Breast implants having a flush patch and methods of using same to augment or reconstruct a breast

A method of reconstructing or augmenting a breast, comprising:

• providing a breast implant having an elastomeric hollow shell with a contiguous and consistent wall except in an access region, and a patch extending across the access region of the shell and securely bonded thereto,
• wherein a peripheral edge of the patch and the shell cooperate to form a flush interface with no surface steps on both interior and exterior surfaces of the implant, wherein the patch includes a stem projecting inward into the interior of the hollow shell and an outer flange extending circumferentially outward from the stem and wherein the shell wall forms a flush butt joint against a peripheral edge of the flange and overlaps an inner surface of the flange and extends at least to the stem;
• preparing the breast implant for surgery;
• partially filling the hollow shell with sterile saline by injecting the saline through the stem;
• inserting the partially filled hollow shell into a cavity formed in breast tissue;
• and
• adjusting the size of the inserted breast implant by injecting saline through the stem.

A method of reconstructing or augmenting a breast, comprising:

• providing a breast implant having an elastomeric hollow shell shaped for use as breast implant and having a contiguous and consistent wall except in an access region, and
• a patch extending across the access region of the shell and securely bonded thereto, wherein a peripheral edge of the patch and the shell cooperate to form a flush interface with no surface steps on both interior and exterior surfaces of the implant, the patch including a fluid fill valve therein,
• wherein the fluid fill valve comprises a fluid valve with a valve seat fixed within the patch and an elastomeric diaphragm in sealing relationship to the valve seat, and
• wherein the fluid fill valve further comprises flow passages at the periphery of the elastomeric diaphragm;
• and
• at least partially filling the hollow shell with sterile saline by injecting the saline through the patch channel;
• inserting the at least partially filled hollow shell into a cavity formed in breast tissue;
• and
• adjusting the size of the inserted breast implant by injecting saline through the patch channel.

A method of reconstructing or augmenting a breast, the method comprising:

• providing a breast implant, comprising an elastomeric hollow shell shaped for use as breast implant and having a contiguous and consistent wall except in an access region;
• and
• a patch extending across the access region of the shell and securely bonded thereto, wherein a peripheral edge of the patch and the shell cooperate to form a flush interface with no surface steps on both interior and exterior surfaces of the implant, the patch including a fluid fill valve therein;
• wherein the fluid fill valve comprises a fluid valve with a valve seat fixed within the patch and an elastomeric diaphragm in sealing relationship to the valve seat;
• and
• wherein the patch includes a stem projecting into an interior of the hollow shell and the valve seat comprises a tubular sleeve fitted within the stem.