures of the deltoid, biceps, triceps, gluteal and calf muscles. An excellent example of a rare case, where Dr Hodgkinson used two implants, one for the biceps and one for the triceps is shown in the images below.
Custom body implants are implants that are made specifically for the patient to camouflage their specific defect. The way that this is done is that Dr Hodgkinson in consultation with the patient assesses the defect and makes a plaster mould of the exact deficit that the patient is trying to mask. This mould is then sent off to a manufacturer in the United States who makes a solid silicone implant to match the exact dimensions of the required implant. The implant can be manufactured in various levels of hardness, called durometers, to mimic the tissue it is supposed to replicate muscle, bone etc.
Areas and conditions for which Dr Hodgkinson has used custom body implants include:
Custom body implants can be used to mimic the volume of the biceps and triceps muscles. Dr Hodgkinson has only used these implants where there is a marked asymmetry of the two sides due to a muscle injury or tear.
There are no manufactured deltoid implants. These are custom made body implants which must be made specifically to meet the need of the patient and to fit their defect. These cases are uncommon, however, due to Dr Hodgkinson’s reputation for custom body implants and over thirty years experience in customising implants for patients with muscular injuries, defects and atrophy, he has had to opportunity to treat a few of these patients with deltoid injuries with custom solid silicone implants and achieve excellent results.