Breast augmentation surgery is a safe and effective solution for women who want fuller and larger breasts but one of the biggest problems with breast augmentation has always been the risk of capsular contracture. It has always been a concern with breast augmentation and even now varies from 15 to 30% in some areas. In my practice I have been able to keep it below 5% with a combination of laser and or drug therapy. However, the lower the percentage of contracture after breast augmentation the better. The suspected culprit associated with capsular contracture appears to be bacterial contamination. Despite all our best efforts at sterility with gowns, gloves, masks, sterile prepping solution, and various types of antibiotic irrigation, occasionally there can still be some contamination. A “no-touch” technique that allows you to insert the breast implants with an “introductory device” that is sterile and has been been used for years. The plastic introduction sleeves were clumsy to use and not many plastic surgeons use them. For several years I used an introduction device from Europe that looked a little bit like a cannon with a hollow tube and a plunger to push the implants through. Unfortunately it only worked for smaller size implants and one size did not fit all so I gave up on it.

Now there is a very clever funnel invented by Dr. Keller called the Keller Funnel which accomplishes several purposes with something that looks like it belongs on the Food Network’s TV show Ace of Cakes!

First of all, it allows introduction of the implant with a true no touch technique the implant can be dropped into the funnel and then gently squeezed through like decorating the top of the cake. The surgeon doesn’t touch it and it doesn’t touch the patient’s skin or breast tissue while it is being introduced in the pocket. This eliminates the main source of potential capsular contracture which is residual bacteria on the skin or in the breast tissue of the patient

Secondly, this way of introduction puts less stress on the implant so that is less likely to break during introduction or later due to the stress placed while putting it in

And lastly, this method allows for smaller incisions and faster introduction minimizing scar tissue and lessening the time that the patient is under anesthesia

I am very pleased to now be using the new Keller Funnel that allows us to improve the quality of breast augmentation. At Advanced Concepts in Plastic Surgery we continue to select the best of new technology. The Keller Funnel is an example of this by making breast augmentation better, safer, and minimizing future complications.