The Keller funnel is a revolutionary product that Dr. Arslanian firmly believes in and stands behind. The Keller Funnel is a device designed by surgeons for surgeons. In simple terms, it is similar to a pastry bag, and what it accomplished is what you might say is the “Frosting on The Cake” for a breast augmentation. The Keller Funnel is a formed of a polymeric film with a hydrophilic coating that allows a surgeon to place a a silicone breast implant through a small incision into the breast pocket…EFFORTLESSLY.

Why is it so important?

Faster and Easier:

The Funnel allows the surgeon to place a breast implant much more rapidly than the conventional technique of shoving it in bit by bit. This can shave up to 15-20 minutes off of a 45-60 minute case. That cost savings can then be passed on to the patient since they are typically being charged for anesthesia by the minnute.

Less Trauma:

The conventional technique involves pushing the implant in over and over with the finger. This can traumatize two things. First, it stretches and damaged the edges of the incision. Secondly, it can cause micro trauma to the breast implant itself from repeated stabs of the finger. After spending all that money on a brand new set of implants….do you really want your surgeon potentially causing damage right from the get-go? The following study demonstrates the significant reduction in force exerted on the implant using the Keller Funnel.

Smaller Incisions:

The Keller funnel allows Dr. Arslanian to be able to create incisions as small as 1-2 inches in size. Even very large implants can be pushed through the smallest incision without causing trauma due to the nature of the device. A large implant placement using the conventional technique might require an incision twice the size.

Decreased Rates of Infection:

There is increasing evidence that a “No Touch Technique” can help decrease rates of infection after breast augmentation. The Keller Funnel plays an important role in allowing the implant to go straight from the sterile packaging into the breast pocket without being potentially contaminated by gloves, instruments, and the patients breast and skin.

Decreased rates of Capsular Contracture:

keller funnelCapsular Contracture is an unfortunate complication that can occur with breast augmentation. The body forms a thin capsule of scar tissue around the implant, which is totally normal. For reasons not completely understood, in some patients the capsule begins to thicken and harden. This can cause distortion of the implant and sometimes even an obvious deformity and pain. Dr. Arslanian utilizes every technique possible to decrease this problem including a “No Touch Technique” and the Keller Funnel. There is increasing evidence that Capsular Contracture may be caused by a low grade infection or contamination of the implant. This may be from bacteria on the skin that are no completely killed by the sterilization process. The Keller Funnel allows for the implant to be placed into the breast pocket without having any chance of contacting the skin and becoming contaminated.

How much will this cost?

The cost of the Keller Funnel typically is about $100-135 per patient. More often than not, the cost of the Funnel is included with the surgery centers facility fee, but there are some facilities that may have this listed as a separate charge. In Dr. Arslanian’s experience, the added cost of the Funnel more than pays for itself in terms of decreasing the chance of a revision surgery which could cost thousands of dollars. In addition, the sheer fact alone that your incision will be HALF the size of a standard technique breast augmentation, should be argument enough.