Definition

Noun: A medical device, typically a silicone shell filled with silicone gel or saline solution, that is surgically placed under the skin or chest muscle to augment, reconstruct, or reshape the breast. Its primary purposes are cosmetic enhancement or the reconstruction of a breast following mastectomy.

Usage

The term "breast implant" is used to refer to the physical prosthetic device itself. It is a specific, technical term common in medical, cosmetic surgery, and personal health contexts.

Examples

• The patient decided to get a breast implant for cosmetic augmentation.
• After her mastectomy, she chose to have a breast implant as part of her reconstruction surgery.
• The safety of silicone gel breast implants has been extensively studied.

Advanced Usage

• "to have a breast implant": to undergo the surgical procedure to receive the device.
  • She decided to have a breast implant to achieve her desired silhouette.
• "breast implant surgery": the surgical procedure for inserting the device. (Note: This is a compound term listed here as it is a common collocation directly related to the core term.)
• "breast implant illness (BII)": a term some patients and doctors use to describe a collection of symptoms they attribute to their implants.

Variants and Related Words

• Implant (n): a general term for any device or material inserted or grafted into the body.
• Augmentation mammoplasty: the formal medical term for breast enlargement surgery using implants.
• Breast prosthesis (n): an external form worn inside a bra, as opposed to a surgically implanted device.

Synonyms

• Augmentation device (in the specific context of cosmetic surgery).
• Mammary implant (a less common, more technical synonym).

Antonyms / Contrasting Terms

• Breast reduction: a surgical procedure to decrease breast size.
• Mastectomy: the surgical removal of a breast, which an implant may later replace.

Related Phrases

• "Implant rupture": a failure of the implant shell, causing its filler to leak.
• "Capsular contracture": a potential complication where scar tissue tightens around the implant.

Noun

1. an implant for cosmetic purposes to replace a breast that has been surgically removed