The Keller Funnel – A Revolutionary New device for Breast Augmentation Surgery in Australia
Improving Silicone Breast Implant Insertion by Use of a Breast Augmentation “Funnel”
Breast augmentation is one of the most popular cosmetic body contouring procedures in the Port Macquarie and Sydney. Women have a basic choice between saline and silicone gel Breast Implants for their augmentation. When considering the different style of Breast Implants Cosmetic Surgeons will need to determine the site and size of the Incision to insert the Breast Implant.
Saline Breast Implants can be inserted in a deflated state through very small incisions and they can be inserted through any location (Armpit, Nipple, and crease under the breast or the belly button).It is rolled up like a wrap and slide in through an incredibly small incision.
Silicone gel Breast Implants come prefilled and they require a larger Incision and certain locations are not possible to Insert the Breast Implant; such as the armpit and Nipple for very large Breast Implants and finally it is not possible to insert them through a belly button dissection.
Typically in my practice I insert Silicone Breast Implants through the lower breast crease incision which may often need to be 4 to 6 cms in length dependent on the type and style of Silicone Breast Implant.
In Caucasian patient the incision may heal well and will be virtually unseen; this is however more of an issue in any women with more skin pigmentation. They may opt for a saline Breast Implant because of their concern of an unattractive scar and may have really preferred a Silicone Breast Implant.
When inserting a silicone Breast Implant there maybe a lot of manipulation and stress on the outer silicone covering of the Breast Implant known as the shell by using the Cosmetic Surgeons finger to poke and push the Breast Implant through the incision.
It is not unlikely yet so far unproven that such “point” stress areas on the Breast Implant does temporarily deform parts of the Breast Implant and could contribute to an earlier or more frequent incidence of silicone gel Breast Implant rupture over the patient’s lifetime. Any tissue trauma in inserting the Breast Implant and the adverse stress on the Breast Implant shell, there is a potential for increased risk of infection due to bacterial contamination from contact of the Breast Implant by the skin edges of the incision and the surgeon’s gloves and the traumatised tissues.
A new and novel delivery device for silicone gel Breast Implantation is now available that reduces the previously discussed concerns and risks.
It is known as the “Keller Funnel”, the device allows the Breast Implant to be inserted in the same manner as that when icing a cake. It uses the principle that the force to insert the Breast Implant is equally distributed along the Implant; therefore the pressure and deforming force on the Implant is distributed equally rather than at the point of a finger. The Breast Implant is gently squeezed through the smaller funnel hole.
The benefits of this device is clear, it allows a silicone gel Breast Implant to be inserted through smaller incisions and it reduces the risk of causing undetected weakening or distortion of the Breast Implant’s shell that could lead to an earlier device failure and rupture. This means larger silicone Breast Implants can be inserted through smaller lower breast crease, nipple and armpit incisions.
The other benefit that Funnel Breast Augmentation has is that it reduces the risk of bacterial contamination of the Breast Implant. However, the national incidence of Breast Implant infection is very low; Keller funnel provides another mechanism by which the risk remains low.